Control of Music

[from Gary Cziko 930318.1648 GMT]

Rick Marken and Richard Thurman:

I've been thinking about the proposed control of sequence experiment. But
instead of flashing letters on a computer screen, I think it might be a
better test to use a sequence of tones like "do-re-mi-fa-sol-fa-me-re-do."

I think this would be a better test for none other than the intuitive
feeling that it would be easier to perceive disturbances to this auditory
sequence tan to the visual one using letters. Other conditions could also
be used: one in which a tone is played with a different timbre (which is a
configuration of frequencies) and dynamics (loudness or intensity).

So if I understand Rick's thinking, he would predict that the subject could
accurately push a key to restore the correct intensity ("dyamics") at a
quite quick tempo, control timbre ("get that trumpet out of there, it's
supposed to sound like a flute") at a slower tempo, and sequence at a still
slower tempo.

Now that I've started to think about this, I can see music perception as a
way of getting to quite high levels of perception--Key modulations as
transitions, perhaps musical phrases as events, musical style (e.g.,
baroque, classical, romantic, modern) as category, etc.

But I nonetheless have the intuition that once the melody (sequence) is
well known), a person could react to a wrong note as quickly as he or she
could to a wrong loudness or wrong timbre. But I hope I'm wrong.--Gary

ยทยทยท

------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary Cziko Telephone: 217-333-8527
Educational Psychology FAX: 217-244-7620
University of Illinois E-mail: g-cziko@uiuc.edu
1310 S. Sixth Street Radio: N9MJZ
210 Education Building
Champaign, Illinois 61820-6990
USA
------------------------------------------------------------------