The effect of mental practice on music memorization

Mental practice (MP) in music refers to the ability to rehearse music in the mind without any muscular movements or acoustic feedback. While previous studies have shown effects of the combination of MP and physical practice (PP) on instrumental performance, here we aimed to assess MP and PP effects on memory abilities. During a 1-week music practice protocol, classical guitarists were asked to practise a new musical piece using either a combination of MP and PP or PP alone. We asked participants to perform the piece and notate it at 3 different times: Day 1 and Day 7 of the 1-week practice protocol and 10 days after its completion (follow-up session). Results showed that the combination of MP and PP improves both notation and performance tasks compared with PP alone. Furthermore, we observed a clearer difference in memory performance in the follow-up session as compared with that in Day 7. Our results show that musicians can use both MP and PP to improve long-term retention and to reduce physical workload and playing-related overuse injuries. Therefore, we encourage music educators to teach MP in the classrooms rather than letting students discover it in a serendipitous way.

The effect of varying encoding conditions on jazz, instrumental, and choral musicians’ memorization accuracy: Implications for music literacy

The primary purposes of this study were (1) to determine the effect of three encoding conditions (singing, playing, studying silently) on participants’ music memorization accuracy; (2) to examine potential differences between choral, jazz, and concert band musicians’ accuracy in completing the music memorization task; and (3) to determine whether ensemble affiliation yielded any performance advantages among the three presentation conditions. Three folk melodies were selected for memorization under the three encoding conditions. Participants ( N = 81) had 75 s to commit each melody to memory while studying silently, singing, or playing on a keyboard. Participants then notated the three melodies using conventional staff notation. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures on one factor revealed significant differences based on participants’ ensemble affiliation. A Tukey’s honest significant difference (HSD) post hoc test revealed the jazz group had higher accuracy scores than the band group. No significant differences were found based on encoding conditions, and no significant interactions were found between the encoding conditions and ensemble groups. The experiment is framed by questions related to memory, reading, and differing notions of literacy.

Mental Practice in Music Memorization: An Ecological-Empirical Study

The present study aims to systematically describe mental practice (MP) in music memorization, with regard to individual differences in the use of different MP strategies and their performance outcomes. Sixteen pianists were studied while they memorized piano pieces. Each subject memorized two pieces, either via MP or physical practice (PP). In order to keep the setting as ecologically valid as possible within the experimental setup, we allowed subjects to freely apply their preferred MP strategies with the exception of physically playing a real piano. Practice and performances were video documented and expert rated; practice strategies were reported in researcher-developed questionnaires. The use of MP alone led to successful music learning. MP combined with PP produced results that were indistinguishable from those following PP alone. Pitch imagery and structural analysis were associated with better post-MP performance. Results are discussed in the frame of expert memory theory (Chase & Simon, 1973; Chaffin, Logan, & Begosh, 2009) and practical implications for musicians are provided.