People have been playing music for at least 40,000 years. At that time, music played a central role in the development of human culture, positively affecting both individual musicians and those who listened to them play.
Though music has been around for thousands of years, it’s only within the last few decades that neuroscientists fully understand how music changes and positively impacts the brain.
Now, many neuroscientists describe playing music or learning an instrument as a full-body workout for the brain, and recent research shows that it could even raise musicians’ IQs.
Read on to learn about the current state of research into the neuroscience of music and why playing the piano is so beneficial. And how piano tuner San Francisco can help you to tune a piano.
How Playing The Piano Affects The Brain
Learning to play the piano improves function in three areas of the brain:
- The motor cortices
- The visual cortices
- The auditory cortices
It creates strong brain activity in these areas and bridges the gap between the brain’s two hemispheres, increasing activity in a player’s corpus callosum. Increasing the connections between different areas of the brain allows messages to cross through faster and via more diverse roots, improving musicians’ problem-solving abilities and increasing their creativity.
The best part is that you don’t have to become a master pianist to take advantage of these unique benefits.
Playing regularly for just five months at a beginner level at any age can induce positive changes in the brain’s structure, increasing IQ and making it easier to master skills used not just in front of the piano but throughout everyday life. When you play regularly you just need to tune a piano by piano tuner San Francisco,
The Proof Is In The Research
People have long suspected that playing music or learning an instrument can improve brain health and increase IQ. Recently, researchers worldwide have begun to critically examine this assertion, and they have largely found that it is true.
One nine-month Canadian study showed that the IQs of children who participated in piano and voice training rose by an average of three points throughout the study compared to their peers.
Schellenberg, the study’s primary author, believes a direct connection exists between the multidimensional nature of playing music and improvements in children’s understanding of mathematics, spatial intelligence, and other academic pursuits. He calls these collateral benefits of music education ‘transfer effects.”
A recent University of Zurich study provides insight into how music shapes the brain. Its researchers found that people who play music regularly have functionally and structurally different brains.
Learning an instrument can increase a musician’s IQ by seven points, regardless of age. Areas of the brain that exhibit structural differences in musicians vs. non-musicians include:
- Hearing and listening
- Motor skills
- Memory
- Emotion
- Attention
- Learning
The structural differences between the brains of musicians and non-musicians impact more than just the ability to produce beautiful, emotionally compelling music. For piano tuning you can take help of piano tuner San Francisco.
All skills developed by playing the piano, including increased IQ, can also improve daily cognitive, executive, and social function, improving ability across various tasks and fields.
Musicianship And Brain Plasticity
Playing the piano improves function in various areas of the brain and increases brain plasticity. Brain plasticity refers to the ability to create new neural circuits, effectively allowing the brain to rewire itself.
Though brain plasticity in children has received the bulk of researchers’ attention, scientists have recently focused on studying brain plasticity across all age demographics. They have found that adults also exhibit greater levels of brain plasticity while learning, practicing, or playing music. There is, however, a caveat: when people stop practicing, their brains return to a normal level of plasticity and overall function.
Increasing brain plasticity through learning to play the piano doesn’t just increase IQ. It can also positively impact working memory, planning, problem-solving, and other forms of executive function. Musicians of all ages also show:
- Enhanced reading ability.
- Improved sequencing of verbal information.
- Increased ability to detect pitch changes in spoken language.
- Improved ability to decode emotions in spoken prose.
The improved executive function increases the brain’s ability to process, store, and receive memories. Even older musicians at a higher risk of developing brain diseases like dementia show increased brain plasticity and improved memory than non-musicians.
Take Advantage Of The Cognitive Benefits Of Musicianship
The best way to take advantage of the proven cognitive benefits of musicianship is to purchase a piano for home use. Though some studies indicate that children and adults can benefit from as little as one hour of musical education per week, it’s easier to learn piano when the student can practice every day.
Taking care of pianos can be a challenge. They require consistent temperature and humidity levels and must be handled carefully whenever they are moved or stored. Whether professional concert pianists or avid students just learning a new instrument, musicians should always entrust piano moving and storage to piano tuner San Jose.
Once an aspiring pianist has found a way to put keys under their fingers, getting started is largely a matter of finding a qualified instructor and putting in plenty of practice time. Learning a new instrument can be deeply rewarding, but it can also be frustrating.
The good news is that there is not much of a correlation between musical ability and the positive impacts of playing music on the brain, so even people who may never find themselves playing in front of an audience can still benefit from spending time in front of the piano.
Make A Positive Change
There are plenty of compelling reasons to learn how to play an instrument. Learning to play the piano won’t just increase an aspiring musician’s IQ.
It can also improve mood, increase feelings of self-worth and confidence, and create opportunities for socializing. Getting started is as simple as purchasing a piano, finding a qualified instructor, and practicing as often as possible to begin building new connections in the brain. Contact piano tuner San Francisco.
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