Five studies investigated children's perception of scale and contour in melodies. It was found that young children can detect key transposition changes in familiar and unfamiliar melodies and are sensitive to melodic contour over transformations that preserve it, yet distinguish spontaneously between melodies with the same contour and different…

Critiques an investigation of the possibility of applying a Neo-Piagetian task to music. Contends that the task could be used as a criterion measure in determining a developmental sequence for auditory pitch discrimination. Details the Neo-Piagetian positions that make Piaget's theory more compatible with current cognitive psychology trends. (LS)