Effects of pitch range on singing accuracy training

Abstract

Recent theory and data suggest that inaccurate (poor-pitch or poor) singing may be based on impoverished sensorimotor mapping between auditory perceptual representations and motor plans. One of the symptoms of poor singing is a restriction of vocal pitch range during pitch matching tasks that is not reducible to physical vocal limitations. We here test the hypothesis that remediation of poor singing may be best achieved by incorporating a wide pitch range during training. Two treatment groups underwent singing training using a procedure found to be effective in recent research. One group matched pitches from a wider range of one octave, whereas the other matched pitches from a narrower range of seven semitones (a perfect fifth). A third group completed visual imagery tasks for the same period of time and served as a control group. All three groups completed the Seattle Singing Accuracy Protocol (SSAP) before and after training, with all phases completed in a single session. The only significant improvement was found in the wide-range training group, for matching of single pitches from the SSAP, rather than four-note melodies. Results thus offer partial support for the hypothesis and suggest that successful remediation of singing accuracy may benefit from adopting a wide range of pitches.