We also need to consider "striatal learning." There are two types of learning: Declarative and Striatal Declarative memory is what we usually think of when we use the word "memory." It's a collection of facts (or factoids) and concepts. We can describe or declare the contents of declarative memory, and can add to our memory store with study e.g., vocabulary, names, places, "the news" etc. Striatal memory on the other hand, is completely different. It's procedural and relates to "doing." You can describe how to ride a bicycle verbally (declarative) but it's of little or no help. You learn by doing. This applies to a lot of skilled actions, including playing a musical instrument. In fact, if you try to describe what you're doing, you wind up like the proverbial centipede, who, when asked which leg went first, was paralyzed, unable to walk. Declarative and procedural memory are stored in different locations in the brain (or at least involve separate structures), declarative using the cerebral cortex and striatal the basal ganglia, especially the corpus striatum (hence the name). A great "experiment of nature" was a patient widely known in the neurologic literature. A pianist, who sustained damage to areas of the brain involved in storing declarative memory, woke up each day with no memory of what went before. In fact, if distracted, anything that was in "working memory" (Short term, like repeating a phone number you've been told as you dial) disappeared. Nothing new could get into declarative memory. Yet, if given a piece of music, he could practice it until he played fluently. Then, if the score were taken away for a few seconds or minutes and re-presented, he would state that he had never before seen that piece. However, on sitting down to play, could play it perfectly, showing the effects of practice.
Patients with "isolated" defects in processing declarative memory are described below: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anterograde_amnesia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HM_%28patient%29 I'd think that different capacities for striatal learning might enable one to benefit more (or less) from practice. Rapid movements are in part dependent on the basal ganglia. But what do I know -- I'm just a simple country endocrinologist, with a little neurology, and less musical talent (though perhaps I'll blame it on my c. striatum!). Al -----Original Message----- From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On Behalf Of Herbert Ward Sent: Monday, March 05, 2012 2:13 AM To: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Subject: [LUTE] Physiology of playing fast. A description of how muscles contract is here http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/human-biology/muscle3.ht m The complexity of the process makes me wonder whether differences in physiology (say, heavily gated sarcoplasmic reticuli) from person to person enable some musicians to play faster than others, or (alternatively) whether fast playing results exclusively from practice and technique. To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
