We used the illustrations and demonstrations below to examine gestalt principles and how auditory events are processed:
Interactive illustrations of Gestalt principles (from Wolfe, Kluender, Levi Sensation and Perception)
Chapters 10 & 11 of the same book book include various demonstration of auditory grouping and streaming phenomena.
(Bregman's Auditory Scene Analysis Book was accompanied by a comprehensive set of illustrations. The links are lost now but hopefully will resurface at some point...)
Stream segregation is a common feature of Bach's solo music such as for the violin.
Listen to the the way Pogorelich handles the descending chromatic inner line here. Compare to a much more straightforward rendition of the same from Lugansky.
Points for discussion:
Pitch intervals (memory and discrimination; melodic and harmonic intervals; effects of range and timbre)
Melodic contour (define contour; Implications of sensitivity to contour; relationship to speech intonation and prosody)
methodology of same-different;
Scales (7±2 rule; psychological constraints?)
Implicit memory (difference between implicit and explicit; relation to learning)
Harmony (harmony implied by the melody; hierarchical structure and harmonic relationship; probe-tone technique)
Rhythm (tactus; Interonset interval; pulse. meter and grouping;
Next week we will be discussing expectations. This article provides a very detailed discussion of expectation in music and how we can study this.