Council for Research in Music Education

An Investigation of Tuning Performance and Perception of String Instrumentalists

Author(s): John M. Geringer and Anne C. Witt
Source: Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, No. 85 (Late Fall, 1985),
pp. 90-101
Published by: University of Illinois Press on behalf of the Council for Research in Music
Education
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/40317945
Accessed: 30-12-2019 08:49 UTC

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 90

John M. Geringer
and
Anne C. Witt
University of Texas
Austin, Texas

An Investigation of Tuning Performance and

Perception of String Instrumentalists

Recent research concerning intonation in musical

contexts has provided valuable information which is
directly applicable to the teaching and performance
of music. The present study attempted to extend
this knowledge by investigating the tuning perfor-
mance and tuning perception of string instrumen-
talists*
A tendency toward sharp intonation in perfor-
mance, perception, and preference has been well
documented (Geringer, 1976; Geringer, 1978; Madsen,
1974; Madsen, Edmonson, & Madsen 1969; Mason 1960;
Papich & Rainbow, 1974; Salzberg, 1980; and Small,
1937). Accuracy of intonation appears to vary
according to performance task. Ascending scales
were more difficult to perform in tune than
descending (Madsen, 1962; 1966); descending inter-
vals were performed less accurately than ascending
(Forsythe, 1967; Edmonson, 1972). Arpeggios were
performed less accurately than scales, melodies,
and doubles stops Salzberg, 1980); and different
pitches seemed to vary in difficulty (Vorce, 1964).
Other variables affecting intonation performance
and perception include temporal aspects, intensity,
and instrumental timbre (Swaffield, 1974). Given
the opportunity to respond to tone quality and/or
intonation variables, subjects have responded to

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 91

intonation variables more often than to differences

in tone quality (Geringer & Madsen, 1981; Madsen &
Flowers, 1982; Madsen & Geringer, 1976; 1981).
Early researchers hypothesized that string
insrumentalists perform closer to Pythagorean
intonation than to equal temperament (Greene, 1937;
Nickerson, 1937). More recent controlled investi-
gation has not confirmed this idea (Geringer, 1978;
Madsen, 1974; and Salzberg, 1980).
The direct relationship between the perception
of intonation and actual performance has not been
frequently investigated. However, the results of
two studies have indicated differences between
performance and perception. Subjects were less
accurate in the perception of unaccompanied scalar
patterns than in the performance condition
(Geringer, 1978). Generally low and nonsignificant
correlations were found between vocal pitch
matching and pitch discrimination abilities of
young children (Geringer, 1983).
The purpose of the present study was to inves-
tigate the tuning performance and tuning perception
of string instrumentalists. Of particular interest
was the relationship between the perception of
tuning stimuli and performed tuning accuracy.

Method

Subjects were 60 high school and 60 college

students/professionals, all string instrumenta-
lists. High school students were enrolled in a
preparatory program of weekly instruction and were
members of high school orchestras. The college
student/professional group consisted of graduate
and undergraduate string majors and were members of
the University of Texas Symphony or the Austin
Symphony Orchestra. Subjects were randomly
assigned to one of three stimulus conditions.

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 92

Stimuli consisted of tape-recorded tones to

which the subjects were asked to tune. The master
tape had been recorded by a professional oboist,
while viewing a Conn Chromatic Stroboscope. Six
trials of each tuning tone were recorded; the most
accurate one was selected for the experiment. Pitch
levels of the oboe tuning tones were 440 Hz.,
twenty-five cents sharp relative to 440 Hz. , and
fifteen cents flat to 440 Hz. The selection of
these pitch levels was based on previous research
(cf . , review of literature). All tuning stimuli
had a duration of three seconds. Tuning stimuli
were monitored during the experiment and were found
to be accurate within +2 cents.
Subjects were tested individually and given the
following instructions:
This is a project to determine tuning
preferences of string students ac-
cording to educational level. You will
hear an "A" for tuning; it will last for
three seconds. The A" may be accurate,
or out of tune. Tune your A string
either to that pitch, or to whatever you
think is a more accurate "A". When you
finish tuning, please play your A string
for about three seconds.
The tuning process was tape-recorded for each
subject. After tuning, each subject was asked,
"How would you judge the intonation of the A on
this tape?" Verbal responses of subjects were
coded by the experimenter on a three category
scale: sharp/a little sharp, in tune, or a little
flat/flat. This scale was not seen by the subjects.
Final pitches performed by subjects were analyzed
according to deviation in cents. Interjudge
reliability was determined on the data; two
observers independently viewed a chromatic strobo-
scope while listening to the taped responses. The
percentage of agreement was 95 percent (+ 2
cents). Intrajudge reliability, computed on 25
percent of the data, was .97 (+2 cents).

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 93

Results

The data were analyzed in three aspects in

accordance with the problem statement: performance
data, verbal responses (perception data), and a
comparison of verbal responses with performance.
Performance responses were considered two different
ways: 1) relative to the stimulus pitch, and 2)
relative to 440 Hz.
A two-way analysis of variance revealed a
significant difference between cent deviations
relative to the three pitch stimuli (F [2,114] =
82.81, p < .001). A significant difference was
found between age groups of subjects (F [1, 114] =
4.12, p < .05), and the interaction between
stimulus pitch and age was also significant (F
[2,114] = 5.78, p < .005). An additional two-way
analysis of variance was computed, comparing cent
deviations relative to A440, rather than to the
stimulus pitches. Results indicated that signi-
ficant differences existed with respect to stimulus
condition (F [2,114] = 4.11, p < .02) and age of
subjects (F [1,114] = 3.94, p < 05). There was also
a significant interaction (F [2,114] = 5.57, p
<.005).
Mean cent deviation for each age group is shown
in Figure 1. In general, subjects deviated least
from the 440 Hz. stimulus (tuning about 5 cents
sharp), tuned about sixteen cents sharper than the
flat stimulus pitch. High school subjects tuned
lower in pitch than did college/professional
subjects to both the sharp (about ten cents) and
the flat (about 5 cents) stimulus. It should be
noted that subjects in all three stimulus condi-
tions generally showed a preference for sharp
tuning relative to A440, a result which is con-
sistant with the experimental literature.

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 94

Figure 1; Mean Cent Deviation from Stimulus Pitches

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 95

Verbal responses elicited from subjects con-

cerning the perceived intonation of the stimulus
pitch are shown in Table 1. Chi-square analyses of
responses indicated significant differences for
high school students (X2 [2] = 17.5, p < .001),
college/professional subjects (X2 [2] = 7.3, p <
.05) and total responses (X2 [2] = 22.65, p <
.001). These results indicate that subjects made
significantly more "flat" than "sharp" or "in tune"
verbal responses. This result is also consistent
with prior research findings that subjects tend to
perceive "errors" in the direction of flatness
rather than sharpness.
Of experimental interest was the relationship
between perception of subjects, measured by verbal
response, and performance, measured by the indi-
vidual's actual tuning response. Performed cent
deviation data relative to stimulus pitch were
coded according to the same categories as were the
verbal responses: sharp/little sharp, in tune, or
flat/little flat. Performance data were cate-
gorized according to the following criteria:
performances were coded as "in tune" if within ten
cents of the stimulus pitch, (cf., review of
literature), "sharp" performances were deviations
greater than ten cents sharp relative to the
stimulus pitch, and "flat" performances were
deviations greater than ten cents in the direction
of flatness relative to the stimulus pitch. In this
manner, the percentage of agreement between verbal
responses and actual performance could be deter-
mined. If, for example, a subject's verbal was
"flat," then a performance of greater than ten
cents sharp relative to the stimulus pitch would
constitute an agreement. Table 1 presents the
frequency of verbal responses, the frequency of
performance responses concurring with that judge-
ment, and the percentage of agreement across
stimulus and age groups of subjects. The tuning
performances were in agreement with the verbal
judgments for 62 percent of the college/prof es-

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 96

sional subjects, while the agreement between

performance and perception among the high school
subjects was only 43 percent. As can be seen in
the Table, percentages for both groups of subjects
were generally highest along the diagonal, that is,
when perceptual judgments were correct relative to
the stimulus pitch.

Discussion

This study represents an attempt to investigate

tuning practices of string players. The study was
designed to simulate an actual tuning situation as
much as possible, by providing an oboe "A" to which
instrumentalists were asked to tune. Since it was
possible that the given "A" might be perceived as
out of tune, subjects were given the opportunity to
tune to an "AM of their own choice. The relation-
ship between tuning performance and perception was
assessed through a comparison of the verbal
response and actual performance; i.e., if a subject
judged the given "A" as "flat," then tuning above
the pitch indicated consistency.
Results indicated significant differences on the
performance variable of the study. Subjects
performed below the sharp pitch, and above the in
tune and flat stimuli. The college/professional
subjects performed sharper in response to the sharp
and flat stimuli than the high school subjects.
The performed pitches of subjects were closer, for
the most part, to A440 than to the given stimulus.
It was observed that after the initial playing of
their instrument's pitch, subjects often would
raise and/or lower their tuning and seemed to
return to an approximation of their initial pitch
level. Perhaps some subjects heard their initial
pitch as correct, rather than the given "A", and
responded to it instead of the stimulus.

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 97

Verbal responses concerning the intonation of

the stimuli were similar for both groups of
subjects. Both groups judged pitches as "flat"
with greater frequency than "sharp" and "in tune"
judgments, a result which reflects the literature.
It should remembered that the present experiment
was structured to exaggerate this sharp/flat
difference by making the sharp stimulus 25 cents
out of tune, compared to the flat stimulus devi-
ation of only 15 cents. It is also interesting to
note that of the 40 subjects hearing the in tune
stimulus, only 12 responded correctly that the
stimulus was in tune.
Of interest in the present study was the
relationship between verbal judgments of the tuning
pitch and actual tuning performance. Although the
college/professional subjects did exhibit a higher
degree of correspondence (62%) than the high school
subjects (43%), these percentages appear to
indicate a somewhat limited degree of association
between perceptual judgments and performance.
There have been other experimental contexts in
which the performance and perception of intonation
appear to be significantly different (Geringer,
1978; 1983). On the other hand, since the college/
professional group had a higher percentage of
agreement, perhaps the relative maturation and
training of this group were responsible for the
increased correspondence. Many music educators
regard the process of aural perception as as
fundamental component of both music performance and
music listening. It seems advisable that much
continued research be undertaken to further
investigate the relationship between perceptual and
performance abilities within musical contexts.

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 98

Table 1 Frequency of Verbal Response, Performance

Response, and Performance of Agreement

High School Subjects Sharp In Tune Flat

Stimulus Pitch
VR* 9 0 11
+25 PR** 7 0 0
PA*** 17% 100% 0%

VR 9 4 7
0 PR 1 4 5
PA 11% 100% 71%

VR 7 1 12
-15 PR 10 8
PA 14% 0% 67%

College/Professional Subjects

VR 15 2 3
+25 PR 13 0 1
PA 86% 0% 33%

VR 2 8 10
0 PR 0 6 4
PA 0% 75% 40%

VR 2 2 16
-15 PR 0 1 12
PA 0% 50% 75%

Total VR 44 17 59
PR 22 11 30
PA 50% 65% 51%

*Frequency of Verbal Response. **Frequency of

Performance Response. ***Percentage of Agreement.

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 99

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