Playing a musical instrument is about an overall sense of wellbeing in many aspects of life. And the benefits are not limited to the joy of the moment you play.
By learning to play one instrument, it is possible to develop a completely new approach to the music. As a result, many people end up exploring music and different sounds with a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).
Others can opt for deepening their knowledge in a single instrument. In any case, playing a musical instrument opens the doors for creativity by developing better physical and psychological skills. They can be the foundation for a better life and the root for a music career. Thus, these are some of the benefits you obtain when you play an instrument.
Physical skills
Playing an instrument requires to apply a physical effort that is fully rewarded as you advance in the learning process. At first, it might seem that the benefits are limited to the body parts that play the instrument. But they extend throughout the entire body as follows:
1.The brain
When you play an instrument your brain´s neurons react and get a stimulus. Many pieces of research have been carried out and the results consistently show how several areas of the brain get the benefits. Firstly, it is necessary to use both sides of the brain and reach the areas that intervene in the visual and auditory cortices.
So, as you keep playing an instrument, you also improve the capacity of your senses. Moreover, the corpus callosum which is the bridge between the left and right hemispheres gets more activity. Therefore, all your skills and physical functions get automatically enhanced.
2.Extremities
Each instrument requires specific parts of the body to take part. For instance, people who play the piano use their fingers and feet, so they get strengthened. Wind instruments require increased lung capacity and developing exceptional respiratory skills. Those who play drums and other percussion instruments end developing strength in their arms and legs as well as developing cardio resistance.
3.Fine motor skills
These are small but complex movements with your fingers, hands, and wrists. Although they come naturally for most of us, when we play an instrument, we can refine them to make them exceptional. Think of the constant practice of piano and violin players.
They end having the ease to move them. As they also need the help of the gross motor skills, the activity helps the entire body. As a result, those who play an instrument can perform manual tasks and daily routines more easily.
Psychological skills
These skills are the most notable and include the way we enjoy music and include the following:
1.Coordination
Playing an instrument requires that you pay attention to multiple elements such as the music sheet, the director, voices, other instruments, and more. As a result, mastering the art of playing an instrument ends developing an exceptional level of coordination.
When you translate that to other activities, we can find better problem-solving skills, and similar. Also, when somebody opts for exploring the music industry and start using a DAW or DJing, they find they can do it better. That is because they can connect different paid or free VST plugins with a variety of sounds and combinations in a very effective way.
2.Relieves stress
When we focus on playing an instrument, we obtain a direct benefit to calm down our emotions and relieve stress from many sources. In fact, it is easy to get lost in melodies and music notes and get invigorated to cope with problems and difficult situations.
3.Confidence and achievement
As you keep playing and mastering the notes and rhythms, you gain confidence and elevate your sense of achievement.
4.Boost creativity
While trying to improve your skills, you automatically use your brain to find new and better ways to play. In the process, it helps you gain creativity to solve problems in all areas of your life.
5.Development of discipline and time management
People discover that they require discipline and manage their time to learn to play an instrument. So, the only way to make it is by organizing a schedule and being disciplined.
6.Social skills
As you keep playing, you naturally join people with the same interest. Also, performing music usually requires joining other players, and that helps to forge new friendships and increase social life.
Final words
Whether you want to enhance your creativity, improve your daily routines, learning to play an instrument is a sure way to help you achieve your goals.
This article was written by Vincent Rubin.
Vincent is a life coach with 7 years of experience with a focus on family relationships. In his free time, he likes to read and spend time with his family doing outdoor activities. Right now he is focused on sharing his expertise with a wider audience through his writing.
