Abstract

Two experiments were performed to investigate the psychological dimensions of pitches that compose of the octave in the Korean traditional music(KTM) and the effects of musical experience on the mental representation of KTM. KTM orchestra group, western music student group, and nanmusician group were participated. The royal traditional pitches('Jung-Ak' in Korean) were used in Experiment 1, and the folk traditional pitches('Minsok-Ak' in Korean) in Experiment 2. Both experiments used the probe-tone task Results showed that the three groups have their own mental structures of the two different kinds of KTM pitches(royal vs, folk pitches). Generally speaking, all the three groups have the similar dimensional structures. But they showed different relation among the pitches in their own structure according to the amount and contents of their musical experience. While two dimensions, 'octave vs. nonoctave scale tones' and 'pitch height', were found in the royal pitches, only one dimension, 'pitch height' was meaningful in the folk pitches. The results were discussed in the aspects of inappropriateness of the experimental paradigms used in the study of western tonal music for that of KTM and the differences between western tonal music and KTM.