Why You Should Learn to Play a New Instrument

Learning to play a new musical instrument can be the most fulfilling and joyful experience of your life. On the surface, the motive might just be to impress and receive acclaim from friends and family members.

But playing a musical instrument for personal or professional reasonsallows you to learn an extraordinary skill. Whether you want to learn to play piano or guitar, playing a musical instrument comes with manyproven scientific benefits.

If you’re not sure about learning a new instrument, here are the key reasons that can change your mind: 

• Become an Active Listener 

As a listener, you’re just listening to a tune’s outer layer. But when you learn to play, say, the piano, you start to see all the details that make up the tune. As a result, you become a more avid and active listener.

In fact, musicians hail this gift as a heightened sense of sound that allows you to hear the minor variations in keys and notes. It will also help you form the pattern of a tune and increase your overall listening skills.

• Become Smarter

When you learn something systematically, it improves your ability to make quick decisions. In life, you will face many complicated situations, and the same systematic approach will help you get out of a jam. Once you dive into the learning process, you will notice a more positive and optimistic approach towards your friends and family.

• Exercise More Perseverance

Through music, you can push the limits of your patience. When you learn to play a musical instrument, it requires a lot of patience and practice. For instance, if you want to learn to play the piano, you would first have to get used to the order of the key structure and formation.

This learning process may take time, but it will help you learn the music theory, scales, and chords on the piano. Through consistent practice, you become more self-resilient and control your emotions. 

• Reduce Your Stress

There is more chaos and disorder in the world than anyone would’ve expected a few years ago. But you have to learn not tolet the current financial and environmental disarray ruin your personal life. And learning to play a musical instrument is the best way to mitigate added stress.

From ukulele to piano to guitar, the unique rhythm of a musical instrument relaxes the nerve of your body. After that, the waves of musical notes flow in your system and reach the heart and brain. Gradually, you learn to calm your stressed muscles and bring down the stress levels.

Not everyone has to play athletic games or go to the gym to relax. Often, you just need to play your favorite musical instrument and experience the instant changes.

• Follow on the Path of Successful People

What is the shared interest between Charles Dickens, Bill Gates, and Albert Einstein? Music – It can spark ideas that ordinarily wouldbe suppressed for life. Since the ancient human civilization, there is evidence of music as a source of inspiration. You can use music to increase your level of enthusiasm and make better choices in life.

• Get More Accoladeand Praise

If you choose to learn to play the piano, you won’t have to be part of a group or band. When you realize the collective information through individual effort, you can expect more praise and accolade from the people close to you. The same praise and admiration will help you push the boundaries and compose a more majestic piece of music.

Music has the power to touch people’s heart, and when your music does the trick, you can count on continuous support, admiration, and praise. You have to think of social recognition as a vehicle to move forward and evolve as a musician.

• Increase Your Confidence

With more practices on a musical instrument comes more confidence. You can use this increased confidence to attract the audience in social gatherings. In time, you will notice a significant improvement in how you communicate with people.

Yes, more practice gives birth to more confidence. And when you learn to play a musical instrument like a free bird ready to fly over the clouds, you will experience an even higher degree of confidence.

• Improve Your Motor Functions and Memory

Consistent concentration makes your memory muscles more robust. When you understand the coordination of your hands and maintain flawless scale, your ability to retain information increases. At its core, you will have to use your memory power on a consistent basis. As a result, you will notice exact details before and after playing a piece of music on the instrument.

• Get Familiar with a New Culture

By learning a musical instrument, you can learn and understand the essence of a culture without reading a history book. You can practice different styles and variations of music from all over the world for a more comprehensive understanding of diverse global cultures.

Besides, if you want to compose an authentic piece of music, you will have to dig deeper into how a specific society and its cultural values and traditions infuse in the music style. But you will also get more familiar with your own cultural influence in classical and contemporary music.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to go through a strict process to learn a new musical instrument. Instead, adopt a flexible schedule and practice with more consistency. You can always lighten up and make the learning process more fun. For instance, you can practice your favorite songs or tunes. Similarly, you can play for your friends or family members to get support and love.

You might not be aware of it, but playing a new musical instrument can help you maintain mental and physical health. In fact, listening and playing music has been proven as a therapeutic measure to improve mental health and mitigate physical pain. You don’t have to be the next Mozart or Beethoven, but take up the challenge to learn or improve your music chops.