Jack A. Taylor

Perception of Tonality in Short Melodies

The purpose of the study was to utilize information theory in quantifying the strength of tonality (TS) in short melodies, and to observe changes in TS values as a function of the melody length, contour, pitch structure, and condition under which the melodies were presented. The results indicated that for tonal melodies only, greater tonal strength is a function of high perception ability and the condition under which the subjects perceive the melodies. TS values for atonal melodies were unchanged as functions of perception ability and the other experimental variables. It was concluded that perception of tonality in melodies is a learned phenomenon, and that information theory is a viable measurement technique.