Tonal Priming Beyond Tonics

Abstract

THE MUSICAL PRIMING PARADIGM ALLOWS FOR INVESTIGA-TION of listeners' expectations based on their implicit knowledge of tonal stability. To date, priming data are limited to reports of facilitated processing for tonic over nontonic events. The special status of the tonic as a cognitive reference point brings into question the subtlety of listeners' tonal knowledge: Is the facilitated processing observed in priming studies limited to tonic events, or is tone processing influenced by subtler tonal contrasts? The present study investigated tonal priming for mediants (the third scale degree) over leading tones (the seventh scale degree) presented in melodic contexts. Experiment 1 used a timbre discrimination task and Experiment 2 an intonation task. Facilitated processing was observed for the more tonally stable mediants over the less stable leading tones, thus showing that priming effects are not limited to pairs of tonal degrees including the tonic. This finding emphasizes the subtlety of nonexpert listeners' tonal knowledge.

The role of expectation in music: from the score to emotions and the brain

“…More recently, the priming paradigm has been adapted to melodies and the influence of tonal expectations on tone processing . This allows further investigation of musical expectations, notably by testing even more subtle differences between prime contexts and pointing out cognitive influences in musical expectations …”

“…32 This allows further investigation of musical expectations, notably by testing even more subtle differences between prime contexts and pointing out cognitive influences in musical expectations. 33,34…”

The relationship between pitch and space in congenital amusia

“…Evidence of sophisticated musical processing is seen in early life (Hannon & Trainor, 2007;Winkler, Haden, Ladinig, Sziller, & Honing, 2009) and adults who lack musical training nevertheless display a high level of competence when tested for musical perception, memory and production abilities (Berkowska & Dalla Bella, 2009;Bigand & Poulin-Charronnat, 2006;Levitin, 1994;Marmel & Tillmann, 2009;Tillmann, Janata, Birk, & Bharucha, 2008;Wise & Sloboda, 2008). …”

Tonal priming is resistant to changes in pitch height

“…It is uncertain whether tonal priming remains resistant to pitch height changes in a context with a much smaller pitch range, such as a monophonic melody, which consists of single notes. Tonal priming is functional in a melodic context (Marmel, Perrin, & Tillmann, 2011;Marmel & Tillmann, 2009;Marmel et al, 2010;Marmel, Tillmann, & Dowling, 2008), but melodies rarely exceed a pitch range of 1.5 octaves (typically the range is much smaller). Future research should focus on testing the effect of pitch height on tonal priming in a melodic context.…”

“…This phenomenon typically refers to the fact that for listeners enculturated in Western music, a prime chord (multiple simultaneous notes) creates a strong expectation for a musically related chord (Bharucha & Stoeckig, 1986;Bigand, Poulin, Tillmann, Madurell, & D'Adamo, 2003). This concept is equally applicable to monophonic sequences of single notes, or melodies (Boltz, 1989;Marmel & Tillmann, 2009;Marmel, Tillmann, & Delbe, 2010).…”