AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON CONTINGENT VERBAL FEEDBACK FOR ACCURACY OF INTONATION IN MUSICAL PERFORMANCE

Summary.-The effect of contingent verbal feedback on accuracy of intonation of eight students in a course on string methods was compared. Analysis indicated that performed intonation was significantly better when using finger numbers than when referring to the pitch name. Previous research on noncontingent verbal inducements to correct inaccurate intonation has yielded inconclusive results. Lader (1977) observed no differences In ~ntonational irnprovements among string players, while Salzberg (1980) found that contlngcnt verbal feedback produced significantly greater accuracy of intonation than modeling or recorded feedback. In addition, when comparing the direct relation between intonational ~erformance and perception, findings also vary. Geringer and Witt (1985) reported in an investigation of both college and professional string instrumentalists a limited association between perceptual judgments 2nd [uning performance. The present purpose was to investigate intonational accuracy of college music students in an elementary string methods class. The dependent measure was accuracy of intonadon in cent deviation from equal temperament, and the independent variables were type of feedback, finger number versus note name, and accuracy of finger placement. Subjects were eight undergraduate music majors, both male and female, in an elementary string-methods class. Subjects were proficient musicians on their principal instrument such as flute, trumpet or percussion but not on an orchestral string instrument, violin, viola cello, and bass. In class all subjects performed on their assigned string instrument two different musical excerpts composed by the investigator and judged by professional string players to be equal in difficulty and appropriate for such students. Each subject performed both excerpts using the same sequence of all four playing fingers. After performing each excerpt, a KORG AT-12 tuner calibrated at k1 cent deviation from A=440 cps was used by the investigator to provide subjects with speciFic feedback regarding accuracy of intonation in performance. The actual data were based upon cent deviation scores relative to the frequencies of equal temperament. There are 100 cents in a semitone, and 1200 cents within an octave. Notes with five cents above or below the pitch were considered in tune. All performances were recorded whereon each subject received both feedback type in randomized order. Post hoc analysis of intonation was done on each finger for both directional and absolute amount of deviation of performed intonation. Directional deviation is recorded in Bat (-) and sharp (+) cents. No vibrato was used by the subjects, and all subjects were encouraged to perform their best. To describe both the absolute deviation and directional cent deviation in pitch performance nvo separate analyses were computed. Since this study was exploratory with few subjects, an alpha level of p< .25 was set as significant. The analysis using an absolute cent deviation on the type of contingent feedback was not significant but in the directional deviation analysis on