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Memorising Two Melodies of Different Style

Academy of Music, Lodz, Poland

Kacper Miklaszewski

Frederic Chopin Academy of Music, Okolnik 2, Warsaw, Poland

Thirty one freshmen of the Academy of Music, classified either as possessors of absolute pitch (N=5) or non-possessors (N=26), memorised two melodies: one having a clear tonal structure, another one based on a modal scale. Generally, the culturally remote (modal) melody was more difficult for both groups of subjects, and the rhythm of the melodies caused more trouble in reproductions than pitch. Qualitative analysis of the measures sung during reproductions suggested that the musical material and individual character- istics of the subjects not controlled in the study influenced strategies of learning applied during the experiment, rather than the possession of AP per se. Results of a MANOVA showed no significant indication that the possession of AP modifies the proportions of contour, interval and rhythm errors during melodic memorisation of both melodies, though AP subjects memorised both melodies faster than non-APs. They also scored signifi- cantly better in retaining the key and storing pitch information when they recalled the melodies from long term memory.

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