(Press-News.org) Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin have shown that synchronization emerges between brains when making music together, and even when musicians play different voices. In a study published November 29th in Frontiers in Neuroscience, Johanna Sänger and her team used electrodes to record the brain waves of guitarists while they played different voices of the same duet. The results point to brain synchronicity that cannot be explained away by similitudes in external stimulation but can be attributed to a more profound interpersonal coordination.
Scientists working with Ulman Lindenberger at the Max Planck Institute in Berlin already discovered synchronous brain activity between musicians playing the same piece in 2009. The current study goes one step further by examining the brain activity of guitar players performing a piece of music with two different parts. Their aim was to find out whether musicians' brains would synchronize if the two guitarists were not playing exactly the same notes, but instead played different voices of the same song.
To test their hypothesis, the psychologists arranged 32 experienced guitarists in duet pairs, and recorded electrical activity in different brain regions of each musician. They were then asked to play a sequence from the "Sonata in G Major" by Christian Gottlieb Scheidler a total of 60 times, and the duet partners were given slightly different tasks: each musician had to play a different voice, and one of the two was responsible for ensuring that they started at the same time and held the same tempo. Thus, one person took the lead and the other followed.
The duet's brain activities showed coordinated brain oscillations, even when playing different voices of the same duet. Called phase coherence, this synchronous activity suggests a direct neural basis for interpersonal coordination.
"When people coordinate their own actions, small networks between brain regions are formed. But we also observed similar network properties between the brains of the individual players, especially when mutual coordination is very important; for example at the joint onset of a piece of music," says Johanna Sänger.
The difference between leader and follower was also reflected in the results of the measurement of electrical activity captured by electrodes: "In the player taking the lead, the internal synchronization of an individual's brain waves was stronger and, importantly, was present already before the duet started to play," says Johanna Sänger. "This could be a reflection of the leading player's decision to begin playing at a certain moment in time," she added.
The current data indicate that synchronization between individuals occurs in brain regions associated with social cognition and music production. And such interbrain networks are expected to occur not only while performing music. "We think that different people's brain waves also synchronise when people mutually coordinate their actions in other ways, such as during sport, or when they communicate with one another," Sänger says.
INFORMATION:
Original study:
Johanna Sänger, Viktor Müller and Ulman Lindenberger:
Intra- and interbrain synchronization and network properties when playing guitar in duets. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2012, doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2012.00312
http://www.frontiersin.org/Human_Neuroscience/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00312/abstract
Related article (previous study):
Gehirne im Gleichtakt [Brains in Sync] http://www.mpg.de/577608/pressemitteilung20090317?filter_order=L
Musical duets lock brains as well as rhythms
Study shows networking properties between brains when guitarists play together
2012-11-29
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
IRS is Targeting Small Businesses for Tax Audits
2012-11-29
IRS is targeting small businesses for tax audits
As a small business owner, the last thing you want is to receive a notice from the Internal Revenue Service that says you are being audited. Unfortunately, the IRS has announced that they are going to be taking a closer look at small business tax returns. According to its records, the IRS blames small businesses for 84 percent of the $450 billion tax gap.
Eight tax audit areas to be aware of
To curb underreporting, the IRS has announced eight important audit areas for small businesses for 2012 and 2013. Those areas ...
Dividing Assets Efficiently and Intelligently in a Massachusetts Divorce
2012-11-29
Dividing Assets Efficiently and Intelligently in a Massachusetts Divorce
Having as much information as possible about family finances reduces the likelihood of surprises and roadblocks during property settlement negotiations during a divorce. Additionally, it helps to ensure that the property division is fair. Massachusetts couples can follow some steps to help make the property division process go more smoothly in a divorce.
Catalogue Assets and Debts
An important first step to gaining a clear financial picture is to inventory assets and debts. For many couples, ...
What to Expect if Pulled Over for DWI in Texas
2012-11-29
What to Expect if Pulled Over for DWI in Texas
Being stopped by police can be a nerve-wracking experience. The tension only increases when the officers begin treating the driver as if they believe the driver is intoxicated. Texas drivers should know what commonly occurs during DWI stops so they are prepared in the event that they get pulled over.
Police Methods for Finding Drivers Under the Influence
Police officers need a reason to stop a driver to check and see if the driver is intoxicated. Valid reasons include if police observe erratic driving, speeding, slowing ...
Allegations of a Sex Crime: When Private Moments Go Public
2012-11-29
Allegations of a Sex Crime: When Private Moments Go Public
Today's widespread use of technology can often blur the lines between public and personal lives and work and private lives, and sometimes when imperfect but private actions go public they can result in a detrimental legal effect. The worst of these situations is when a legal action is unwarranted but results in non-legal impact, such as in the case of a wrongly alleged sex crime. Recently, child pornography charges were brought against a college football coach who took home videos of his minor children on his ...
New Progress on Spinal Cord Injury Prognosis and Treatment
2012-11-29
New Progress on Spinal Cord Injury Prognosis and Treatment
Recent advancements in the treatment of spinal cord injuries have brought new hope to the more than one million SCI sufferers in the U.S. The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, a Center of Excellence at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, is currently conducting a clinical study on the safety of transplanting Schwann cells, which are found in the human spinal cord, in the hope that it will cure or significantly improve SCIs. In addition, a new method for quickly diagnosing the severity of spinal ...
The State of Underage Drinking and Driving in Illinois
2012-11-29
The State of Underage Drinking and Driving in Illinois
A recent survey captures the attitudes and habits of teenagers in central Illinois when it comes to underage drinking and teenage drinking and driving. The results of the survey show that more teenagers believe other teenagers are engaged in drunk driving habits than the number of teens who actually get behind the wheel when intoxicated. In addition, drugged driving has become more popular than drunk driving among teens in the central area of the state. In Illinois, there are drinking and driving laws that apply ...
North Carolina Special Agents Arrest More Than 250 Festival-Goers
2012-11-29
North Carolina Special Agents Arrest More Than 250 Festival-Goers
A North Carolina festival did more than bring over 300,000 people to Wilmington this spring. The annual Azalea Festival also featured special law enforcement agents on the lookout for alcohol- and drug-related offenses. The agents arrested 261 people on charges of underage drinking, marijuana possession and using fake identification, according to witn.com. The 15 Alcohol Law Enforcement, or ALE, special agents at the festival represented over one-tenth of the entire North Carolina ALE force.
North Carolina ...
The Day an Angel Ran into My Room Available for e-Readers in Time for Holiday Gift Giving
2012-11-29
Read what happens when a six-year-old girl meets an angel, and in doing so, discovers her own magical inner world.
One night Alessandra asks her mother if she can stay up for "only five more minutes." Then she gets a wonderful surprise: Her guardian angel, Angelisse, comes for a visit. The angel looks so much like a child that it is easy for Alessandra to relate to her. The angel explains how very important every person is and teaches Alessandra many other magical things, such as the power of visualization.
This uplifting story teaches kids that they are ...
NKSJ Holdings Ranked Second Among Japanese Companies in Newsweek Green Rankings 2012
2012-11-29
NKSJ Holdings, Inc. (President: Kengo Sakurada; hereinafter gthe Companyh) was ranked 2nd out of Japanese companies and 18th overall out of 500 global companies in the Newsweek Green Rankings 2012, an environmental management ranking compiled by Newsweek.
1. Overview of Newsweek Green Rankings 2012
Started in FY2009 by Newsweek, the Newsweek Green Rankings rank companies by environmental management practices. In collaboration with Trucost and Sustainalytics, leading sustainability research organizations, the Green Rankings assess and rank the environmental impact, ...
Southern-California EDI Provider Connects With EDI Users Through Blog
2012-11-29
Alex Perlin, co-founder of Beacon EDI, is excited to educate EDI users via the company's blog. He hopes that they will allow for more interaction between customers and enthusiasts.
"I am very happy that we are able to reach out to our users through the blog. I have always valued being open and accessible to our customers and social media is a great way to accomplish this. I hope all of our customers will "like" our Blog page and follow our solutions and offerings," said Alex Perlin, of Beacon EDI Solutions.
Alex Perlin and his staff have been using ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Scientists trace origins of now extinct plant population from volcanically active Nishinoshima
AI algorithm based on routine mammogram + age can predict women’s major cardiovascular disease risk
New hurdle seen to prostate screening: primary-care docs
MSU researchers explore how virtual sports aid mental health
Working together, cells extend their senses
Cheese fungi help unlock secrets of evolution
Researchers find brain region that fuels compulsive drinking
Mental health effects of exposure to firearm violence persist long after direct exposure
Research identifies immune response that controls Oropouche infection and prevents neurological damage
University of Cincinnati, Kent State University awarded $3M by NSF to share research resources
Ancient DNA reveals deeply complex Mastodon family and repeated migrations driven by climate change
Measuring the quantum W state
Researchers find a way to use antibodies to direct T cells to kill Cytomegalovirus-infected cells
Engineers create mini microscope for real-time brain imaging
Funding for training and research in biological complexity
The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: September 12, 2025
ISSCR statement on the scientific and therapeutic value of human fetal tissue research
Novel PET tracer detects synaptic changes in spinal cord and brain after spinal cord injury
Wiley advances Knowitall Solutions with new trendfinder application for user-friendly chemometric analysis and additional enhancements to analytical workflows
Benchmark study tracks trends in dog behavior
OpenAI, DeepSeek, and Google vary widely in identifying hate speech
Research spotlight: Study identifies a surprising new treatment target for chronic limb threatening ischemia
Childhood loneliness and cognitive decline and dementia risk in middle-aged and older adults
Parental diseases of despair and suicidal events in their children
Acupuncture for chronic low back pain in older adults
Acupuncture treatment improves disabling effects of chronic low back pain in older adults
How interstellar objects similar to 3I/ATLAS could jump-start planet formation around infant stars
Rented e-bicycles more dangerous than e-scooters in cities
Ditches as waterways: Managing ‘ditch-scapes’ to strengthen communities and the environment
In-situ molecular passivation enables pure-blue perovskite LEDs via vacuum thermal evaporation
[Press-News.org] Musical duets lock brains as well as rhythmsStudy shows networking properties between brains when guitarists play together