re: "intonation perception" post by D. Lindsay in Tuning Digest 7943

Hello -

What I post here is probably already something well known, but having had quite a bit of experience with listening to music in different tunings in different conditions, I'll contribute what I know with some confidence here.

Firstly, yes, perception of intonation - whether a certain melody or instrument's voice is noticeably out of tune or not - is very much affected by instrumental timbre and performance style.

For example, a keyboard instrument (piano, say) tuned to equal temperament, where the major 3rd in particular is out of tune with the lower note - nearly 14 cents sharp from a just 5:4 frequency ratio - will sound harsher if played slowly and deliberately, while a lighter, faster playing style will help to cover the dissonance.

The general principle holds that the more prominent a mistuned interval is in a performance, the more noticeably harsh it will sound.

Then, too, there are very considerable differences between individuals in pitch acuity, so that what for some is a very out-of-tune musical phrase can sound just fine - tuned OK - to others.

Yes, I believe that subtleties of pitch will be much more perceptible in a pitched tone having a lot of higher harmonics - this will depend on the specific distribution of higher harmonic frequencies.

I hope this statement of general principles will be helpful. I'm sure much more detail can be found through further research. Wishing you success with your thesis!

Sincerely, Dave Hill