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Which of the following is NOT true of music perception?

1) Melody recognition depends on the absolute value of the notes of the melody.
2) Melodies in the major mode are perceived as happy.
3) Melodies in the minor mode are perceived as sad.
4) Melody recognition depends on the interval between the notes.
5) Melody recognition does not depend on the key of the melody.

1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

The false statement is that melody recognition depends on the absolute value of the notes; rather, it more heavily relies on the intervals between notes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question about music perception relates to the way we understand and interpret musical elements. Of the statements provided, the one that is NOT true of music perception is, 'Melody recognition depends on the absolute value of the notes of the melody.' This is incorrect because melody recognition generally depends on the relationships between notes, or the intervals, not the precise frequencies or absolute pitch values. While some individuals possess perfect pitch and can identify individual notes without a reference tone, for most people, the ability to recognize a melody is based on relative pitch. This means that as long as the intervals between the notes stay the same, most people can recognize the melody even if it's transposed to a different key. Additionally, cultural factors contribute to how people interpret musical modes; for instance, major modes are often associated with happiness, and minor modes with sadness, though these associations can vary across cultures.

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