Tonal+Recall

Melodic recall as a phenomenon is as difficult to evaluate as it is to administer constructively. There are often times too many variables that can factor into one’s ability to recall even the simplest most well known melodies. Test subjects are assumed to have garnered enough exposure to the elements of a melody to recall it by any means. Elements such as tempo, meter, key, harmony, phrase and motivic structure shape the test subject’s internalized melody banks. It is this culmination of events that provides the raw data being consumed by the listener. As this culmination of events breaks down it becomes incredibly difficult to distinguish which specific elements may carry more weight in one’s ability in recalling melodies. B.W. White conducted several tests polarizing these key melodic elements. However he used the key elements of melody to form a broader coupling representing both pitch and time. There have been many studies that suggest that there is undeniable connection between pitch and time in recalling melodies. While “pitch and rhythm represent two distinct dimensions of music perception that are processed separately and in parallel” (2. science direct) the importance of one over the other is up for debate. B.W. White conducted several studies trying to separate the two in order to gauge whether melodic recall is a primary result of pitch or rhythm. The data collected points to some interesting results especially in regards to one’s ability to retain and recognize complex rhythms. When test subjects were asked to recall melodies based solely on the original melodic contour and no additional criteria, the results showed a need for additional information. Thus suggesting that pitch information is not the sole contributor to melodic recall. The opposite test was also performed where the melodic contour was instead set to the same tone and the original rhythmic figure of the melody remained intact. This test produced some interesting results. The test suggested that our ability to identify complex rhythms may be more important than the pitch information one would assume would be the dominant factor in recalling melodies. According to a study conducted by the National Museum of Sciences even infants are keen to rhythmic suggestions. While monitoring the brain activity of fourteen infants exposed to a drum sequence researchers discovered increased brain activity when there was an obvious violation of expectancy. Although the results from this study merely conclude that the brain is very receptive to subtle pattern changes they create a forum for discussion. From our earliest moments as toddlers we absorb and begin to identify complex rhythmic patterns without knowing why. There is an inherent fundamental biological function that syncs us up with our mothers even before our birth. Although none of these test provide conclusive evidence many of them suggest that there are other factors beside direct exposure that serve as the basis for recognition of melodies.

Sources: [|Melodic Recall] [|science direct] [|Newborns]