Relationships between performance timing, perception of timing perturbations, and perceptual-motor synchronisation in two chopin preludes

Abstract

In earlier studies using relatively short musical excerpts, a close relationship was found between expressive performance timing and positional variations in the detectability of local timing perturbations in an otherwise evenly timed computer rendition of the music. Weaker but significant relationships held between each of these measures and positional variation in the accuracy of synchronised finger tapping with the evenly timed music. These findings suggested that musical structure induces temporal expectations that are reflected in conscious perception and in motor control. In this study, extended between-task correlations were examined in two longer piano pieces, Chopin's Preludes No. 15 (Bars 1–19) and No. 6 (complete). In addition to perceptual detection and perceptual-motor synchronisation tasks, pianists were recorded playing the music in three ways: with normal expression, metronomically (without the aid of a metronome), and in synchrony with a metronome. The (intended or unintended) timing patterns of these three performance styles were quite similar and showed the predicted significant relationships with the patterns of detection and synchronisation accuracy. However, the correlations were weaker than expected, which suggests that additional, task-specific factors played a role.