The Prevalence and Correlates of Accurate Singing

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze a large sample of volunteers from the general population who were tested with an identical online measure of singing accuracy. A sample of 632 participants completed the Seattle Singing Accuracy Protocol (SSAP), a standardized measure of singing accuracy, available online, that includes a test of pitch discrimination and basic demographic questions. Analyses addressed basic questions relating to the distribution of singing accuracy as well as associations of singing accuracy with years of musical training, age, pitch discrimination ability, and musical self-perception. We addressed these issues with respect to the accuracy of pitch imitation, based on automated scoring of vocal fundamental frequency ( f0) in the SSAP, as well as the accuracy of singing a familiar song, based on expert ratings. Results suggest that the distribution of singing accuracy varies widely, but the modal tendency is toward accurate singing. All predictors formed unique and significant associations with singing accuracy, suggesting that multiple factors contribute to this critical musical ability. In particular, age and musical training (including instrumental training) correlate independently with singing accuracy.