The Influence of Textural and Timbral Factors on the Ability of Music Majors to Detect Performance Errors

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of textural and timbral factors on graduate and undergraduate music majors' ability to detect performance errors. Specifically, subjects' discrimination of pitch and rhythm errors in music excerpts that were counterbalanced for error type, textural placement of errors (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass voices), and timbre (single and multiple) was examined. In the development of a stimulus audiotape for error detection, the Yamaha SY77 digital synthesizer was used to record and perform two contrasting, six-measure music excerpts selected from the wind band literature. The original excerpts were edited to include purposeful errors resulting in a stimulus of 20 total excerpts, 16 of which included performance errors. Subjects (N - 60) listened to the recorded excerpts and attempted to identify pitch and rhythm errors by circling appropriate places in the scores. Results of a four-factor analysis of variance with repeated measures on correct responses indicated significant main effects of error type (subjects were more discerning of rhythm errors) and timbre (subjects were more discerning of errors in the single-timbre condition) and no effects regarding voice placement and degree status. There was a significant three-way interaction among the variables of error type, textural placement, and timbre. Additionally, descriptive comparisons were made concerning incorrect responses.