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fMRI Mapping of Brain Activity Associated with the Vocal Production of Consonant and Dissonant Intervals
11:15

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Published on: May 23, 2017

Absolute pitch may not be so absolute.

Stephen C Hedger1, Shannon L M Heald, Howard C Nusbaum

  • 1Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, IL 60637, USA. shedger@uchicago.edu

Psychological Science
|June 13, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Adults with absolute pitch (AP) can change their perception of musical notes. Listening experience with slightly detuned music shifted their note categories, challenging the idea that AP is fixed early in life.

Keywords:
auditory perceptionmusicperception

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Area of Science:

  • Auditory perception
  • Music cognition
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Absolute pitch (AP) allows individuals to identify musical notes without a reference.
  • AP is often believed to be fixed due to early developmental experiences.
  • The plasticity of AP note categories in adults has not been extensively studied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the plasticity of absolute pitch (AP) note categories in adults.
  • To determine if listening experience can alter AP perception.
  • To explore the role of cultural tuning norms in AP stability.

Main Methods:

  • Adult participants with AP were exposed to music detuned by a fraction of a semitone.
  • Perceptual shifts in note categorization were measured before and after listening exposure.
  • The study focused on changes in auditory perception related to musical pitch.

Main Results:

  • Participants with AP demonstrated significant shifts in their note perception.
  • These perceptual shifts directly correlated with the detuning of the music they heard.
  • The findings provide the first evidence of AP category plasticity in adults.

Conclusions:

  • Absolute pitch categories in adults are more malleable than previously thought.
  • Listening experience, not just early development, influences AP perception.
  • Cultural tuning standards may play a key role in maintaining the stability of AP categories.