New Study Finds Drummers’ Intelligence Linked to Drumming Patterns

In a recent Swedish study conducted on drummers and their abilities to keep a beat, new findings have emerged to show that drummers may no longer be the butt of band jokes. The study revealed that drummers’ brains have an innate ability to see patterns and shapes that allowed the researches to conclude that drummers are on the whole, highly intelligent beings after all.

The study looked at the ways drummers could keep a constant beat whilst being asked questions relating to an intelligence test. The test comprised of over 60 questions and quizzed musicians on a number of cognitive tests designed to test the entire brain.

The drummers were asked to keep a steady beat throughout the quizzing which was aimed to test if outside factors could influence the timing of the drummers or their ability to think cognitively whilst performing a task. The study found a big correlation between the quiz results as well as the ability to keep time during the tests.

In a recent Swedish study conducted on drummers and their abilities to keep a beat, new findings have emerged to show that drummers may no longer be the butt of band jokes. The study revealed that drummers’ brains have an innate ability to see patterns and shapes that allowed the researches to conclude that drummers are on the whole, highly intelligent beings after all.

 

Pattern Spotting and Drum Fills

For those drummers who did well on the intelligence test, and answered the most questions right, they were able to keep the best timing when it came to their drumming ability. Those who kept poor timing did less well. The study concluded that the drummers’ ability to keep a beat was being driven by a part of the brain that associated patterns and shapes and allowed them to concentrate on the questions.

It is often the case that some people feel as though they are on autopilot when performing tasks that they regularly perform, and with no need to truly think about what they are doing. Most of us take for granted the ability to move our arms or legs, but think for a second what it would be like to have to think about moving each muscle to move just one leg.

 

Like Being On Autopilot

This autopilot mode in drumming is controlled in the part of the brain that also recognises shapes and patterns. This gives us, and more specifically drummers, the ability for their brain to take over the majority of the work when it comes to coordination between fills and concentrate on enjoying the music.

This ability to be able to quickly see patterns, adjust and employ a level of sophisticated creativeness to their drumming means drummers have the ability to apply this in other aspects of their lives. Drummers can therefore be great learners, take on tasks and understand them quicker as well as leaving their brain do all the manual work while they can enjoy themselves at the back of the stage.

 

No Longer the Butt of Jokes

Drumming is an essentially learned-skill that takes years to become accomplished and even more to master. This is probably why many drummers feel they are unfairly treated when it comes to jokes about the band.

But the evidence couldn’t be any clearer; drummers are drastically different from the rest of us, and have an innate ability to be able to keep time and could be the smartest member of the band. No longer being the butt of jokes within the band, it won’t be long before everyone turns to the bassist to blame the timing on.

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