The Amazing Neuroscience of Drummers
ART Neuroscience December 23, 2015 milen raychev




Drummers may find themselves as the butt of the jokes in the music world, but science says that science shows drummers have an advantage over everyone else. A promotional video from GE suggests that drummers have fundamentally different brains than the rest of us. What does the brain of a drummer look like? When a drummer gets into the beat, where is the rhythm flowing from? Is it in the wrists, the feet, the brain? Check out this short video from General Electric to learn more:

This video suggests that when playing the drums your arms and ears pose to the rhythm and these actions light up regions of neural connections. When you start moving to the beat your motor cortex begins to activate and results in stronger connection to the brain that eventually leads to increases in skills like good timing. Essentially, this video suggests that drummers have fundamentally different brains than the rest of us.

A study from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm found a link between intelligence, good timing and the part of the brain used for problem-solving in drummers. The drummers who were able to keep a steady beat scored the highest in the intelligence tests conducted by this study. This research has suggested that drummers might actually be natural intellectuals. Proffessor Ullen, who conducted this study said:

“We found that people with high general intelligence were also more stable on a very simple timing task. We also found that these participants had larger volumes of the white matter in the brain, which contains connections between brain regions.”

The natural intelligence of drummers isn’t limited to just themselves. Research has shown that a tight beat can actually transfer that natural intelligence to others. This study suggests that experiencing a steady rhythm actually improves cognitive function of the listeners too.

Neuroscientist David Eagleman concluded that drummers have a unique mental makeup. Basically, they have different brains from the rest of us, according to an experiment conducted at Brian Eno’s studio with various professional drummers.

University of Oxford psychologist Robin Dunbar found that the endorphin-filled act of drumming increases positive emotions and leads people to work together in a more cooperative fashion. Dunbar also found out that people have higher pain thresholds immediately after performing music or dancing.

Read: The Spectacular Science Behind Sonogenetics: Controlling the Brain Through Sound
Drumming has several therapeutic aspects, says Clash drummer Topper Headon in a BBC interview.

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Why this topic keeps coming up again and again? You need science to compensate for something else?
It is nice to read but it gets boring over time.

 

I find it a very interesting topic

 

Yeah, me too The thread title is descriptive enough to avoid if this kind of thing doesn't float your boat.

I'd love to see my own brain when I'm doing stuff

 

The same "marvelous" Neuroscience nonsense could be made out of someone putting a spoon with food in his mouth....

 

if you want to see a nice movie about music and drums... do yourself a favour and watch this one...

 

@justthankyah

that movie is great indeed, but I fail to grasp, how it relates to this thread

the topic here is more in the direction on how a human brains function... it could be maybe related to the colossal task that some scientist have in front of them, trying to replicate it by building the artificial intelligence.
Or some alternative topics that explore the mystery of healing by sound.

Anyway, as I see it, it has not much to do with the sole art of playing drums ? ...or I missed something ?

 

For me this movie is a pure joke. Just a sensational point of view to make a movie for people and make money on top of a testament far from the reality . What a shame, it doesn't give grace to drummers, musicians, creative, dreamers...

 

maybe i was just excited with the new year.. and since i saw you guys talking about drummers and brain and music.. i tought that was a cool movie that i enjoyed and decide to share even if it was not related with thread... if you watch maybe you can enjoy... (is not aobut neuro science and some "serious" things... but is just about music and drums...

that's the spirit... everybody got a point of view and i respect that... again .. new year... happy... thinking out loud...

all in all im sure it don't hurt anyone... and by the way i don't want to "sell" the movie... lolhave a good one

Happy 2016

 

Last edited: Jan 1, 2016

I see... no problems man, Happy New Year!
( About a month ago I watched the movie, and I liked it )

 

me too !!! tks !!!

 

I sense jealousy. You should see pictures of my brain feeling humility....