Predicting Success in Beginning Instrumental Music Through Use of Selected Tests

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of using several different variables as predictors of success in beginning instrumental music. The variables were: tests of musical aptitude, academic achievement, intelligence, and psychomotor skills measured by a tapping board, a tachistoscope, a visual choice reaction timer, and a rotary pursuit apparatus. A discriminant function analysis was used to analyze the data. All variables were found to make a unique contribution to the prediction of success in beginning instrumental music.