Sight-reading in skilled pianists: Eye-hand span is independent of practice but associated with the musicians’ cognitive abilities S Rosemann1, E Altenmüller2, D Trenner1, M Fahle1 |
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1Center for Cognitive Sciences, University of Bremen, Germany |
| Sight-reading is a skill required by musicians when they perform an unknown composition. It demands sequential anticipatory fixation of notes immediately followed by motor performance. The distance between eye and hand position is called the eye-hand span (EHS). The aim of our study was to investigate the influence of practice, playing tempo and complexity of the music on the size of the EHS, as well as its relation to performance and cognitive skills as measured by shape recognition, working memory and mental speed tasks. Nine pianists of the Hanover University of Music and Drama participated. We found that a practice phase of 30 minutes of a 3 minute composition did not affect the EHS but that the EHS significantly increased with faster playing tempo and for easier parts of the music. Furthermore the EHS was significantly correlated with quality of performance after practice and with mental speed skills. We conclude that the EHS is affected by tempo and structure of the music. Moreover, the EHS is associated with the musician’s cognitive abilities and playing skills. Hence, the EHS seems to be a characteristic of each musician developed over years of practice and independent of a short practice phase. |
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