Comparative Tone-Colour Responses of College Music Majors with Absolute Pitch and Good Relative Pitch

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that college music majors possessing absolute pitch will be more consistent in their tone-colour responses over a period of time than college music majors possessing good relative pitch. Data were gathered for 22 college music majors, 10 possessors of absolute pitch and 12 who possess good relative pitch. The students were administered an individual test on five consecutive weeks. Each test consisted of recordings of the 12 tones within an octave performed on a pipe organ, using the flute stop. The tones of each week's test were in a different random order. After each note was sounded, the student selected a colour from a colour wheel placed in front of him. Consistency of response, from week to week, was measured and evaluated. A comparison of the two groups' mean variability across the five trials for each of the 12 tones revealed a statistically significant difference (p < *001) between the two groups' mean response for each of the 12 pitches. In all cases, the mean response of the perfect pitch subjects was significantly more consistent than that of the relative pitch subjects.