https://doi.org/10.1177/00224294211011962 Journal of Research in Music Education 1–18 © National Association for Music Education 2021 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/00224294211011962 jrme.sagepub.com Original Research Article Interval Identification Predicts Success in Melodic Dictation Bryan E. Nichols 1 and D. Gregory Springer 2 Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate possible predictive relationships between interval identification and melodic dictation performance on tasks where students identify short pitch spans after a brief tonicization. College musicians (N = 35) completed an interval identification test and a series of melodic dictation tasks. Results indicated that interval identification and melodic dictation tests reflected a battery of items ranging from very easy to very difficult with acceptable Cronbach’s α levels. We conducted a two-stage hierarchical regression analysis to examine the extent to which interval identification served as a predictor of melodic dictation accuracy while controlling for selected music and demographic variables. Results indicated that interval identification served as a significant predictor of melodic dictation scores, contributing 28.9% of the variance in melodic dictation scores while controlling for musical experience variables. The analysis indicated a dictation task by interval ability interaction based on grouping by lower, mid-, and upper performing groups on the interval identification test. Issues in measurement of melodic dictation accuracy and strategies that affect the development of melodic dictation skills are discussed. Keywords melodic dictation, interval identification, pitch sequences, skill development, working memory Melodic dictation is one of several fundamental skills typically taught in aural skills courses required of music majors at many colleges and universities (Buonviri, 2015a). Pembrook (1984) described dictation as “a process wherein the listener represents aural events, usually musical stimuli, by means of a standardized notational system 1 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA 2 Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA Corresponding Author: Bryan E. Nichols, School of Music, The Pennsylvania State University, 105 Music Bldg. 1, University Park, PA 16802, USA. Email: bnichols@psu.edu 1011962JRM XX X 10.1177/00224294211011962Journal of Research in Music EducationNichols and Springer research-article 2021