Cognitive Strategies and Skill Acquisition in Musical Performance.

Abstract

This paper reports on a longitudinal study with a group of high school instrumentalists which examined the development of four distinct types of musical performance over three years. Subjects were administered tests which measured their capacity to sightread, play by ear, play from memory, and improvise. Additional data concerning a range of factors thought to influence the development of these skills were obtained in face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire, and a content analysis of reflective comments made by students immediately after they completed each of the four measures. Results show a significant improvement in each of the skills across the three years, plus changes in terms of the aural and creative activities which instrumentalists report engaging in during their practice and related musical activities. Reflective comments show distinct differences in the types of strategies used by instrumentalists to perform on each of the measures. Based on these results, the study has implications for instrumental teaching which range from a re-evaluation of teaching practices that are restricted to the refinement of performance repertoire and technique, to guidance in the aural and creative styles of performance and cognitive strategies which this study shows may exert a positive influence on the development of overall performance ability.