Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Jun 2:13:838554.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.838554. eCollection 2022.

An Examination of Trunk and Right-Hand Coordination in Piano Performance: A Case Comparison of Three Pianists

Craig Turner  1 , Peter Visentin  2 , Deanna Oye  2 , Scott Rathwell  1 , Gongbing Shan  1
Affiliations

An Examination of Trunk and Right-Hand Coordination in Piano Performance: A Case Comparison of Three Pianists

Craig Turner et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Playing the piano at expert levels typically involves significant levels of trial-and-error learning since the majority of practice occurs in isolation. To better optimize musical outcomes, pianists might be well served by emulating some of the practices found in sports, where motor learning strategies are grounded in biomechanics and ergonomics in order to improve performance and reduce risk of performance-related injuries. The purpose of the current study is to examine trunk-hand coordination and preparatory movement strategization in piano performance, while considering the influence of anthropometry, skill level of the performer, and musical context. Using a ten-camera motion capture system, movement of C7 and right-hand distal phalanges was tracked at three different playing speeds during performance of an excerpt from Beethoven's "Appassionata" Sonata. There were three participants: two males and one female of differing anthropometric characteristics and skill levels. Motor strategization was examined. Expertise influenced starting trunk position: Initiation intervals and trunk range of motion (ROM) both suggested anthropometry to be a performance factor. For the shortest performer, trunk movement appeared to be used as an efficiency measure to compensate for a shorter arm reach. Skill level was revealed by examining right-hand velocity at the fastest tempo. The current study hypothesizes that an examination of proximal-to-distal preparatory strategies in terms of anthropometry and skill level can help to optimize motor learning for pianists. To realize piano performance as a whole-body skill and encourage healthy practice, pedagogy needs to educate learners regarding fundamental biomechanical and ergonomic principles, movement optimization, and movement strategization in the service of artful performance.

Keywords: anthropometric kinematics; motion capture; motor learning and control; movement coordination; piano performance; skilled behavior.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The last 9 measures (mm. 363–371) from the 3rd movement of Beethoven’s Sonata in F Minor Op. 57 (“Appassionata”) with three identified motor behavior phases: gradual RH descent (Section A), 2-octave medial-to-lateral RH jump (Section B), and 1 octave lateral-to-medial RH jump (Section C).
Figure 2
Figure 2
The experimental set-up of the motion capture system in the concert hall.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(A,B) An example of the method used to calculate initiation time points. The intersection points between the initial position and positional slope (red circles) indicate the initiation time for the RH and trunk in each section of the musical excerpt.
Figure 4
Figure 4
RH velocity for all pianists during section C at 10 N/s.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ackermann B., Adams R. (2003). Physical characteristics and pain patterns of skilled violinists. Med. Probl. Perform. Art. 18, 65–71. doi: 10.21091/mppa.2003.2013 - DOI
    1. Allsop L., Ackland T. (2010). The prevalence of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders in relation to piano players' playing techniques and practising strategies. Music Perform. Res. 3, 61–78.
    1. Altenmüller E., Trappe W., Jabusch H. C. (2020). Expertise-related differences in cyclic motion patterns in drummers: A kinematic analysis. Front. Psychol. 11:538958. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.538958, PMID: - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Anguera M. T., Camerino O., Castañer M., Sánchez-Algarra P., Onwuegbuzie A. J. (2017). The specificity of observational studies in physical activity and sports sciences: moving forward in mixed methods research and proposals for achieving quantitative and qualitative symmetry. Front. Psychol. 8:2196. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02196, PMID: - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Baker J., Young B. W., Tedesqui R. A. B., McCardle L. (2020). “New perspectives on deliberate practice and the development of sport expertise,” in Handbook of Sport Psychology. 4th Edn. eds. Ecklund R., Tenenbaum G. (Wiley: London; ), 556–577.