The Mystery of the Shepard Tone Illusion Explained

The video explores the auditory illusion known as the Shepherd Tone, starting with basic ear tests using piano notes to understand pitch. It explains how the Shepherd Tone creates the illusion of an endlessly rising pitch by playing sets of notes separated by octaves. The video also introduces the tritone paradox, where notes seem to rise or fall in pitch depending on the listener's perception. The Shepherd Tone is named after Roger Sheppard, and the tritone paradox was first reported by Diana Deutsch.

What is the primary focus of the initial ear tests in the video?

• To practice playing the piano

• To identify different musical instruments

• To understand the concept of pitch

• To learn about musical scales

How does the tone generator help in understanding pitch?

• By generating white noise

• By sliding through different pitches

• By playing random notes

• By showing visual representations of sound

What is the unique characteristic of the Shepherd Tone series?

• It uses only bass notes

• It is played at a very high volume

• It creates an illusion of infinite pitch rise

• It consists of a single note repeated

Who is the Shepherd Tone named after?

• A sound engineer

• A mathematician

• A cognitive scientist

• A famous musician

What is the tritone paradox?

• A type of musical instrument

• A visual illusion involving colors

• An auditory illusion where notes seem to go up or down

• A musical scale that never ends

How are the notes in the tritone paradox separated?

• By a full octave

• By a tritone interval

• By a semitone

• By a quarter note

What does the tritone paradox demonstrate about human perception?

• That everyone hears the same pitch

• That musical notes are universally understood

• That perception of pitch can vary among individuals

• That pitch is always perceived as rising