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You would be very welcome to attend:

Thursday 11 November 2010
‘Directions in Musical Research’ Seminar (Senate House, Room G35), 5 – 6.30 pm
David Wright MMU
Chair Dave Smith (MMU)
Electrophysiological correlates of music skill learning

Previous research using electroencephalography (EEG) has shown that experienced performers require fewer cortical resources to perform a skill than novice performers (Di Russo, Pitzalis, Aprile & Spinelli, 2005; Kita, Mori & Nara, 2001). This concept has been termed neural efficiency. Although providing a useful insight into changes in cortical activity that are associated with skill learning, most previous research has taken a reductionist approach. Generally simple unimanual actions such as button pressing have been examined in an expert-novice contrast and the findings have been applied to more complex skilled tasks. This paper presents a series of studies that aimed to replicate and advance these previous findings using EEG. Changes in the movement-related cortical potential (MRCP) associated with long-term training were studied using an ecologically valid bimanual task. The first study investigated differences in cortical activity between experienced and novice guitarists when playing a simple scale on the guitar in time with a metronome at 100 beats per minute. The second study attempted to establish whether or not these differences were the result of long-term training in the expert group by demonstrating changes in novices’ cortical activity associated with ten weeks of guitar training. Consistent with previous research, the findings of the expert-novice contrast study found that the amplitude of the MRCP immediately prior to movement onset was smaller in the experts compared to the novices. However, in contrast with previous findings, the onset of the MRCP was earlier in the expert group compared to the novices. We believe this earlier onset reflects the greater level of planning in the expert group to play in time with the metronome, rather than simply react to it as we believe was the case for the novice performers. The preliminary results of the training study indicate very little change in MRCP amplitude as a result of ten weeks’ training. However the onset of the MRCP following training occurred earlier, resulting in a similar MRCP shift as seen in the expert group from the first study.

Free of charge. Open to the public. No advance booking required.



Valerie James
Consortium Administrative Manager, IGRS, IMR and IP

Institute of Musical Research
School of Advanced Study
University of London
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www.music.sas.ac.uk 
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