Tapping Into Rate Flexibility: Musical Training Facilitates Synchronization Around Spontaneous Production Rates

Abstract

The ability to flexibly adapt one’s behavior is critical for social tasks such as speech and music performance, in which individuals must coordinate the timing of their actions with others. Natural movement frequencies, also called spontaneous rates, constrain synchronization accuracy between partners during duet music performance, whereas musical training enhances synchronization accuracy. We investigated the combined influences of these factors on the flexibility with which individuals can synchronize their actions with sequences at different rates. First, we developed a novel musical task capable of measuring spontaneous rates in both musicians and non-musicians in which participants tapped the rhythm of a familiar melody while hearing the corresponding melody tones. The novel task was validated by similar measures of spontaneous rates generated by piano performance and by the tapping task from the same pianists. We then implemented the novel task with musicians and non-musicians as they synchronized tapping of a familiar melody with a metronome at their spontaneous rates, and at rates proportionally slower and faster than their spontaneous rates. Musicians synchronized more flexibly across rates than non-musicians, indicated by greater synchronization accuracy. Additionally, musicians showed greater engagement of error correction mechanisms than non-musicians. Finally, differences in flexibility were characterized by more recurrent (repetitive) and patterned synchronization in non-musicians, indicative of greater temporal rigidity.

Audio cues enhance mirroring of arm motion when visual cues are scarce

“…Thus, these dynamic signatures provide evidence that the highest performing individuals are better at learning to use information from the audio cues to mirror the avatar, enabling them to perform well in regions of parameter space [21,28,29]. The enhanced stability of mirroring runs that we observe is consistent with studies showing that short training sessions reduce error rates and temporal variability in motor tasks [16]. We find that the observed dynamics have signature distributions of temporal variation that have not been explored in other experiments though studies have shown that dancers show stronger coherence when following new motions versus non-dancers over a range of time scales [28].…”

Adults who stutter and metronome synchronization: evidence for a nonspeech timing deficit

“…For the current study, groups were matched on musical training, so this should not systematically affect our results. We are left with intrinsic rate: a more negative phase angle in the AS group should suggest a faster intrinsic rate . The current study did not examine spontaneous rates, but Subramanian and Yairi did, asking individuals who stutter to tap at a “comfortable rate” and “as fast as possible.” They found slower “comfortable” rates along with faster and more variable “fast” rates .…”

“…In the general population, mean asynchronies are often related to musical training and preferred or spontaneous rate . For the current study, groups were matched on musical training, so this should not systematically affect our results.…”

“…It is possible that isochronous synchronization task is too simple and may not reveal differences in sensorimotor behavior between groups. In addition, synchronization behavior can vary depending on the tempo, and group differences may only be present toward more extreme ends of the tempo range. To increase the difficulty of the task, to sample multiple tempi, and to assess the ability to recover from tempo changes, we used a paradigm where the rate of the pacing stimulus increased or decreased suddenly and unexpectedly .…”

Differential Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Depending on Previous Musical Training

“…Musicians are considered a human model of inter-individual differences for studying behavioral-cognitive processes and brain effects of acquiring, practicing, and maintaining specialized motor skills ( Schlaug, 2015 ). Musical training seems to shape certain brain areas through neuroplasticity mechanisms, as neuroimaging techniques have demonstrated differences in structures and functions of the motor regions of musically trained individuals, especially those areas related to auditory and sensorimotor networks ( Gaser and Schlaug, 2003a , b ; Bengtsson et al, 2005 ; Bangert et al, 2006 ; Baumann et al, 2007 ; Hyde et al, 2009 ; Herholz and Zatorre, 2012 ; Steele et al, 2013 ; Zamorano et al, 2017 ), leading to a better motor performance ( Scheurich et al, 2018 ). These differences lead to an enhanced motor function.…”