Effect of melodic context, tuning behaviors, and experience on the intonation accuracy of wind players

In the first of two experiments, subjects (N=137) were band students with 1 ,2,3, or 4 years of formal instrumental performance experience. Subject tun ed to a single prerecorded tuning pitch and subsequently played along with a prerecorded four-measure melody. Direction and magnitude of pitch deviati on were analyzed for the single tuning pitch and four selected target pitch es within the melody. Responses to the tuning pitch were more accurate than for the melodic pitches. There was a high positive correlation among the f our melodic pitches, but a low positive correlation between the melodic pit ches and tuning pitch. In a second experiment, high school musicians (N=167 ) played along with the same prerecorded melody after either (a) tuning the ir instrument to a single pitch, (b) receiving verbal instructions to perfo rm "in tune," or (c) receiving no information. No differences were observed among the three conditions. Students who first tuned to a single pitch wer e more accurate at this task than at melodic performance. A high correlatio n was observed among melodic pitches but not between melodic and tuning pit ches. Across both experiments, subjects erred most often in the sharp direc tion; a stronger tendency toward sharp errors was noted among more experien ced students. Performance accuracy was observed to improve with experience.