Gradual pitch change and aesthetic responses of music majors

Perception of pitch change has a long history of research in music education. Indeed, pitch change whether inadvertent or purposeful occupies a good deal of practice and rehearsal time. Music teachers at every level of instruction are concerned with each student's ability to maintain a steady pitch as well as the ability to discern subtle pitch changes while having students attend to other important musical issues. This study investigated an unaltered version of Haydn's Symphony # 104 comparing it with a very gradual pitch change, either sharper or flatter in relationship to perceived aesthetic response. Total magnitude of pitch change in either direction was 300 cents (3 semitones). Results indicated that subjects responded more positively to the unaltered version compared to the gradual change conditions but no subject could accurately identify the changing pitch conditions.