Development and Validation of a String Performance Rating Scale

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable assessment measure for stringed instrument performance. In the initial phase of the investigation, a total of 90 suitable statements were generated for the initial item pool gathered from essays, statements, and previously constructed rating scales. These statements were put into the a priori categories determined by previous research. These items were paired with Likert-type scales and used by 50 judges to assess 100 recorded string performances at the middle school through high school level. The results of the initial item pool were factor-analyzed using a varimax rotation. Five factors were identified (interpretation/musical effect, articulation/tone, intonation, rhythm/tempo, and vibrato), and 28 items were selected for the subscales of the String Performance Rating Scale (SPRS) based on factor loadings. Reliability varied from .873 to .936 for each judging panel using Hoyt's analysis of variance procedure. Two studies were conducted to establish criterion related validity, with zero-order correlations ranging from .605 to .766 between the SPRS and two other rating scales.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Abeles, H. F. (1973). Development and validation of a clarinet performance adjudication scale. Journal of Research in Music Education, 21, 246–255.

Asmus, E. P. (1989). Factor analysis: A look at the technique through the data of Rainbow. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, no. 101, 1–29.

Bergee, M.J. (1987). An application of the facet-factorial approach to scale construction in the development of a rating scale for euphonium and tuba music performance. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Kansas, Lawrence.

Bergee, M.J. (1988). Use of an objectively-constructed rating scale for the evaluation of brass juries: A criterion-related study. Missouri Journal of Research in Music Education, 5 (5), 6–15.

Cooksey, J. M. (1977). A facet-factorial approach to rating high school choral music performance. Journal of Research in Music Education, 25, 100–114.

Decamp, C. B. (1980). An application of the facet-factorial approach to scale construction in the development of a rating scale for high school band performance (Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Iowa). Dissertation Abstracts International, 41, 1462A.

Farnum, S. E. (1969). The Farnum String Scale. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonhard Publishing.

Fiske, H. E. (1978). The effect of a training procedure in musical performance evaluation on judge reliability. Ontario Education Research Council Report.

Fiske, H. E. (1983). Judging musical performance: Method or madness? Update: The Applications of Research in Music Education, 1 (3), 7–10.

10.

Gillespie, R. (1997). Ratings of violin and viola vibrato performance in audio-only and audiovisual presentations. Journal of Research in Music Education, 44, 212–220.

11.

Gutsch, K. U. (1964). One approach toward the development of an individual test for assessing one aspect of instrumental music achievement. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, no. 2, 1–5.

12.

Horowitz, R. A. (1994). The development of a rating scale for jazz guitar improvisation performance. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Columbia University Teachers College, 1994. Dissertation Abstracts International, 55 (11A), 3443.

13.

Hoyt, C. (1941). Test reliability estimated by analysis of variance. Psychometrika, 6 (3), 153–160.

14.

Jones, H. (1986). An application of the facet-factorial approach to scale construction in the development of a rating scale for high school vocal solo performance (Doctoral dissertation, University of Oklahoma). Dissertation Abstracts International, 47, 1230A.

15.

Kidd, R. L. (1975). The construction and validation of a scale of trombone performance skills. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1975.

16.

Kline, P. (1994). An easy guide to factor analysis. New York: Routledge.

17.

Music Educators National Conference (1958). String Adjudication Ballot. Reston, VA: Author [Now MENC: The National Association for Music Education].

18.

Nichols, J. P. (1985). A factor analysis approach to the development of a rating scale for snare drum performance (Doctoral dissertation, University of Iowa). Dissertation Abstracts International, 46, 3282A.

19.

Saunders, T C. , & Holohan, J. M. (1997). Criteria-specific rating scales in the evaluation of high school instrumental performance. Journal of Research in Music Education, 45, 259–272.

20.

Stivers, J. D. (1972). A reliability and validity study of the Watkins-Farnum performance scale (Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1972). Dissertation Abstracts International, 34 (02A), 815–816A.

21.

Vasil, T (1973). The effects of systematically varying selected factors on music performing adjudication (Doctoral dissertation, University of Connecticut, 1973). Dissertation Abstracts International, 34 (07A), 3950–3951 A.

22.

Watkins, J. G. (1942). Objective measurement of instrumental music. New York: Teachers College Bureau of Publications, Columbia University.

23.

Watkins, J. G. , & Farnum, S. E. (1954). The Watkins-Farnum Performance Scale. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonhard Publishing.

24.

Zdzinski, S. F. (1991). Measurement of solo instrumental music performance: A review of literature. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, no. 109, 47–58.