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Modulated neural processing of Western harmony in folk musicians
Author(s) -
Brattico Elvira,
Tupala Tiina,
Glerean Enrico,
Tervaniemi Mari
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/psyp.12049
Subject(s) - chord (peer to peer) , psychology , p3a , harmony (color) , perception , communication , electroencephalography , cognitive psychology , visual arts , art , mismatch negativity , neuroscience , computer science , distributed computing
A chord deviating from the conventions of Western tonal music elicits an early right anterior negativity ( ERAN ) in inferofrontal brain regions. Here, we tested whether the ERAN is modulated by expertise in more than one music culture, as typical of folk musicians. Finnish folk musicians and nonmusicians participated in electroencephalography recordings. The cadences consisted of seven chords. In incongruous cadences, the third, fifth, or seventh chord was a Neapolitan. The ERAN to the Neapolitans was enhanced in folk musicians compared to nonmusicians. Folk musicians showed an enhanced P 3a for the ending Neapolitan. The Neapolitan at the fifth position was perceived differently and elicited a late enhanced ERAN in folk musicians. Hence, expertise in more than one music culture seems to modify chord processing by enhancing the ERAN to ambivalent chords and the P 3a to incongruous chords, and by altering their perceptual attributes.