![]() ![]() This type of evidence, even in a single adult without prior AP ability, would inform our understanding of the critical period theory of AP.Īs an alternative to the critical period theory, AP can be conceptualized as an auditory skill that is shaped by both short- and long-term experiences. Given this empirical evidence, we tested whether providing substantially more AP training for adults with high auditory WM abilities can produce performance comparable to a genuine AP listener (i.e., virtually perfect and fast note identification), including retention of learning (over a timescale of months) and accurate performance across a range of instrumental timbres and octaves. Recent research shows that individual differences in auditory WM predict how well adults can learn AP categories from a single brief training session, although after approximately 45 minutes of training this level of performance was not at the level of typical genuine AP ability, even for the highest-performing individuals. One key difference between this study and previous AP training studies is that participants were selected specifically based on auditory working memory (WM) ability. Here, we directly test the hypothesis of a critical period for AP acquisition through intensive AP training in a post-critical-period-adult sample. Yet, it is important to note that the learning observed in these critical period training studies was well below thresholds typically used to identify the level of performance that is characteristic of AP. More recently, a training study provided proof-of-concept demonstration of critical periods in AP by demonstrating that critical period for learning AP could be “re-opened” for adults via a pharmacological intervention. For example, one study found that children outperformed adults in a learning paradigm that focused on learning a single note. Critical periods in AP development have also been supported in principle through training studies. However, this critical period theory of AP is bolstered in large part by the lack of conclusive evidence that AP can be learned by any post-critical-period adults, thus resting on null findings. The most widely accepted theory is that “genuine” AP ability can only be developed as a result of an early critical period of learning (the critical period theory). ![]() The question of how individuals acquire this ability continues to be a matter of debate. Implications for theories of AP acquisition are discussed.Ībsolute pitch (AP), also called “perfect pitch”, is the rare ability to name any musical note without the aid of a reference note. Overall, these results demonstrate that explicit perceptual training in some adults can lead to AP performance that is behaviorally indistinguishable from AP that manifests within a critical period of development. Yet, it is also important to note that a majority of the participants only exhibited modest improvements in performance, suggesting that adult AP learning is difficult and that near-perfect levels of AP may only be achievable by subset of adults. The results also did not appear to be driven by extreme familiarity with a single instrument or octave range, as the post-training AP assessments used eight different timbres and spanned over seven octaves. Alternative explanations of these positive results, such as improving accuracy through adopting a slower, relative pitch strategy, are not supported based on joint analyses of response time and accuracy. ![]() Here, we demonstrate that these “genuine” levels of AP performance can be achieved within eight weeks of training for at least some adults, with the best learner passing all measures of AP ability after training and retaining this knowledge for at least four months after training. Although recent research has shown that adults can improve AP performance in a single training session, the best learners still did not achieve note classification levels comparable to performance of a typical, “genuine” AP possessor. Absolute pitch (AP), the rare ability to name any musical note without the aid of a reference note, is thought to depend on an early critical period of development. ![]()
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