When sight-reading a score, a timpanist needs to decide in real-time which stick to use to play a specific note while interpreting the musical material. Our main point of inquiry seeks to understand which sticking patterns performers employ and how they are affected by rhythmic stability. This paper analyzes the bi-manual sequencing (i.e., sticking) patterns of 31 timpanists in a sight-reading task. We analyze their results compared to model sticking patterns common in percussion pedagogical literature. Results show that while hand dominance plays an essential role in an individual\'s sticking pattern, the stability of a rhythmic pattern may also dramatically influence the observed particular sticking strategies. In areas of rhythmic stability, performers largely adhered to one of two conventional sticking patterns in the literature (dominant hand lead & alternating). Where rhythmic patterns became more unstable, the performers separated into diverse sticking groups. Moreover, several performers demonstrated sticking patterns which were hybrids or an inverse of the model sticking patterns, without any impact on the success of their sight-reading abilities. Overall, no two individual performers demonstrated the same sticking pattern. In terms of percussion pedagogy, our findings suggest that performers may benefit from an awareness of the adaptability of model sticking strategies. Lastly, we make the case for further study of rhythmic stability and bi-manual sequencing by locating the difference between notational and aural complexity.

The concept of hierarchical motor control has been viewed as a means of progressively decreasing the number of variables manipulated by each higher control level. We tested the hypothesis that turning an individual bimanual force-production task into a joint (two-participant) force-production task would lead to positive correlation between forces produced by the two hands of the individual participant (symmetric strategy) to enable negative correlation between forces produced by two participants (complementary strategy). The present study consisted of individual and joint tasks that involved both unimanual and bimanual conditions. In the joint task, 10 pairs of participants produced periodic isometric forces, such that the sum of forces that they produced matched a target force cycling between 5% and 10% of maximum voluntary contraction at 1 Hz. In the individual task, individuals attempted to match the same target force. In the joint bimanual condition, the two hands of each participant adopted a symmetric strategy of force, whereas the two participants adopted a complementary strategy of force, highlighting that the bimanual action behaved as a low level of a hierarchy, whereas the joint action behaved as an upper level. The complementary force production was greater interpersonally than intrapersonally. However, whereas the coherence was highest at 1 Hz in all conditions, the frequency synchrony was stronger intrapersonally than interpersonally. Moreover, whereas the bimanual action exhibited a smaller error and variability of force than the unimanual action, the joint action exhibited a less-variable interval and force than the individual action.