10 Benefits of Learning a Musical Instrument

Introduction

Long ago, renowned Chinese philosopher, Confucius stated, “Music produces a kind of pleasure that human nature cannot do without.” Playing a musical instrument has several advantages and it may bring you and others around you happy. Fortunately, there are several platforms available nowadays, one of them being Artium Academy, the best online music teaching platform.

Here are ten advantages of music instrument classes that will perhaps instill in you greater respect and pride in music.

1. Taking music instrument classes is a great stress buster

Music has an immensely relaxing effect on us. Slow and classical music slows our pulse and heart rate down and lowers the blood pressure and stress hormones in the body. Music therapy is very important to manage stress in a person’s life. It helps to express the emotions built-in and provides catharsis to them. Most psychologists believe music helps to manage stress the most efficiently.

2. Boosts your team skills

Teamwork is an essential component of personal achievement. To produce music, you must collaborate with other people while you play an instrument. You must learn how to interact with the people around you in band and orchestra situations. Furthermore, in order for a group to produce beautiful music, each musician and section must learn to listen to and play with one another.

3. Refines your time management and organizational skills

Playing an instrument teaches you how to be organized and manage your time effectively. A good musician understands that practice time of high quality is more beneficial than practice time of low quality. A musician will learn how and where to arrange his or her training time and set different challenges to focus on in order to grow faster.

4. Enhances your coordination

Learning a musical instrument exercises your body in new and unique ways. The art of playing an instrument requires a lot of hand-eye coordination. By reading musical notes on a page, your brain subconsciously must convert that note into specific motor patterns while also adding breathing and rhythm to the mix. Taking online piano lessons or any other instrument can be really beneficial.

5. Boosts self-esteem

Learning a new skill can also help build your confidence. When you finally perfect that song or solo on your new instrument, you enjoy a sense of accomplishment and pride. 

Performing music can take this confidence boost to the next level. After jamming out at your first open mic night or performing your first solo with Artium Academy, you will feel great knowing you have done something impressive — and the audience’s roaring applause will make it better.

6. Increases memory function

Playing a musical instrument can improve brain activity and connection, which can have an influence on memory processes. When your brain has strong and diverse connections, it can more efficiently form and retain memories by labeling each memory with several tags.

A musician’s brain, for example, may tag a single memory with aural, visual, and emotional tags. They may then recover that memory via any or all of these channels, resulting in quicker and more efficient memory retrieval.

7. Improves listening skills

Playing a musical instrument necessitates exceptional listening abilities. Players must pay close attention to their instruments in order to stay in tune and generate a decent sound. Also for the rest of the band in order to keep on the beat and in unison with some other musicians. For example, if you are taking tabla lessons, the process of learning will necessitate simultaneous listening which will improve your listening skills. 

8. Improves your mathematical ability

Reading music requires counting notes and rhythms and can help your math skills. Also, learning music theory includes many mathematical aspects. Studies have shown that students who play instruments or study the arts are often better at math and achieve higher grades in school than students who don’t.

9. Playing an instrument makes you smarter

Einstein once said: “Life without playing music is inconceivable to me. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music… I get most joy in life out of music”. And as it turns out, Einstein was onto something: many studies show a correlation between musical training and academic success, in both children and adults. Learning to play an instrument like taking guitar lessons stimulates the brain, improving functions like memory and abstract reasoning skills, which are essential for math and science.

10. Your social life will improve

Playing an instrument isn’t only good for your brain, it’s also great for expanding your social circle. Joining a musical group at any age encourages you to develop relationships with new kinds of people. It also builds skills in leadership and team-building, as well as shows you the rewards of working with others.

Takeaway

If you are ready to start enjoying the mental and health benefits of playing an instrument, the first step is to pick which instrument you want to learn. Playing any instrument can improve brain functioning and overall well-being, but different instruments will offer slightly different benefits. You can now learn musical instrument classes in the comfort of your home. 

Begin your musical journey with us at Artium Academy. Join in to explore our free 1:1 trial class and then learn more to grow your passion. We’re here for you, with the right knowledge and encouragement to make it happen! Start your music journey today.