Why do some people learn music more quickly than others? Intelligence could play a role, according to a new study that investigated the early stages of learning to play piano.

Intelligence could play a role, according to a Michigan State University study that investigated the early stages of learning to play piano.

Published in the journal Intelligence, the study may be the first to examine the relationship between intelligence, music aptitude and growth mindset in beginner pianists.

Growth mindset refers to whether students believe they can improve basic abilities, like piano ability.

«The strongest predictor of skill acquisition was intelligence, followed by music aptitude,» said Alexander Burgoyne, a doctoral candidate in cognition and cognitive neuroscience. «By contrast, the correlation between growth mindset and piano performance was about as close to zero as possible.»

In the study, 161 undergraduates were taught how to play «Happy Birthday» on the piano with the help of a video guide. After practice, the students performed the 25-note song multiple times. Three MSU graduate students judged the performances based on their melodic and rhythmic accuracy.

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Materials provided by Michigan State University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.