Sound Contour Demos, part 3 - Familiar Melodies

Contours in dimensions other than pitch can also partially support the recognition of familiar melodies. This page contains some demos of this.

It is well-known that versions of familiar melodies that have the correct contour but the wrong intervals are not recognized as well as if the intervals are correct. We cannot render specific pitch intervals in other dimensions, so we should expect that familiar melodies played in loudness or brightness would not be recognized as well as the correct rendition in pitch. As a comparison, we also tested performance with pitch-varying versions whose intervals were doubled in size by a factor of two. Because the melodies we used were not uniform in rhythm, we also included a condition where the stimuli varied only in rhythm, and were constant in pitch, brightness, and loudness.

We present two melodies in each of five conditions of interest.

First, Frere Jacques, played conventionally - with pitch, and with the correct intervals:

Here is Frere Jacques played with pitch, but with the intervals doubled in size, which clearly impairs recognition:

The correct contour with incorrect intervals is nonetheless easier to recognize than if there is no contour information, and only rhythm as in this version:

When the melody is played with loudness variations, it is more recognizable than with rhythm alone:

When the contour is recreated in brightness, the melody is again more recognizable than with rhythm alone:

Here is Old MacDonald in the same five conditions.

Pitch, correct intervals:

Pitch, stretched intervals:

Rhythm only:

Loudness:

Brightness: