Sensory feedback in music performer–instrument interactions

Abstract

Musical performance involves the production of highly accurate sequences of movements in space and time. During a performance, real-time auditory, visual, somatosensory (tactile and kinematic), and movement-related information of the outcome of an action provided within the different sensory systems is integrated into a coherent percept and fed back to the motor system. These sensory feedback mechanisms are, therefore, crucial to maintaining the fluency of production. However, how and to what extent do these feedback mechanisms influence music performance and learning? A growing area of research has investigated the role of different types of sensory feedback on the musicians’ performance. The aim of this integrative review is to overview the recent literature on the role of sensory feedback on music performance, focusing particularly on the individual interaction between musician and instrument. In the first section, we review recent findings regarding the role of auditory, visual, and somatosensory (tactile and kinesthetic) feedback on music performance considering each sensory modality separately. To finalize, we briefly discuss the implications of these findings to support learning and pedagogical practice.