You learn so much more than just how to play an instrument when you learn the piano. You train parts of your brain that, honestly, you might have left to go lax. This is only going to be truer as you age. As we get older, we have to actively make time to learn new things. New experiences aren’t going to fall into our lap. New skills aren’t going to be mandatory. Those days are behind us. Now, we need to be active.
The good news for those of you who are dabbling in the piano is that learning how to play this instrument offers so much more than just a new skill. It can help boost your brain and even help improve your mental and emotional health.
How? Dive into this guide:
Delight the Mind
First and foremost, human brains just love music. When you hear a song you love, your body releases what’s known as endorphins. These endorphins help make you feel good and happy – hence why they’re known as the happy hormones.
You can easily delight your mind if and when you need it just by listening to your favorite songs, but if you’re distracted, you might not get the same benefits.
Learning to play piano sheet music of your favorite tunes, however, means you need to focus and concentrate, which in turn can help you delight in the music you might not have been able to in a while.
Fine Tune Your Motor Skills
Piano playing requires delicate movements and dexterous fingers. Playing daily on the piano, then, can actually help improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. This is great for little kids who are still developing, yes, but it can also help older adults, too.
Learning how to play the piano when you get older can actually increase somatotropin, also known as the human growth hormone in the body, which in turn has been proven to slow the effects of aging.
Improve Brain Health
Learning to play the piano can help children learn and remember outside of piano playing. There are similar benefits for older adults. Music, for example, has been shown to help dementia patients minimize symptoms and improve communication skills. At a minimum, those with dementia can help reduce their stress, anxiety, and even dementia by listening, if not by playing, the piano.
Improve Self Confidence
It takes time to learn and get good at a new skill, and it’s only natural to feel proud of your efforts. Getting and eventually being good at a skill others admire is an easy way to help improve your self-confidence. Just putting time in to develop at least one part of yourself per day is a great way to increase your confidence. After all, it takes courage, dedication, and self-love to power through those early stages of learning a new skill.
It Improves Your Mood
Music can help us feel. Choose your music properly, and between the love you have for the song and the focus it takes to play it, you can completely transform your mood. This is done by giving your brain something total to focus on. This means you won’t have stress sitting at the back of your mind demanding your attention. You can switch off from the stress, and enjoy the music, allowing it to help lighten your mood.
