The Monotone Problem

Abstract

1HE OBJECT OF THIS STUDY is to supply information to the class singing teacher that will help him deal with the problem with maximum speed and effectiveness. Through an examination of those group and individual characteristics of monotones which might suggest the basic nature of their deficiencies, it is hoped to point to the direction which remedial training methods should take. A monotone is generally considered someone who consistently fails to reproduce the tonal configuration of a melody in a recognizable manner. Thirty-two such teacher-assessed monotones from a boys' grammar school were given a detailed singing examination designed to test the suitability of the above definition for the formation of an experimental group of monotones. Only by ensuring that every member of this group shared its detailed common characteristics could meaningful results be obtained from group comparisons with normal singers. The average age of the subjects was 11.9 years. The main singing test was the performance of the British National Anthem, initially in its usual key of G major, and then in a series of stepwise downward transpositions to G major, one octave lower. Each performance received a grading of A, B, or C according to the following scheme:

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