Re: the number of fixed categories in absolute pitch

[Leon van Noorden <leonvannoorden@xxxxxxxxx>]

no, in contrary, it seems rather that most brains are "one-dimensional" ;-)

> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> Van: AUDITORY Research in Auditory Perception
> [mailto:AUDITORY@LISTS.MCGILL.CA]namens Andrew Milne
> Verzonden: 29 apr 04 22:37
> Aan: AUDITORY@LISTS.MCGILL.CA
> Onderwerp: Re: the number of fixed categories in absolute pitch
>
>
> So are we to understand, from "NAP subjects can 'transmit' about
> 3 bits on a
> single frequency dimention, while AP subjects can transmit about 3 bits on
> each of two dimensions: Pitch height and Chroma" that the brain
> is a binary
> system?
>
> Andy Milne
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Leon van Noorden" <leonvannoorden@CHELLO.BE>
> To: <AUDITORY@LISTS.MCGILL.CA>
> Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2004 9:34 PM
> Subject: Re: the number of fixed categories in absolute pitch
>
>
> > The difference between AP and NAP subjects has been explained by the
> > assumption that in tasks of absolute pitch identification NAP
> subjects can
> > 'transmit' about 3 bits on a single frequency dimention, while
> AP subjects
> > can transmit about 3 bits on each of two dimensions: Pitch height and
> > Chroma. (the magical number of 7 plus or minus 2, times two). There are
> > studies that give as result that AP subjects make more octave
> errors than
> > NAP subjects. I would like to scrutinize the experimental setup of the
> > experiment where the subjects showed the ability of indicating
> "C plus ca
> 10
> > cents". It should have been made sure that the subject was not
> able to use
> > relative pitch as a third dimension.
> > Leon van Noorden
> >
> > >
> > > The number of "fixed categories" is only large, if you test APers over
> > > several octaves. Within an octave the number of categories
> (in "western"
> > > countries) only is 12. And we should not forget that the AP
> ability only
> > > concerns the categories within the octave range. Beyond the octave
> range,
> > > APers make as many octave confusion errors as non-AP musicians.
> > >
> > > There are, however, large variations within the group of
> APers. Some can
> > > identify many pitches between two adjacent categories, like C and C#.
> They
> > > can answer something like "C plus ca 10 Cent" or "C plus ca 30 Cent".
> So,
> > > some APers actually have well over 100 categories in the octave
> > > range. [But
> > > this is not what Ward had in mind. He was referring to semitones.]
> > >
> > > Martin
> > >
> > > --------------------------------
> > > Martin Braun
> > > Neuroscience of Music
> > > S-671 95 Klässbol
> > > Sweden
> > > web site: http://w1.570.telia.com/~u57011259/index.htm
> > >
>