Motor Resonance in Piano Playing

Abstract

Resonance is frequently used as a conceptual metaphor in various human sciences. In neuroscience, it refers to the neuron’s ability to respond to inputs at preferred frequencies selectively; in cognitive sciences, it elucidates the interactive relationship between the organism and the environment. In music, it illuminates various forms of distributed creativity, especially in the context of ensemble performances, rehearsals, and improvisations. The present paper applies such a notion of resonance to piano playing. It investigates the feedback loop between the pianist’s perception of fingering and fingering action, and argues that this seemingly private and individualistic process of choosing fingers involves “motor resonance.” Pianists observe, imagine, and selectively respond to others’ actions. The study employed a mixed-method approach to investigate how the perception of unexpected, audacious fingerings affect pianists’ action. In the semi-structured interview designed by Qualtrics, participants were asked to consider fingerings for four short musical excerpts that could be performed with various fingerings and contained scalar passages (to consider the role of “standardized” fingering). All were from piano works by Beethoven, whose fingering often presents “problems” rather than simple instructions. For each passage, (1) a score only, (2) a score with fingering notation, and (3) a video clip showing other pianists’ fingering were presented. After a keyword-in-context analysis of content and thematic analysis, three themes emerged: (1) the “I” as the decision-maker, (2) “creative authority” in the scores, and (3) the video clips for the ears. Focusing on the pianists’ interactions amongst themselves, mediated by treatises, scores, and films, the study illuminates a sphere in which the pianists emerged as actors, consciously negotiating with a broader network of scores, motor grammar, and other pianists. In line with action research, the study engages pianists in the recognition that they actively resonate with other pianists and artifacts across time and space.