The Benefits of Playing Piano

Musical lessons have long been understood to have long-lasting benefits on the human mind. The most potent changes come when a student is exposed to piano training at an early age, but even mature students have much to gain. Music, more than other forms of art, engage the mind with physical, mental and audial stimuli. And piano, as it enlists both hands independently, is arguably the most effective at this engagement

Preschool Children

(less than 5 years old)

Better Vocabulary

Children who have been exposed to music education have increased verbal intelligence. Students who had received regular music lessons during these early years have been proven to have increased understanding of vocabulary and a stronger ability to explain the meaning of those words.

Music Training Enhances Children's Verbal Intelligence (Pacific Standard)

Better Hearing Throughout Life

Even if a student doesn't continue their musical training into adulthood, taking lessons have been shown to have a lasting effect on their brain's anatomy, even putting off age-related declines in hearing as the student grows older

Want to 'train your brain'? Forget apps, learn a musical instrument (The Guardian)

Younger Students

(5 - 18 years old)

Higher IQ

Playing an instrument such as piano has been shown to improve IQ. Students with just 9 months of musical training were shown to have an increase of 3 IQ points among peers who did not undertake the lessons

Sorry Kids, Piano Lessons Make You Smarter (Forbes)

More Multilingual

Students with musical training are much more adept and learning the pronunciation and grammar of a second or third language

Are Musicians Better Language Learners? (The Guardian)

Adults

(over 18 years old)

Better Cognitive Skills

Cognitive benefits stay with you throughout life if you've played piano for at least 10 years Studies have shown that people who took lessons at some point in their life, have better cognitive function, with better performance for object-naming, visuospatial memory and rapid mental processing.

Playing for Time: Can Music Stave off Dimentia? (CNN)

Stress Relief

Playing instruments such as the piano and learning progression is a great way to destress

Benefits of Music Education (ThoughtCo.)

Stave Off Dimentia

Playing piano helps to fight off dimentia in advanced ages Any activity that engages your brain can preserve brain functions in older age, but very few offer physical, mental and social stimulation like playing music does. Additionally, playing piano is something that is easy to continue doing during more advanced ages, unlike physical exercise.

Playing for Time: Can Music Stave off Dimentia? (CNN)