Factors Relating to Pitch-Matching Skills of Elementary Education Majors

Abstract

This study is an examination of the relationship between accuracy in singing the starting pitch of a song and four variables: (a) perception of tonal center, (b) ability to maintain a consistent key while singing a song, (c) self-selected pitch level, and (d) previous music experience. The subjects, 42 elementary education majors, sang “Row, Row, Row Your Boat ”at the pitch level of their choice. They were then asked to sing the song in the keys of B, C, and D with the keys established by (a) a single tonic pitch played on a piano, (b) a I-V7-I cadence played on a piano, and (c) a I-V7-I cadence played on an Autoharp. A multiple-regression analysis was performed to determine the extent to which the variables predicted initial pitch accuracy scores. Analyses of variance were conducted to determine the effects of (a) subjects' self-selected pitch level and target pitch level on initial pitch accuracy and (b) method of establishing the target key on initial pitch accuracy.

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