Subject: Re: the number of fixed categories in absolute pitch From: Leon van Noorden <leonvannoorden(at)CHELLO.BE> Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2004 22:54:13 +0200no, in contrary, it seems rather that most brains are "one-dimensional" ;-) > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- > Van: AUDITORY Research in Auditory Perception > [mailto:AUDITORY(at)LISTS.MCGILL.CA]namens Andrew Milne > Verzonden: 29 apr 04 22:37 > Aan: AUDITORY(at)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(at)CHELLO.BE> > To: <AUDITORY(at)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 > > > >