"Mental anchorpoints" used by musicians to identify pitch

How do we recognize pitch? An observational study carried out by the Institut Pasteur with the support of the French Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM), involving interviews with nearly 70 musicians (music students and professionals), addressed this question and found some initial answers. Musicians recognize pitch by drawing on three mental sensory modalities (auditory, visual and kinesthetic), both separately and in combination. These varied elements of thought are used by musicians as "mental anchorpoints," a term coined by the scientists, and they differ from one person to the next.

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