Effects of music notation reinforcement on aural memory for melodies

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of music notation reinforcement on aural memory for melodies. Participants were 41 undergraduate and graduate music majors in a within-subjects design. Experimental trials tested melodic memory through a sequence of target melodies, distraction melodies, and matched and unmatched answer choices. Target melodies were presented either aurally only, or aurally with matching notation. Results of a paired samples t-test revealed no significant difference in experimental test scores based on presentation format, suggesting that music notation reinforcement of melodies does not affect aural memory for those melodies. Recommendations for further research include an aural-visual melodic memory test paired with a survey of participant learning modalities; a survey of successful melodic memory strategies employed by aural skills students; and longitudinal studies of visual imagery applied to aural skills tasks. Implications for music education at all levels center on the need to cultivate strong cognitive relationships between visual and aural aspects of music.