Name that tune: Identifying popular recordings from brief excerpts

Author(s): Iverson, P., McKinnon, M. C.

Journal/Book: Psychonomic Bull Rev. 1999; 6: 1710 Fortview Rd, Austin, TX 78704, USA. Psychonomic Soc Inc. 641-646.

Abstract: We tested listeners' ability to identify brief excerpts from popular recordings. Listeners were required to match 200- or 100-msec excerpts with the song titles and artists. Performance was well above chance levels for 200-msec excerpts and poorer but still better than chance for 100-msec excerpts. Performance fell to chance levels when dynamic (time-varying) information was disrupted by playing the 100-msec excerpts backward and when high-frequency information was omitted from the 100-msec excerpts; performance was unaffected by the removal of low-frequency information. In sum, successful identification required the presence of dynamic, high-frequency spectral information.

Note: Article Schellenberg EG, Univ Toronto, Dept Psychol, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, CANADA

Keyword(s): ABSOLUTE PITCH; MUSICAL INTERVALS; SPEECH-PERCEPTION; STIMULUS-DURATION; MEMORY; RECOGNITION; ATTRIBUTES; TIMBRES; OCTAVE; CHROMA

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