Exploring the Effects of Pitch Layout on Learning a New Musical Instrument
Although isomorphic pitch layouts are proposed to afford various advantages for musicians playing new musical instruments, this paper details the first substantive set of empirical tests on how two fundamental aspects of isomorphic pitch layouts affect motor learning: shear, which makes the pitch ax...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2017-11-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/7/12/1218 |
| _version_ | 1818553084270346240 |
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| author | Jennifer MacRitchie Andrew J. Milne |
| author_facet | Jennifer MacRitchie Andrew J. Milne |
| author_sort | Jennifer MacRitchie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although isomorphic pitch layouts are proposed to afford various advantages for musicians playing new musical instruments, this paper details the first substantive set of empirical tests on how two fundamental aspects of isomorphic pitch layouts affect motor learning: shear, which makes the pitch axis vertical, and the adjacency (or nonadjacency) of pitches a major second apart. After receiving audio-visual training tasks for a scale and arpeggios, performance accuracies of 24 experienced musicians were assessed in immediate retention tasks (same as the training tasks, but without the audio-visual guidance) and in a transfer task (performance of a previously untrained nursery rhyme). Each participant performed the same tasks with three different pitch layouts and, in total, four different layouts were tested. Results show that, so long as the performance ceiling has not already been reached (due to ease of the task or repeated practice), adjacency strongly improves performance accuracy in the training and retention tasks. They also show that shearing the layout, to make the pitch axis vertical, worsens performance accuracy for the training tasks but, crucially, it strongly improves performance accuracy in the transfer task when the participant needs to perform a new, but related, task. These results can inform the design of pitch layouts in new musical instruments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:21:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-54d524530bf54f5a803562828dd46d67 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:21:25Z |
| publishDate | 2017-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-54d524530bf54f5a803562828dd46d672022-12-22T00:29:12ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172017-11-01712121810.3390/app7121218app7121218Exploring the Effects of Pitch Layout on Learning a New Musical InstrumentJennifer MacRitchie0Andrew J. Milne1The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Penrith 2751, AustraliaThe MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Penrith 2751, AustraliaAlthough isomorphic pitch layouts are proposed to afford various advantages for musicians playing new musical instruments, this paper details the first substantive set of empirical tests on how two fundamental aspects of isomorphic pitch layouts affect motor learning: shear, which makes the pitch axis vertical, and the adjacency (or nonadjacency) of pitches a major second apart. After receiving audio-visual training tasks for a scale and arpeggios, performance accuracies of 24 experienced musicians were assessed in immediate retention tasks (same as the training tasks, but without the audio-visual guidance) and in a transfer task (performance of a previously untrained nursery rhyme). Each participant performed the same tasks with three different pitch layouts and, in total, four different layouts were tested. Results show that, so long as the performance ceiling has not already been reached (due to ease of the task or repeated practice), adjacency strongly improves performance accuracy in the training and retention tasks. They also show that shearing the layout, to make the pitch axis vertical, worsens performance accuracy for the training tasks but, crucially, it strongly improves performance accuracy in the transfer task when the participant needs to perform a new, but related, task. These results can inform the design of pitch layouts in new musical instruments.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/7/12/1218sound and music computingnew musical instrumentspitch layoutsperception and actionmotor learning |
| spellingShingle | Jennifer MacRitchie Andrew J. Milne Exploring the Effects of Pitch Layout on Learning a New Musical Instrument Applied Sciences sound and music computing new musical instruments pitch layouts perception and action motor learning |
| title | Exploring the Effects of Pitch Layout on Learning a New Musical Instrument |
| title_full | Exploring the Effects of Pitch Layout on Learning a New Musical Instrument |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the Effects of Pitch Layout on Learning a New Musical Instrument |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the Effects of Pitch Layout on Learning a New Musical Instrument |
| title_short | Exploring the Effects of Pitch Layout on Learning a New Musical Instrument |
| title_sort | exploring the effects of pitch layout on learning a new musical instrument |
| topic | sound and music computing new musical instruments pitch layouts perception and action motor learning |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/7/12/1218 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jennifermacritchie exploringtheeffectsofpitchlayoutonlearninganewmusicalinstrument AT andrewjmilne exploringtheeffectsofpitchlayoutonlearninganewmusicalinstrument |