Determination of Location of Pitch within a Musical Vibrato

This study examined aspects of pitch discrimination of listeners presented with musical tones containing modulated frequencies. Of particular interest was the effect of musical training, differing modulation widths, and solo and ensemble performance upon pitch perception. Thirty musicians and 30 nonmusicians matched a generated tone to a simultaneous musical tone performed with vibrato. On each of the 36 test items, a reading was taken of the subject's selected frequency. ANOVA indicated a significant difference in musicians and nonmusicians regarding pitch location, with musicians locating the pitch higher in the frequency spectrum. Neither group located the pitch of modulated tones at the mean of the modulation, as suggested by earlier studies which employed nonmusical stimuli. Responses were unaffected by solo or ensemble performance of the stimuli. Changes in modulation width caused significant differences in responses.