Synchronized Musicians' Brains Fire Together

Scientists have recently discovered that the brains of musicians who play together fire up electrical impulses at the same time to the beat, a find that shows the fact that the two or more players are connected by something more than the common beat they play to. For this find, investigators have analyzed 8 pairs of duetting guitar players, and have hooked up electroencephalogram (EEG) machines to each of the individuals. Then, they have watched them play in real time, and have noticed the synchronization on their brain patterns, which has proven to be identical.

Each of the pairs repeated the same jazz-fusion sequence some 60 times. At first, both guitarists would hear a metronome in their headphones, which then stopped. The lead guitarist then tapped his instrument, giving the other one the cue when to start playing, as well as the tempo. The EEG readings showed that while the brain behaved similarly when they heard the metronome, the diagrams were only identical when the lead guitarist started tapping his instrument.

This hints at some “wireless” network of sorts, scientists say. There are currently no certified explanations as to why this is happening. What's even more curious is the fact that the brain wave patterns of the guitarists in each pair had become attuned to each other even before the two started playing, which really had brain experts baffled.

“Synchronization at frontal and central electrode sites may indicate coordinated firing of neuronal assemblies located in the motor and somatosensory cortices,” the researchers write in their new paper, published in .pdf format in the online journal BMC Neuroscience. These neurons are directly responsible with controlling motor functions in humans, yet they manage to do so in perfect sync.

“There's evidence that the [temporal and parietal regions] could be activated during music perception and also during music production, as well as throughout pleasant feelings induced by the music,” the paper reads. The medial prefrontal cortex has been also found to play an important part in the way the guitarists played in sync with each other.

In real-life, the musicians' ability to play with each other even if they play faster or slower than the beat, is absolutely essential, as if communicating with the other through eye contact alone, without actually saying anything. All the great bands have this type of “chemistry,” which makes the crowds go wild with excitement.