Pitch and Plasticity: Insights from the Pitch Matching of Chords by Musicians with Absolute and Relative Pitch

McLachlan, Neil; Marco, David; Wilson, Sarah J.

doi:10.3390/brainsci3041615

Cited by 11 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…The lack of significant group difference at the 416-Hz level in block A is possibly due to a context effect. In fact, recent findings have shown that the context (e.g., chords) strongly influences tone processing (McLachlan et al, 2013). In block A, the majority of the deviant tones were narrowly spread around the standard tone, which might have had an interfering effect on processing categorical borderlines.…”

Section: P3a Responsesmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…This has been observed, for example, when nonmusicians have to produce songs from memory ( Jakubowski & Müllensiefen, 2013;Levitin, 1994) or to judge the correctness of familiar soundtracks (Schellenberg & Trehub, 2003) or even telephone dial tones (Smith & Schmuckler, 2008). In the same vein, recent evidence indicates that mental representations of tone categories in AP participants are not fixed but rather changeable (Hedger, Heald, & Nusbaum, 2013;McLachlan, Marco, & Wilson, 2013), implying a certain extent of instability. Taken together, these findings suggest that pitch memory per se does not seem to be specific for AP.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Absolute Pitch: Evidence for Early Cognitive Facilitation during Passive Listening as Revealed by Reduced P3a Amplitudes

Rogenmoser

Elmer

Jäncke

2015

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience

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Absolute pitch (AP) is the rare ability to identify or produce different pitches without using reference tones. At least two sequential processing stages are assumed to contribute to this phenomenon. The first recruits a pitch memory mechanism at an early stage of auditory processing, whereas the second is driven more by a later cognitive mechanism (pitch labeling). Several investigations have used active tasks, but it is unclear how these two mechanisms contribute to AP during passive listening. The present work investigated the temporal dynamics of tone processing in AP and non-AP (NAP)participants, using EEG. We applied a passive oddball paradigm with between-and within-tone category manipulations and analyzed the MMN reflecting the early stage of auditory processing and, for the first time, the P3a response reflecting the later cognitive mechanism during the second processing stage. Results did not reveal between-group differences in MMN waveforms. But, the P3a response was specifically associated with AP and sensitive to processing different pitch types. Specifically, AP participants exhibited smaller P3a amplitudes, especially in between-tone category conditions, and P3a responses correlated significantly with the age of commencement of musical training, suggesting an influence of early musical exposure on AP. Our results reinforce the current opinion that the representation of pitches at the processing level of the auditory-related cortex is similar among AP and NAP participants, whereas the later processing stage is critical for AP. Results are interpreted as reflecting cognitive facilitation in AP participants, possibly driven by the availability of multiple codes for tones. Abstract ■ Absolute pitch (AP) is the rare ability to identify or produce different pitches without using reference tones. At least two sequential processing stages are assumed to contribute to this phenomenon. The first recruits a pitch memory mechanism at an early stage of auditory processing, whereas the second is driven by a later cognitive mechanism (pitch labeling). Several investigations have used active tasks, but it is unclear how these two mechanisms contribute to AP during passive listening. The present work investigated the temporal dynamics of tone processing in AP and non-AP (NAP) participants by using EEG. We applied a passive oddball paradigm with between-and withintone category manipulations and analyzed the MMN reflecting the early stage of auditory processing and the P3a response reflecting the later cognitive mechanism during the second processing stage. Results did not reveal between-group differences in MMN waveforms. By contrast, the P3a response was specifically associated with AP and sensitive to the processing of different pitch types. Specifically, AP participants exhibited smaller P3a amplitudes, especially in between-tone category conditions, and P3a responses correlated significantly with the age of commencement of musical training, suggesting an influence of early musical exposure on AP. Our ...

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Section: P3a Responsesmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Absolute Pitch: Evidence for Early Cognitive Facilitation during Passive Listening as Revealed by Reduced P3a Amplitudes

Rogenmoser

Elmer

Jäncke

2015

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience

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“…Other supporting evidence comes from the discovery of an adult AP possessor, R.M., who had minimal music training but was able to perform a pitch memory task at a level indistinguishable from AP musicians. This case indicates that an early onset of music training (or any music training) may not be essential for AP to emerge (Ross et al, 2003 ), suggesting that AP and non-AP possessors may be using different pitch processing mechanisms (McLachlan et al, 2013b ) that in part, reflect genetically influenced neuroanatomical differences.…”

Section: Summary Of the Review Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The genetic basis of music ability

Tan¹,

McPherson²,

Peretz³

et al. 2014

Front. Psychol.

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Music is an integral part of the cultural heritage of all known human societies, with the capacity for music perception and production present in most people. Researchers generally agree that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the broader realization of music ability, with the degree of music aptitude varying, not only from individual to individual, but across various components of music ability within the same individual. While environmental factors influencing music development and expertise have been well investigated in the psychological and music literature, the interrogation of possible genetic influences has not progressed at the same rate. Recent advances in genetic research offer fertile ground for exploring the genetic basis of music ability. This paper begins with a brief overview of behavioral and molecular genetic approaches commonly used in human genetic analyses, and then critically reviews the key findings of genetic investigations of the components of music ability. Some promising and converging findings have emerged, with several loci on chromosome 4 implicated in singing and music perception, and certain loci on chromosome 8q implicated in absolute pitch and music perception. The gene AVPR1A on chromosome 12q has also been implicated in music perception, music memory, and music listening, whereas SLC6A4 on chromosome 17q has been associated with music memory and choir participation. Replication of these results in alternate populations and with larger samples is warranted to confirm the findings. Through increased research efforts, a clearer picture of the genetic mechanisms underpinning music ability will hopefully emerge.

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“…Most research on auditory processing in AP and non-AP (NAP) populations focused on the processing of isolated tones, chords or on oddball paradigms (McLachlan et al, 2013 ; Wengenroth et al, 2014 ; Ziv and Radin, 2014 ; Rogenmoser et al, 2015 ; Greber et al, 2018 ). However, it is in the context of complex dynamic musical contexts that AP is acquired and has its function.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrical Neuroimaging of Music Processing in Pianists With and Without True Absolute Pitch

et al. 2019

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True absolute pitch (AP), labeling of pitches with semitone precision without a reference, is classically studied using isolated tones. However, AP is acquired and has its function within complex dynamic musical contexts. Here we examined event-related brain responses and underlying cerebral sources to endings of short expressive string quartets, investigating a homogeneous population of young highly trained pianists with half of them possessing true-AP. The pieces ended regularly or contained harmonic transgressions at closure that participants appraised. Given the millisecond precision of ERP analyses, this experimental plan allowed examining whether AP alters music processing at an early perceptual, or later cognitive level, or both, and which cerebral sources underlie differences with non-AP musicians. We also investigated the impact of AP on general auditory cognition. Remarkably, harmonic transgression sensitivity did not differ between AP and non-AP participants, and differences for auditory cognition were only marginal. The key finding of this study is the involvement of a microstate peaking around 60 ms after musical closure, characterizing AP participants. Concurring sources were estimated in secondary auditory areas, comprising the planum temporale, all transgression conditions collapsed. These results suggest that AP is not a panacea to become a proficient musician, but a rare perceptual feature.

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Pitch and Plasticity: Insights from the Pitch Matching of Chords by Musicians with Absolute and Relative Pitch

Cited by 11 publications

References 70 publications

Absolute Pitch: Evidence for Early Cognitive Facilitation during Passive Listening as Revealed by Reduced P3a Amplitudes

Absolute Pitch: Evidence for Early Cognitive Facilitation during Passive Listening as Revealed by Reduced P3a Amplitudes

The genetic basis of music ability

Electrical Neuroimaging of Music Processing in Pianists With and Without True Absolute Pitch

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