The speed of pitch resolution in a musical context

In five experiments, we investigated the speed of pitch resolution in a mus ical context. In experiments 1-3, listeners were presented an incomplete sc ale (doh, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti) and then a probe tone. Listeners were in structed to make a rapid key-press response to probe tones that were relati vely proximal in pitch to the last note of the scale (valid trials), and to ignore other probe tones (invalid trials). Reaction times were slower if t he pitch of the probe tone was dissonant with the expected pitch (i.e., the completion of the scale, or doh) or if the probe tone was nondiatonic to t he key implied by the scale. In experiments 4 and 5, listeners were present ed a two-octave incomplete arpeggio, and then a probe tone. In this case, l isteners were asked to make a rapid key-press response to probe tones that were relatively distant in pitch from the last note of the arpeggio. Under these conditions, registral direction and pitch proximity were the dominant influences on reaction time. Results are discussed in view of research on auditory attention and models of musical pitch. (C) 2001 Acoustical Society of America.