Drummers are Smarter Than You

Despite being the butt of almost every band joke, drummers, it turns out, aren’t the oafs they’re made to be. In fact, they have a rare, innate ability to problem-solve and change those around them. According to a study by the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm there’s a connection between the part of the brain used for problem solving, intelligence and good timing.

In an experiment, researchers asked drummers to play a variety of different beats and then game them a simple 60-question intelligence test. The drummers who could keep a steadier beat also scored higher as playing in time being appeared to be another form of problem solving. Researchers at Harvard also found that drummers process with a different type of internal clock that moves in waves, rather than linearly as a real clock does.

Most interestingly though, tight, on-time beats also transfer that natural intelligence to others in the vicinity. Research shows that experiencing steady rhythms has an effect on your brain and improves cognitive function. At the University of Washington, a pyschology professor used rhythmic light and sound therapy on his students and found their grades miraculously improved.

So does that mean clubbing every weekend will make us smarter?