falling minor thirds ("R. Parncutt" )

Subject: falling minor thirds
From:    "R. Parncutt"  <psa03(at)CC.KEELE.AC.UK>
Date:    Fri, 8 Sep 1995 11:10:44 +0100

I am forwarding the following request on behalf of Jay Rahn
<RELATION(at)VM1.YorkU.CA>:

>Are there studies providing Hz or cents quantifications of "intervals" in
>speech intonation (incl., possibly, tone languages)? and specifically, have
>any of these revealed a propensity for descents of ca. 300 cents within or
>between individual syllables?

This issue is related to all that sports chanting business that was bouncing
around a while back. But it has broader musical implications -- for example,
children's songs from around the world seem to include lots of falling minor
thirds.

Richard Parncutt

Dept of Psychology, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK
E-mail: r.parncutt(at)keele.ac.uk
Tel: 01782 583392; Tel/fax: + 44 1782 583387