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Now a study of 15 Finnish families, published in the Journal of Medical Genetics, provides the first proof that musical ability is indeed linked to genes.

Not surprisingly, Hambrick and Tucker-Drob found a correlation between practice and musical accomplishment. But they also found that the amount of practice young musicians engaged in was influenced by their genetic make-up.

1:40 video with transcript It might take practice to get to Carnegie Hall but scientists found that it takes a set of dozens of genes in the brain working together to make that practice pay off.

The researchers concluded that genetics - or perhaps other factors, such as environmental influences - play a larger role than practice in certain aspects of musical talent such as recognizing pitch and rhythms. Mosey and her colleagues made another interesting finding: Genes may determine a person's motivation to practice. The majority of participants who reported practicing a lot also shared a high percentage of the same genes. "The association between practice and skill was largely due to the same genes, suggesting that practice will not necessarily make you perfect, but it certainly will enhance your skills," Mosey said.