Direct Instruction of Absolute Pitch Using the Theremin as a Musical Instrument and Experimental Apparatus

Area of Science:

• Music Education
• Cognitive Psychology
• Auditory Perception

Background:

• Direct Instruction (DI) is an educational approach primarily used for academic behaviors.
• DI's application in music performance skills, particularly absolute pitch, is underexplored.
• Absolute pitch (AP) is the ability to identify or produce a specific musical note without a reference tone.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present two novel DI methods for teaching absolute pitch.
• To utilize the theremin as a unique instrument for AP training and assessment.
• To evaluate the efficacy of DI in rapidly developing AP skills.

Main Methods:

• Two DI protocols based on prompt fading were developed.
• Participants (N=53) with varied musical backgrounds were recruited across two studies.
• Training duration was 1 hour or less per participant.

Main Results:

• All participants demonstrated significant improvement in absolute pitch accuracy post-training.
• Both DI methods proved effective in enhancing AP skills.
• The theremin served as an effective apparatus for both learning and assessment.

Conclusions:

• Direct Instruction is a viable and effective method for teaching absolute pitch.
• The theremin is a suitable instrument for AP research and training.
• Further research into DI for advanced musical skill acquisition is warranted.