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Tonal structure
Aiello, R. Sloboda, J.A. (1994). (Eds) Musical Perceptions.
OUP. Chapter 8. D. Butler, H.Brown. Describing the mental
representation of music
Cook, P. (2001). (Ed) Music, Cognition and Computerized
Sound. MIT. Chapter 15. R. Shepard. Tonal structure and scales
A.Diederich – International University Bremen – USC – MMM – Spring 2005
Probe-tone technique
(Carol Krumhansl)
1. Participants listen to a musical context, e.g., an
ascending or descending diatonic scale, a chord, a
chord progression, or a brief excerpt from a musical
composition.
2. The musical context is followed by the presentation
of a tone ( "the probe-tone") which is randomly
chosen among the 12 pitches.
3. Participants are asked to rate on a scale from 1 to 7
( 1 = very bad to 7 = very good) how ell the probe
tone fit in the previously heard experiment.
A.Diederich – International University Bremen – USC – MMM – Spring 2005
Example 1
1.
2.
3.
4.
Diatonic scale up, with no octave
Probe tone
Same as 1.
Probe tone (different from 2.)
Track 64
A.Diederich – International University Bremen – USC – MMM – Spring 2005
Example 2
1. Cadence without arrival on tonic
2. Probe pitch that is remote from intended end
of cadence
3. Same as 1.
4. Probe tone that is a third of 1.
Track 65
A.Diederich – International University Bremen – USC – MMM – Spring 2005
Example 3
1.
2.
3.
4.
Melody in Western scale
Probe tone
Repeat of 1.
Probe tone (different from 2.)
Track 69
A.Diederich – International University Bremen – USC – MMM – Spring 2005
Experiment
 Group 1 (about seven years of instruction and
performance)
 Group 3 (no significant instruction or
performance
 Group 2 fell in between
 8 members in each group
A.Diederich – International University Bremen – USC – MMM – Spring 2005
A.Diederich – International University Bremen – USC – MMM – Spring 2005
Results Group 1
 Notes of the diatonic scale
show higher fitness than nonscale note
 Notes considered musically
important (the tonic and its
octave, the perfect fifth, the
major third, and the major
second) show fitness measures
roughly equal to their
1 = very bad to 7 = very good
importance in Western music
A.Diederich – International University Bremen – USC – MMM – Spring 2005
1 = very bad to 7 = very good
Interesting difference between
between descending and ascending
context
A.Diederich – International University Bremen – USC – MMM – Spring 2005

Krumhans'l probe-tone ratings have also been
applied in investigating the perception of North
Indian and Balinese music.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Gamelan musical example
Sample tone in Bali tuning
Probe ending to 2.
Repeat of 2.
Another probe ending to 2.
A.Diederich – International University Bremen – USC – MMM – Spring 2005
Track 68
Tonality
 Our own musical includes highly varied approaches
to combining pitches.
 Several well-worn, well-understood stylistic norms
have been tremendously important in shaping
Western music for the past three centuries or so.
 Composers and listeners have formed an unspoken
pact, a fairly sophisticated set of ground rules,
regarding how pitches are to be organized to form
normal-sounding patterns.
 This set of conventions is known as tonality.
A.Diederich – International University Bremen – USC – MMM – Spring 2005