The Effects of Accompanying Harmonic Context on Vocal Pitch Accuracy of a Melody

Abstract

This study examined the effects of five stylistically diverse vocal harmonisations (traditional tonal, chromatic, dissonant, quartal, and chords with extensions) on a singer's ability to sing an accompanying melodic line. Twenty-five college female sopranos enrolled in various university choral ensembles learned three unfamiliar melodies in an isolated setting, then sang each melody with each of the five different harmonisations. Performances were measured against a prerecorded reference tape using the Micro Music Pitch Master. Results indicated a statistically significant difference among performances with the various harmonic accompaniments and suggested a higher degree of vocal pitch accuracy oni melodies accompanied by traditional tonal harmony. Secondary findings indicated a statistically significant inverse relationship between years of choral ensemble experience and the number of trials needed to learn an unfamiliar melody, and between the number of trials needed to learn an unfamiliar melody and total performance score for each melody.