5 Benefits of Playing a Musical Instrument
There are so many benefits of playing a musical instrument and tons of reasons why you should take up playing. Perhaps you are seriously considering it. You have a wide variety of choices, that’s for sure! If you’re stuck on a particular type of instrument, the most common instruments to take up (especially for beginners) are the guitar, piano, or a woodwind, such as a saxaphone.
In today’s world, you are setting yourself up for success if you are a well-rounded person. Music makes the world go round… that’s what they say, right? Well, for the most part it is true. Ask yourself this, how many days do you ever go without listening to music? Now think about how rewarding it would be to create your own music.
You can research and choose the best easiest instrument to learn for yourself and then go out and become really good at playing it. How good would that feel? The benefits are endless, and that’s exactly why we wanted to showcase them off to each and everyone of you!
Now, as many great things that come out of taking up a musical instrument, we wanted to highlight the top 5 benefits of playing a musical instrument.
Top 5 Reasons You Should Take Up a Musical Instrument
1.
Taking Up a Musical Instrument Builds Character
We took a long hard look at all of our reasons, and this just continued to be the number one reason that stood out the most. Building character, especially for young kids / children, is extremely hard to teach these days. It’s also one of those traits that comes with time, a sense of pride and most importantly, accomplishment.
When you take up a musical instrument, it’s going to be tough at first and may not come easy right away. There are two major components to learning how to play an instrument. First, you have to learn how to read music / musical notes. Second, you have to learn your instrument, where your hands go, perhaps where your mouth goes (depending on the type), and memorize where everything is on that particular instrument.
There’s no question that when you start something like this, you will have ups and downs. You will see progress, and then feel regression. However, when you stick with it, don’t quit and triumph your way into playing beautiful music – THAT BUILDS CHARACTER!
2.
Playing an Instrument Makes You More Creative
Playing, practicing and perfecting a beautiful piece of music allows your creative side to express itself freely. There are no composers out there that can truly express how a piece of music should or can be played. It’s always up to the musician (or player) to put their name on it, link their creative personality to it!
Have you ever wondered why world class musicians win and get recognized for awards? It’s because they are super creative with the way they play. Here’s a great example of Sol Gabetta with her super-emotional performance of Elgar’s Cello Concerto.
3.
Improve Your Health
Studies have found that playing any kind of music with an instrument can decrease the level of stress, anxiety and decreases your heart rate. According to Harvard’s publication on Music and Health, “music relaxes the mind and relieves stress for almost anyone.”
4.
It Helps Improve Your Memory
Think about how many musicians memorize their music. Even if they are reading a piece of music, they are anticipating what notes come next, and how they want to play those notes. Research has shown that learning to play a musical instrument can also enhance your verbal memory. In addition, playing an instrument forces you to use both sides of your brain. This can immensely help strengthen your memory power, which is very beneficial to everyone, but especially young kids.
5.
Playing Music is Fun and Enjoyable
We’ve written a lot about the scientific benefits playing an instrument can give us. However, let’s fundamentally break down the true reason why most musicians become really good. It is because they truly enjoy and have fun playing their musical instrument. Mastering a piece of music can be a great sense of achievement, almost like you won a competitive match. The fun is always in the winning.
Should You Learn to Take Up Playing a Musical Instrument?
After reading all of these benefits in learning to play music with an instrument, you may be curious to see if it’s worth pulling the trigger and going for it. If you have time before or after work and no other responsibilities, then you should seriously consider doing it. If music is a passion of yours, you should consider taking up playing. Finally, if you are willing to sacrifice and invest in time learning, it can be very rewarding and worth going after.
How Much Time Does it Take to Learn a New Musical Instrument?
The short answer is, it can take months or even years to master a musical instrument. However, if you want to just learn the basics, it all depends on how much time you are practicing and really trying to learn how to play. Some people are fast learners and it comes natural to them. Others, however, must invest more practice time to just get the basics down. The best answer we can give you is, if you are passionate about learning to play a musical instrument, then you will make it work.
How Do I Know Which Instrument is Right For Me?
You’ll know which instrument is right for you when you start studying and doing research on certain types of instruments. For example, if you are looking up woodwind instruments, you may come across the alto saxophone or the bass clarinet. Two totally different instruments, but one might get you really interested after learning about them.
For starters, you can take our really easy and simple “What Instrument Should I Play” FREE quiz. Answer these questions about your personality and music taste and you’ll likely find what instrument is right for you. Click the button below to take what our readers are calling, “a super fun and exciting quiz.”
Take The Free Quiz Today!
Find out which instrument is right for you by taking our FREE “What Instrument Should I Play” quiz!
Music really does make the world go round. It can bring happiness, joy, fun, excitement and the best out of your personality. In closing, if you really love creating, mastering and learning, then you should take up playing – you’ll be sure to see the benefits of playing a musical instrument!Good luck and please reach out or comment if you have any questions!