Pitch of Short Tone Bursts of Changing Frequency

Abstract

Tone bursts with linearly changing frequency (upward or downward glides) were matched in pitch by listeners who adjusted the frequency of tone bursts with fixed frequency and the same duration. Stimuli included tone bursts of 12, 40, and 120 msec, with frequency changes of 50, 200, and 580 Hz around a geometric mean of 715 Hz. In those bursts where the frequency changed throughout 100% of the duration, when the frequency change was small, pitch was matched by a steady frequency near the geometric mean with very little dispersion. For large frequency changes, pitch was matched by a frequency between the mean and the terminal frequency but with large dispersion. In those bursts where the frequency changed during only 25% of the burst duration, such transient appeared at several delays from the start of the burst. When the bursts were short and the frequency changes small, pitch was matched by frequencies within the interval of change. When the bursts were short or long and the frequency changes large, however, pitch was matched by either the initial or the terminal frequency, depending on when the transient occurred. [Supported by a grant from NINDB, National Institutes of Health.]