Brain scans reveal how drum and bass influence music perception

A new study published in Neuroscience sheds light on how drum and bass components influence the brain’s response to pop music. Researchers found that when drum and bass elements were removed from a song, brain activity increased in areas linked to auditory processing and cognitive effort. Meanwhile, when participants listened only to drum and bass without vocals or other instruments, their brains showed heightened activity in regions associated with movement and rhythm perception. These findings suggest that drum and bass play a fundamental role in shaping the way listeners experience and interpret music.

In pop music, drum and bass elements form the rhythmic foundation that helps listeners perceive and engage with the beat. Drums establish a predictable framework of beats, while bass lines reinforce the harmonic structure of the song. These elements work together to create a metrical structure that makes it easier for listeners to follow the rhythm and, in many cases, feel compelled to move along with the music.

Previous research has demonstrated that rhythmic complexity influences brain activity, particularly in regions associated with movement and reward processing. However, most studies have focused on isolated drum patterns or melodies, rather than the full, layered compositions found in real-world music. This study aimed to address that gap by examining how the brain responds when drum and bass components are removed or isolated in full musical excerpts.

The researchers recruited 25 participants between the ages of 20 and 29, all of whom were Mandarin pop music listeners with no formal knowledge of the Korean language. This ensured that they were unfamiliar with the Korean pop music excerpts used in the experiment. Participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans while listening to different versions of 18 Korean pop songs.

To isolate the effects of drum and bass, the researchers used artificial intelligence-based algorithms to create three versions of each song excerpt:

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• Whole Music Version – included all instrumental and vocal components.
• Drum & Bass Version – contained only the drum and bass, with vocals and other instruments removed.
• Vocals & Others Version – included vocals and other instruments, but excluded drum and bass.

Each participant listened to all three versions of each excerpt while their brain activity was recorded. They were also asked to rate their preference for each version, though they were not explicitly asked to evaluate rhythm perception or movement sensation.

The brain imaging results revealed distinct patterns of neural activity depending on which version of the music participants heard.

When participants listened to the Vocals & Others Version, brain activity increased in regions associated with cognitive effort, including the auditory dorsal pathway. This pathway plays a key role in rhythm processing, particularly when listeners need to infer the beat in the absence of clear rhythmic cues. The heightened activation in this condition suggests that when drum and bass were removed, the brain had to work harder to process the timing and structure of the music.

In contrast, the Drum & Bass Version elicited increased activation in brain regions associated with movement simulation, particularly in the right ventral premotor cortex and the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These areas are involved in motor planning and have been linked to the brain’s mirror neuron system, which helps people anticipate and synchronize their movements with rhythmic patterns. This suggests that drum and bass alone can trigger neural activity related to movement, even when listeners are unable to physically respond.

Interestingly, the Whole Music Version did not produce significantly different activation patterns compared to the other two versions. This indicates that the presence or absence of drum and bass has a stronger effect on brain activity than simply listening to a full song.

The study highlights the fundamental role of drum and bass in shaping how the brain processes pop music. But there are some limitations to consider. First, because participants were not asked to evaluate their urge to move, the study does not directly measure groove sensation—the feeling of wanting to dance or tap along with the beat. Future studies could include more direct assessments of movement intention and physical responses.

The study, “The presence of drum and bass modulates responses in the auditory dorsal pathway and mirror-related regions to pop songs,” was authored by Chia-Wei Li and Chen-Gia Tsai.