Final answer:
Playing the piano involves procedural memory, a type of implicit memory, processed by the cerebellum. Emotional and declarative memories involving the amygdala and hippocampus also play roles in the musical experience but are distinct from the procedural skills needed to play an instrument.
Step-by-step explanation:
The category of memory involved when playing the piano is procedural memory, which is part of implicit memory. This type of memory allows for the skills and actions, such as playing an instrument, to be performed without conscious thought once they have been learned. The cerebellum plays a critical role in processing procedural memories. As one learns to play the piano, and memorizes the location of the keys, this skill becomes automated and can be executed without actively recalling each step.
On the other hand, the amygdala and hippocampus are involved in emotional and declarative memories. Emotional responses to music, such as those studied in the Mafa tribe by Fritz et al. (2009), imply that the amygdala facilitates encoding memories at a deeper level when the event is emotionally arousing. While emotional memory can influence one's experience while playing or listening to music, the ability to actually play the piano relies primarily on procedural memory housed in the cerebellum.