A Computer-Based Training Program for Developing Harmonic Intonation Discrimination Skill

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a computer-based training program for improving students' ability to make judgments of harmonic intonation. Twenty members of two undergraduate conducting classes participated in the Harmonic Intonation Training Program (HITP). An equivalent matched control group was selected from 156 other undergraduate music majors who had also taken the investigator-developed Harmonic Intonation Discrimination Test (HIDT). The HITP consisted of a body of drill-and-prac-tice exercises using intervals, triads, and brief three- and four-part musical passages. The exercises were played in both equal temperament and just intonation by a 16-voice digital synthesizer. After a 9-week treatment period, a two-way ANOVA on posttest HIDT scores revealed a difference (p= .005) in favor of the experimental group. Results of a questionnaire administered after the training to the experimental subjects indicated that attitudes toward the training program were mostly positive.