Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Perceptual tests of an algorithm for musical key-finding.

Mark A Schmuckler1, Robert Tomovski

  • 1Department of Life Sciences, University of Toronto at Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada. marksch@utsc.utoronto.ca

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Human Perception and Performance
|November 3, 2005
PubMed
Summary

The Krumhansl-Schmuckler key-finding algorithm accurately predicts musical tonality in Bach but is less accurate for Chopin. Further research confirmed its measure-by-measure predictive power in Chopin music.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Tonal modulation influences on musical sight-reading.

Frontiers in psychology·2026
Same author

Momentary clumsiness and attention: Everyday interactions (and risks) in the world.

Acta psychologica·2025
Same author

Infants' Social Evaluation of Helpers and Hinderers: A Large-Scale, Multi-Lab, Coordinated Replication Study.

Developmental science·2024
Same author

What we don't know about what babies know: Reconsidering psychophysics, exploration, and infant behavior.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2024
Same author

Multisensory and biomechanical influences on postural control in children.

Journal of experimental child psychology·2023
Same author

Motor constraints on infant search: The impact of reaching around a barrier on search performance.

Journal of experimental child psychology·2023

Area of Science:

  • Music Cognition
  • Psychoacoustics
  • Computational Musicology

Background:

  • Perceiving musical tonality is crucial for music experience.
  • Developing computational models for tonality determination is a key area in music cognition research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the efficacy of the Krumhansl-Schmuckler key-finding algorithm.
  • To compare algorithm predictions with human listeners' perception of tonality in musical passages.

Main Methods:

  • Three experiments were conducted using musical fragments from Bach and Chopin preludes.
  • Listeners' tonal perceptions were compared against predictions from the Krumhansl-Schmuckler algorithm.
  • The algorithm's predictive accuracy was assessed at fragment, measure-by-measure, and complete prelude levels.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • The Krumhansl-Schmuckler algorithm demonstrated high accuracy for Bach preludes.
  • The algorithm showed lower accuracy for Chopin preludes initially, but was validated on a measure-by-measure basis.
  • The algorithm successfully predicted tonal movement throughout a complete Chopin prelude.

Conclusions:

  • The Krumhansl-Schmuckler key-finding algorithm is a viable tool for predicting musical tonality.
  • The findings support the algorithm as a model for understanding listeners' tonal perceptions.
  • Further research can refine tonal perception models using computational approaches.