Learning a musical instrument can, at first, seem like a challenging and daunting task.

There’s just so much to get your head around, from familiarizing yourself with the actual instrument, to learning sheet music, to understanding musical notation. And then of course, the endless hours of practice needed to actually become half-decent at playing the thing.

However, it can also be an incredibly fun and rewarding experience, that comes with a multitude of different benefits and can serve as a thoroughly enjoyable hobby throughout your life. Here are 5 reasons why you should perhaps consider taking up a musical instrument:

 

1.  It improves cognitive ability

 Learning an instrument has been shown to increase memory capacity, concentration, and reasoning skills. The act of regularly practising a musical instrument has been proven to cause enhanced communication (carried out by neurons) between the left and right sides of the brain. This results in improved learning capabilities, memory, fine motor skills, and both verbal and non-verbal reasoning.

 

2.  It’s good for the body

Playing a musical instrument has been proven to have a calming effect on the mind and to lower heart rate and high blood pressure – it’s great thing to do to unwind after a long day at work or school. It also decreases cortisol levels (the hormone which causes stress) and helps to relieve anxiety and depression,

 

3.  It expands your social circle

Learning to play a musical instrument gives you so many opportunities to improve your social life, whether that’s playing in a beginner’s group, joining a band, participating in a concert, or playing in an orchestra, the possibilities to meet other, like-minded musicians are virtually endless. This builds skills such as leadership and team building and gives you a chance to meet new people.

 

4.  It gives you a sense of achievement

Playing a new instrument can seem fiendishly difficult when you first start but is also an equally rewarding activity. Successfully mastering that new piece of music you’ve just been learning gives an immeasurable feeling of pride and happiness – and makes the process of learning the instrument even more satisfying .

 

5.  It’s simply good fun

Finally, and most importantly, is that playing an instrument is a truly enjoyable activity. Unlike passive activities such as watching TV, or scrolling through social media, playing an instrument actively engages and stimulates the brain – leaving you feeling happier and more fulfilled in the long term. Learning an instrument as a hobby also helps you to maintain a work-life balance and gives you something interesting to pick up and play if you’re ever at a loose end.

 

There are just so many instruments out there: from the violin, trumpet, piano and cello to the drums, saxophone, organ or guitar - you're almost guaranteed to find something you like playing. With all these things in mind, why don't you give it a go?