What movement force reveals about cognitive processes in music performance

Expressive music performance requires exquisite movement timing and force control. Although measures of timing and force are both potentially informative about the cognitive processes underlying such performance, force control has received relatively little attention in empirical studies of music. This chapter begins with a historical review of research on timing and force in music performance. The claim that force deserves greater attention is justified by appealing to musicians' intuitions and research in kinesiology and sports science. Two studies that highlight the benefits of examining force control are discussed. The results of the first study suggest that forces applied during movement can be used to gauge the relative roles of auditory and motor imagery during musical action planning. The second study suggests that irregularities in force control are associated with fluctuations in certainty about upcoming actions. It is concluded that measures of force control go some way towards revealing the contents of a performer's action plans and the degree of (un)certainty in their musical intentions.