Perceived and Actual Tuning Ability of Middle School String Students

The purpose of this study was to determine whether students’ perceived tuning ability was related to actual tuning ability. A secondary purpose of this study was to determine if the reference tuning pitch of A = 440 HZ, produced on a bowed string instrument or an electronic tuner would affect student tuning accuracy. Sixty middle school subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Subjects in one group were instructed to tune their instruments given a reference pitch of A = 440 HZ from a viola, and subjects in the other group from a Korg tuner. Subjects in both groups had been provided instruction in tuning for a period of two years prior to the study. Subjects were administered the Tuning Survey and were to identify their instrument, length of study, grade level, and how they rated their ability to tune their instrument. From the analyses of data, it was found that there was a significant difference in total cents tuning difference scores by Perceived Tuning Ability (PTA). Students with poor or fair PTA had significantly higher scores (more tuning cents difference from the actual pitch) than students with good or excellent PTA. No significant differences were found among students’ tuning accuracy scores when the pitch was generated from either a viola or a Korg tuner.