Finger-tapping tasks have been widely adopted to investigate auditory-motor synchronization, i.e., the coupling of movement with an external auditory rhythm. However, the discrete nature of these movements usually limits their application to the study of beat perception in the context of isochronous rhythms. The purpose of the present pilot study was to test an innovative task that allows investigating bodily responses to complex, non-isochronous rhythms. A conductor’s baton was provided to 16 healthy subjects, divided into 2 different groups depending on the years of musical training they had received (musicians or non-musicians). Ad hoc-created melodies, including notes of different durations, were played to the subjects. Each subject was asked to move the baton up and down according to the changes in pitch contour. Software for video analysis and modelling (Tracker^®) was used to track the movement of the baton tip. The main parameters used for the analysis were the velocity peaks in the vertical axis. In the musician group, the number of velocity peaks exactly matched the number of notes, while in the non-musician group, the number of velocity peaks exceeded the number of notes. An exploratory data analysis using Poincaré plots suggested a greater degree of coupling between hand–arm movements and melody in musicians both with isochronous and non-isochronous rhythms. The calculated root mean square error (RMSE) between the note onset times and the velocity peaks, and the analysis of the distribution of velocity peaks in relationship to note onset times confirmed the effect of musical training. Notwithstanding the small number of participants, these results suggest that this novel behavioural task could be used to investigate auditory-motor coupling in the context of music in an ecologically valid setting. Furthermore, the task may be used for rhythm training and rehabilitation in neurological patients with movement disorders.

手指敲击任务已被广泛用于研究听觉运动同步，即运动与外部听觉节律的耦合。然而，这些运动的离散性质通常限制了它们在等时节奏背景下的节拍感知研究中的应用。本试点研究的目的是测试一项创新任务，该任务可以调查身体对复杂的非同步节律的反应。向 16 名健康受试者提供了指挥棒，根据他们接受音乐训练的年限将他们分为 2 个不同的组（音乐家或非音乐家）。向受试者播放特别创作的旋律，包括不同时长的音符。每个受试者被要求根据音高轮廓的变化上下移动接力棒。使用视频分析和建模软件 (Tracker ^{®​​ ) 来跟踪警棍尖端的运动。}用于分析的主要参数是垂直轴上的速度峰值。在音乐家组中，力度峰值的数量与音符的数量完全匹配，而在非音乐家组中，力度峰值的数量超过音符的数量。使用庞加莱图进行的探索性数据分析表明，具有等时和非等时节奏的音乐家的手臂运动和旋律之间存在更大程度的耦合。计算出的音符开始时间和速度峰值之间的均方根误差（RMSE）以及速度峰值与音符开始时间关系的分布分析证实了音乐训练的效果。尽管参与者数量较少，但这些结果表明，这种新颖的行为任务可用于在生态有效的环境中研究音乐背景下的听觉运动耦合。此外，该任务还可用于患有运动障碍的神经系统患者的节奏训练和康复。