Electroencephalographic changes during piano playing and related mental tasks.

Theta activity in EEG was found to be augmented in the frontal midline area in 5 young women while they played classical piano pieces and during related mental tasks. This activity was considered to be a frontal midline theta rhythm with the maximal amplitude mostly in Fz and of the frequency ranging from 5 to 7.5 Hz. This theta activity was observed to increase depending on the degree of the subjects' concentration on piano playing or related tasks. In bilateral parietal derivations, increases in the power value of alpha activity were observed in some subjects while they were listening to music, suggesting that alpha activity was involved in appreciation of music.