Comparison of starting pitch preference among 4th graders, undergraduate music majors and elementary education majors.

The study was designed to compare the operant starting pitch of three known songs among 4th graders (n=30), undergraduate music majors (n=30) and non-music majors (n=30) to corroborate that singers distinguish among songs when choosing a starting pitch, and to investigate possible relationships between pitch choice and pitch accuracy. Subjects individually sang “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," " Jingle Bells," and "Happy Birthday.” Songs were selected based on familiarity and the fact that each started on a different scale degree. Results indicated that all subjects started relatively low in their singing range with chosen pitches clustering about Bb-Middle C. Non-music majors selected significantly lower pitches than music majors or children with the particular song significantly affecting results. Both children and adults appeared to discriminate among songs when choosing a starting pitch. Unexpectedly, relatively few significant differences in starting pitches were noted between ac