diff -r d31cab1dabae Lib/test/test_wave.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_wave.py	Tue Mar 19 23:36:59 2013 -0700
+++ b/Lib/test/test_wave.py	Wed Mar 20 09:03:59 2013 +0200
@@ -58,6 +58,22 @@
         output = b'\0' * nframes * nchannels * sampwidth
         self.f.writeframes(output)
 
+    def test_getparams(self):
+        self.f = wave.open(TESTFN, 'wb')
+        self.f.setnchannels(nchannels)
+        self.f.setsampwidth(sampwidth)
+        self.f.setframerate(framerate)
+        self.f.close()
+
+        self.f = wave.open(TESTFN, 'rb')
+        params = self.f.getparams()
+        self.assertEqual(params.nchannels, self.f.getnchannels())
+        self.assertEqual(params.nframes, self.f.getnframes())
+        self.assertEqual(params.sampwidth, self.f.getsampwidth())
+        self.assertEqual(params.framerate, self.f.getframerate())
+        self.assertEqual(params.comptype, self.f.getcomptype())
+        self.assertEqual(params.compname, self.f.getcompname())
+
 
 def test_main():
     run_unittest(TestWave)
diff -r d31cab1dabae Lib/wave.py
--- a/Lib/wave.py	Tue Mar 19 23:36:59 2013 -0700
+++ b/Lib/wave.py	Wed Mar 20 09:03:59 2013 +0200
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
       getcomptype()   -- returns compression type ('NONE' for linear samples)
       getcompname()   -- returns human-readable version of
                          compression type ('not compressed' linear samples)
-      getparams()     -- returns a tuple consisting of all of the
+      getparams()     -- returns a namedtuple consisting of all of the
                          above in the above order
       getmarkers()    -- returns None (for compatibility with the
                          aifc module)
@@ -90,6 +90,10 @@
     big_endian = 0
 
 from chunk import Chunk
+from collections import namedtuple
+
+_result = namedtuple('params', 
+                     'nchannels sampwidth framerate nframes comptype compname')
 
 class Wave_read:
     """Variables used in this class:
@@ -206,9 +210,9 @@
         return self._compname
 
     def getparams(self):
-        return self.getnchannels(), self.getsampwidth(), \
-               self.getframerate(), self.getnframes(), \
-               self.getcomptype(), self.getcompname()
+        return _result(self.getnchannels(), self.getsampwidth(), 
+                       self.getframerate(), self.getnframes(), 
+                       self.getcomptype(), self.getcompname())
 
     def getmarkers(self):
         return None
@@ -398,8 +402,8 @@
     def getparams(self):
         if not self._nchannels or not self._sampwidth or not self._framerate:
             raise Error('not all parameters set')
-        return self._nchannels, self._sampwidth, self._framerate, \
-              self._nframes, self._comptype, self._compname
+        return _result(self._nchannels, self._sampwidth, self._framerate, 
+              self._nframes, self._comptype, self._compname)
 
     def setmark(self, id, pos, name):
         raise Error('setmark() not supported')