Wk 7 - Psychological issues in music performance Flashcards
(27 cards)
The role of memory in skilled performance
Procedural long-term memory: similar to ‘touch’ typing (how do you remember ‘the’?)
Frontal lobes ‘shut down’ during performance (i.e., is unconscious)
working memory and planning - performing
Short-term memory important for ‘spontaneous’ improvisation
In jazz, well-rehearsed combination of ‘motifs’ (Tan et al, 2009)
Also sight-reading: typically 5-6 notes in advance
Palmer & Pfordresher (2003) ‘range’ model: at any point, some notes more accessible than others, based on previous notes
rhythm and expressive timing
Two-level timing (Tan et al, 2009)
- Internal ‘clock’ – innate sense of timing (imprecise)
- Muscle precision
Importance of ‘voice leading’ (Palmer, 1989) where multiple notes played simultaneously
Keeping in tune
- tone deaf
Singing: chest and abdominal muscles used to push air out
17% of people claim to be ‘tone deaf’ (Cuddy et al, 2005)
59% of students claimed to sing out of tune
True ‘tone deafness’ ought to result in misperception of pitch
Dalla Bella (2007): Happy birthday study found 90% at ‘professional’ accuracy
what is amusia
inability to detect differences between melodies or recognise familiar tunes
- 4% of population (Perez & Hyde, 2003)
- May not even recognise sounds as music
McDonald & Stewart (2008) - difficulties
‘lifelong difficulties with music’ – may also affect dancing, clapping etc.
But can be deeply affected by music, partic. lyrical content
Others avoid social situations because of background music
Also, affected by sense of ‘missing out’
Ericsson et al (1993) - benefit of practice
deliberate practice more important than innate skills (not just music)
- professional violinists 7400 hours (plus); good, 5300 hrs; average 3400 hrs
what is the 10,000 hour rule
Gladwell (2010) in his book Outliers suggests achieving mastery requires approx 10,000 hours of dedicated practice
informal practice helpful for developing expressivity and co-ordination (e.g. jamming sessions)
but in classical music technique more important than repetition
Sloboda et al (1996): Children’s Practice and Exam performance
257 schoolchildren (8-18) with varying success, on different instruments
Interviews and diaries
Top performers did 30 mins practice in first year, 40 in second (others 15-25 mins)
Then 75 mins by fourth year (least successful 15-30 mins)
All but bottom group made steady progress across years
Sloboda et al 1996 continued (children’s practice and exam performance)
No evident differences in informal practice
Deliberate practice more effective when done in the morning
Role of parental encouragement: few children actually keen to do
formal practice
No evidence of ‘child prodigies’ (those showing early onset of interest/ability)
the importance of expression - identity (3 components)
Clarke et al, 2010 - need for performer to create unique and recognisable identity
- Dynamics (loud/soft)
- Tempo (variations)
- Deviations (from score/original)
what are Juslin (2003) 5 facets of musical expression
Generative rule
Emotional expression
Random variability
Motion principles
Stylistic unexpectedness
generative rules
structural effects (slow at end of phrase)
emotional expression
timbre, intensity
random variability
not following rules/score
motion principles
whether intentional or not
stylistic unexpectedness
e.g. stopping/starting
clearly relate to different styles/genres (e.g. G for classical)
Davidson et al (2001) - expressive gestures
Study of Annie Lennox’s ‘vocabulary of expressive gestures’
created repertoire of singer’s gestures from own performance
to try and understand the relationships between physical control and the musical material being performance.
- the performers implicit and explicit expressive intentions.
Some of the functions and meanings of Annie Lennox’s ‘vocabulary of expressive gestures’
to communicate expressive intention
communicate to the audience or co-performer for co-ordination or participation (nodding or glances
present info on own personality (muted contained gestures, or large extravagant gestures) - to show off
interpersonal entrainment - synchronisation
Clayton et al (2019) studied Indian guitar/drum duos
Synchronisation: when players come in together
- Influenced by ‘melody lead’ (soloists come in earlier) and nods/eye contact
Movement co-ordination: head nods, body sway
- Greater at ‘cadential downbeats’
Biasutti et al (2016) - string quartets
‘Music regulators’ in string quartets
Studied 2 quartets in rehearsal and in concert performance
Attack gestures (movements to signal entrances)
- More frequent in concert than rehearsal, and during Bartok than Haydn
Eye contact
- Varies between performers
Biasutti et al (2016) string quartets continued
1st violin (‘leader’) looks more at others in concert, partic. Haydn
2nd violin looks mostly at viola
Cellist looks mostly at 1st violin
Most eye contact during rhythmic passages, partic. Bartok (NB 11.55)
Davidson (2011) benefits of music participation - groups
interviewed singing groups
Physical ‘highs’ reported and increased well-being
May relate to breathing (similar to exercise research)
Tylo (2011) benefits of music participation - informal
football singing
Sense of strong identity (solidarity) and group cohesion, especially toward outgroup (opponents, rivals)
