Combined Imagery/Physical Practice Yields Comparable Benefits to Physical Practice in Snare Drum Performance

This study explored the effectiveness of combining motor imagery with physical practice in enhancing snare drum performance among trained percussionists. Motor imagery has promoted learning in related contexts such as sport but has yet to be applied in music training. Twenty-eight percussion majors were assigned to either a physical practice group or a combined imagery/physical practice group. Participants performed a novel snare drum excerpt while motion capture measured upper-limb movements prior to and following training. Temporal errors were also computed by comparing note onsets to the ideal timing specified by a metronome. Results revealed that temporal errors were lower in post- vs. pre-training performances, irrespective of group. In both groups, post-test performances were characterized by a higher average position of the mallets above the playing surface and greater hand velocity vs. pre-training performances. Notably, the combined imagery/physical practice group reported less perceived effort associated with training which coincided with an increase in training adherence likelihood. These findings highlight the potential of integrating motor imagery into music education to optimize practice efficiency, particularly when time constraints limit physical rehearsal opportunities.