The Pitch-Matching Ability of High School Choral Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the pitch-matching ability of high school choral students. Years of piano experience, middle school performance experience, and model were considered as variables that might affect pitch-matching ability. Gender of participants was also considered when identifying the effectiveness of each model. Participants (N = 164) were students of a rural school corporation in Northern Indiana and were enrolled in auditioned and nonauditioned choral ensembles. Results indicated that the study population had poor pitch-matching skills based on the rubric used by the researchers. Significant associations between pitch-matching ability and years of piano experience and middle school performance experience were revealed. At a 95% confidence interval, the female model elicited more accurate responses from participants than the male or piano model.