Frequency Analysis and Pitch Perception

Abstract

This chapter is concerned with two main areas: frequency analysis and pitch perception. Frequency analysis refers to the action of the ear in resolving (to a limited extent) the sinusoidal components in a complex sound; this ability is also known as frequency selectivity and frequency resolution. It plays a role in many aspects of auditory perception but is most often demonstrated and measured by studying masking. Studies of pitch perception are mainly concerned with the relationships between the physical properties of sounds and the perceived pitches of those sounds and with the underlying mechanisms that explain these relationships. One important aspect of pitch perception is frequency discrimination, which refers to the ability to detect changes in frequency over time and which is (at least partly) a separate ability from frequency selectivity.