Dissertation: Musical and cognitive skills, as well as professional experience, shape skilled pianists’ mental practice and its effectiveness

What did you study?

I investigated how experienced pianists practice new music from notation without an instrument, and whether there are individual consistencies in mental practice strategies that might be rooted in more general stylistic tendencies. The study also examined what makes mental practice effective, and how cognitive orientations during practice are manifested in performance.

What were the main findings?

The central finding was that pianists exhibit identifiable stylistic characteristics in their mental practice. These appear to be related to their aural and imagery skills, habitual practice strategies, and cognitive style—that is, a relatively stable way of processing information. Musicians’ mental practice can thus be understood as being grounded in their musical and cognitive skills as well as their professional experience.

Mental practice can be carried out effectively using different approaches, but the quality of thinking appears to be crucial: musicians need to be skilled and familiar with the strategies they use. In particular, the ability to conceptualize music and to hear it internally appears important for learning new repertoire without an instrument. In contrast, cognitive orientation during practice does not appear to be reflected in concert performance in a directly identifiable way.

How can the results be applied? What new knowledge does the study provide?

From the perspective of music pedagogy, the findings highlight the importance of ear training and music analysis in learning new repertoire without an instrument. In instrumental teaching, students should be viewed as individuals with unique cognitive traits, musical skills, and backgrounds, and they should be encouraged to use and further develop their own cognitive and musical strengths.

Dissertation defence: 30 May 2026, 12:00
Venue: Main Building, University of Jyväskylä, C4
Opponent: Associate Professor Freya Bailes, Music Psychology, University of Leeds
Custos: Senior Researcher Marc Thompson, University of Jyväskylä
Contact: nina.loimusalo-lipiainen@finstitute.jp