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Eighth-Grade Violinists’ Instrument Tuning Ability

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between eighth-grade violinists’ pitch perception and instrument tuning skill. The perceptual task was a researcher-developed computer-based Violin Tuning Perception Test. The instrument tuning task involved tuning two violins, one mistuned flat and the other mistuned sharp. Participants (N = 46) were enrolled at three middle schools in the midwestern United States. A moderate relationship was found between participants’ perceptual accuracy and instrument tuning accuracy, with pitch perception scores significantly more accurate than instrument tuning scores. Participants tuned the flat instrument more accurately than the sharp instrument. An overall tendency toward flat tuning was evident on both the perception and instrument tuning tests, with responses to items representing the G string, the least accurate on both the perception and the instrument tuning tests. No relationships were found between participants’ rating of their tuning ability and their perceptual or instrument tuning accuracy; however, those who rated themselves as “excellent or good” required significantly less time to complete the instrument tuning test than those who rated themselves as “fair or poor.”