Final answer:
The ability to recognize a series of tones like those in "The Star Spangled Banner" is known as pitch perception, primarily involving relative pitch and the auditory cortex.
Step-by-step explanation:
Your ability to recognize a series of tones, such as the opening notes of "The Star Spangled Banner," is an instance of pitch perception that likely involves the auditory cortex.
The perception of frequency, known as pitch, is something most humans have an excellent sense of, referred to as relative pitch. This allows us to discern whether one sound has a different frequency from another. When this perception applies to musical tones, such as recognizing notes like A-sharp, C, or E-flat, it constitutes the music we hear. A more unique ability, called perfect pitch, enables some individuals to identify musical notes without any reference. The opening notes of "The Star Spangled Banner" can trigger a mental representation of the music due to our familiarity with the tune and our relative pitch capabilities.