Reaction, Anticipation and Accent in a Gravitational Pitch Space: Commentary on Ammirante and Thompson
Loading...
Date
2010-07
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Empirical Musicology Review
Abstract
Ammirante and Thompson’s intriguing article aims to enhance the ecological validity of their previous findings (Ammirante, Thompson, & Russo, in press) by using music-like melodic stimuli, rather than random pitch sequences. In line with this aim, I will briefly discuss three issues that may be taken into account in relating the motion-like qualities of melody to music and music-related behavior (finger tapping). First, I suggest how the authors’ hypotheses may be examined within a context in which tapping is affected by expectancies for a specific melodic continuation. Second, I discuss how timing and velocity changes associated with melodic distance and contour may give rise to a prototypical joint accent structure, integrating melodic, agogic and dynamic accent. Finally, I note a possible confound of melodic direction and tonality in Ammirante and Thompson’s stimuli, and suggest ways to examine the effects of these two dimensions separately.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Empirical Musicology Review, v5 n3 (July 2010), pp 108-111