Instrument specificity in experienced musicians

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that experienced pianists have acquired integrated action–effect (A–E) associations. In the present study, we were interested in how specific these associations are for the own instrument by investigating pianists and guitarists. A–E associations were examined by testing whether the perception of a “potential” action–effect has an influence on actions. Participants played chords on their instrument in response to visual stimuli, while they were presented task-irrelevant auditory distractors (congruent or incongruent) in varying instrument timbre. In Experiment 1, pianists exhibited an interference effect with timbres of their own instrument category (keyboard instruments: piano and organ). In Experiment 2 guitarists showed an interference effect only with guitar timbre. Thus, integrated A–E associations primarily seem to consist of a specific component on a sensory-motor level involving the own instrument. Additionally, categorical knowledge about how an instrument is played seems to be involved.

We thank Sonja Herberth for conducting the experiments and Karl-Heinz Honsberg for technical assistance in making reaction time measurement on a guitar possible.