Many of you may already play an instrument, whilst some of you may not. But what many people do not realise are the full benefits of playing an instrument. Some of you may believe that instruments are used in the concert hall or around a campfire, but there is much more to playing an instrument than meets the eye. Some of the more experienced musicians out there may already know something about this but the true benefits are not usually always known.
So, let's get the more obvious benefits out of the way. Most instruments improve fine motor skills, especially with instruments such as guitars, flutes or the piano are simply some examples of how beneficial instruments are to someone. Another more commonly known benefit is that it improves discipline and patience. This happens due to the brain being trained over time and time again to repeat motions and through the brain becoming less succumbed to your distractive or less useful thoughts.
Leading on from better discipline, instrument players are also able to improve their problem solving abilities, memory, attention and more. This is due to the right hemisphere of the brain being stimulated the most as this is what controls creativity and abstract thinking. Other parts of the brain are also engaged such as the cerebrum which controls fine motor skills and other movement. Other parts of the brain are also used to read and process the music.
Similar to other forms of relaxing the mind and calming the body or mental health exercises, playing an instrument can relax certain aspects of the conscious part of the brain. This is extremely beneficial especially because of the work and time required nowadays in our everyday lives. This is because music that is enjoyed can distract us from our everyday problems for a bit and learning and playing that song on an instrument just makes us feel that just a bit more at peace with ourselves. Whilst the process to learn an instrument may be difficult, you can only reap the fruits of your hard labour.
Not only do you learn more about artists and origins but through playing an instrument you can gain cultural appreciation which would lead to a widening of general knowledge and understanding the deep rooted significance of music and playing instruments in certain religious or cultural backgrounds.
Overall by simply just playing an instrument we as humans are able to enhance and empower ourselves to work harder, be more concentrated, improve our appreciation for tradition, be better overall and more.