Playing An Instrument May Be In Your Genes

Research, conducted by scientists in Sweden, took a bunch of identical twins and studied their music abilities. They found that it didn’t really matter if one twin practiced an instrument and the other didn’t. They both ended up with equal levels of skill.

What Gives?

So, how is it that someone who doesn’t practice can do as well as someone who doesn’t? The researchers say it’s because some degree of musical ability is built in to our genes. I’m not quite buying that theory, but that’s what they said.

The study compared more 1200 pairs of identical twins and another 1300 fraternal twins (the ones that don’t look alike). So, it’s not a study that came to a conclusion based on just a few test subjects. The volunteers were tested on their ability to judge differences in pitch, distinguish different melodies, and differentiate rhythms. But, after all that there seemed to be little difference between a twin that practiced and one that didn’t. How much did they practice? In one case, one twin practiced more than 20,000 hours more than their sibling. It didn’t matter. Both tested with similar abilities.

One theory the scientists came up with to explain their findings is that genes could determine a person’s motivation to practice. That drive to keep at something, to stay with it despite the ups and downs and long hours is something that may be in our genetic makeup.

So, does that mean some people don’t need to practice? Not quite, say the researchers. While some skill levels can be acquired by some people with less practice than others, the ability to achieve high performance levels are still dependent on practice and dedication to the effort.

But, what if you are not a twin?

Of course, there are fewer twins out there than people with no twin – like me. What are we to think? Unfortunately, the researchers didn’t delve into why someone like me might be less musically inclined and/or who have a hard time finding the motivation to practice. So, we seem to be stuck with the old adage – how do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.