Playing an Instrument: Better for Your Brain than Just Listening

[M-Dent]

Playing an Instrument: Better for Your Brain than Just Listening

While research has long suggested listening to an orchestra’s performance of such well-known pieces as Beethoven’s 5th Symphony and Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro may boost the audience’s brain power – a hypothesis aptly named The Mozart Effect—Penn Medicine experts suggest those playing in the orchestra may derive the most benefits of all.​

Playing an instrument may be one of the best ways to help keep the brain healthy. “It engages every major part of the central nervous system,” said John Dani, PhD, chair of Neuroscience at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, tapping into both the right and left sides of the brain.

For example, playing the violin – which, like many instruments, requires the right hand to do something different than the left-- uses the peripheral nervous system, which controls movement of your fingers, as well as gross and fine motor skills. The brain’s executive function – which plans and makes decisions – comes into play as a musician plays one part but keeps focus on what’s coming next. Couple that with the total sensory (name removed by moderator)ut – visual, auditory, emotional and all at the same time – and it becomes a total “workout” for the brain. “Recent studies suggest that music may be a uniquely good form of exercising your brain,” he said. “Fun can also be good for you.

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And the best news: While learning to play an instrument as a child provides life-long benefits to the brain, taking music lessons in your 60s – or older – can boost your brain’s health as well, helping to decrease loss of memory and cognitive function. Results from a study of people who started to play piano between the ages of 60 and 85 noted that “after six months, those who had received piano lessons showed more robust gains in memory, verbal fluency, the speed at which they processed information, planning ability, and other cognitive functions, as compared with those who had not received lessons.” So it’s never too late.

pennmedicine.org/news/news-blog/2017/january/playing-an-instrument-better-for-your-brain-than-just-listening

I’d say playing a musical instrument can be quite therapeutic; though if you are going to play a loud instrument {as in drums or amplified guitars} please learn to be proficient first… then get ear plugs.

 

[tomarin]

I wonder if playing classical as opposed to pop is better for your brain, as it tends to be less repetitive and more information-rich? Also you have to read musical scores and translate that into playing the correct notes with the correct time value.

 

[M-Dent]

I wonder if playing classical as opposed to pop is better for your brain, as it tends to be less repetitive and more information-rich? Also you have to read musical scores and translate that into playing the correct notes with the correct time value.

I recall talk of the Mozart Effect but I believe any melodic music can be beneficial, to some degree.

In my observation, Classical music makes me more focused and can have a spiritual benefit. Simple pop songs, more geared towards relaxing.

I love to write simple music. This is an example of something I wrote that relaxed me, and one I wrote that gets me exhilarated [while playing guitar](http://www.qozzy.com/ipusers/dent/cath/ J-II.mp3) (I am no virtuoso but recorded all instruments).

 

[Viki63]

I love to write simple music. This is an example of something I wrote that relaxed me, and one I wrote that gets me exhilarated [while playing guitar](http://www.qozzy.com/ipusers/dent/cath/ J-II.mp3) (I am no virtuoso but recorded all instruments).

Thank you for sharing.They are both good but I really like the relaxing one.

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[M-Dent]

Thank you for sharing.They are both good but I really like the relaxing one.

Thank you.

My wife tends to enjoy my melodic or folk style music. Especially the lyrical based ones. But I prefer instrumental music the majority of the time; anything from playing a piano ballad to heavy guitar orientated rock.

 

[oldgraymare2]

Wow!!

You’re really talented!

I like both of them, too.

I especially like the first one. It’s nice and mellow.

 

[M-Dent]

Wow!!

You’re really talented!

I like both of them, too.

I especially like the first one. It’s nice and mellow.

Thanks. I keep praying to God to allow me more skill to perform the music I hear in my imagination.

Simple musicianship (instrumental, vocal or compositional) is a gift God gives so many of us, we just need the time, encouragement and a few resources. I’ve had the time and encouragement my entire life, now have resources with more musical instruments than I probably deserve.

 

[M-Dent]

This is a sample of a tune I wrote just prior to last Lenten season. I admittedly hate eating fish. But for Fridays during Lent that’s exactly what we eat. My wife reminded me it was coming up on lent and I went into the man cave (makeshift music studio) and wrote this silly music that represents my experience of swallowing haddock. Heh

This is a song that is more than a bit sentimental to me, a song I wrote for my daughters wedding…it was the song for the Daughter and Dads dance.

If people always wanted to play an instrument - it’s never too late to begin!

 

[AbideWithMe]

This is a sample of a tune I wrote just prior to last Lenten season. I admittedly hate eating fish. But for Fridays during Lent that’s exactly what we eat. My wife reminded me it was coming up on lent and I went into the man cave (makeshift music studio) and wrote this silly music that represents my experience of swallowing haddock. Heh

This is a song that is more than a bit sentimental to me, a song I wrote for my daughters wedding…it was the song for the Daughter and Dads dance.

If people always wanted to play an instrument - it’s never too late to begin!

Wow, what a wonderful expression of love to give your daughter. That’s awesome!

 

[Viki63]

This is a song that is more than a bit sentimental to me, a song I wrote for my daughters wedding…it was the song for the Daughter and Dads dance.

This is really lovely, and she is too! Aubrey means “rules with elf-wisdom” – I’m sure you know that.

.

 

[M-Dent]

This is really lovely, and she is too! Aubrey means “rules with elf-wisdom” – I’m sure you know that.

.

Thank you.

Her name was inspired by two things; a melody of a simple but beautiful song by Bread called Aubrey. A song I often played on guitar before my wife and I were blessed with children. Her full name is Aubrey Anne. Anne (Favour or grace.)

So my inspiration of her full name was a beautiful melody from the grace of God. My wife agreed completely.

 

[adamhovey1988]

I’d say playing a musical instrument can be quite therapeutic; though if you are going to play a loud instrument {as in drums or amplified guitars} please learn to be proficient first… then get ear plugs.

You’ll just have to learn to deal with my 12 minute guitar solos.

 

[M-Dent]

You’ll just have to learn to deal with my 12 minute guitar solos.

I love guitar solos! Post a link to a solo. Or I’ll send you tracks I recorded to jam over. I’d love others to post any material they have performed or have written. I know there must be a lot of musicians on this forum.

Here’s a guitar solo song I wrote it after Gary Moore died. He was one of my favorite rock guitarists.

 

[adamhovey1988]

I love guitar solos! Post a link to a solo. Or I’ll send you tracks I recorded to jam over. I’d love others to post any material they have performed or have written. I know there must be a lot of musicians on this forum.

Here’s a guitar solo song I wrote it after Gary Moore died. He was one of my favorite rock guitarists.

I can’t do it right now. I’ll check yours out when I have better internet access. (I live in a rural area)