Many people mistakenly believe that if they don't take up an instrument as a child, it will be much too difficult to learn as an adult. Nothing could be further from the truth. It's never too late to learn to play an instrument and there have never been more options for learning. There are also more options than ever for accommodating different learning styles. If you're a hands-on learner, you can find a teacher or method that works for you. Learners that are autodidactic and prefer to oversee their own learning can find a method tailored to their style as well. If you're thinking of taking piano lessons for the first time, not only will you learn a new skill and discover hours of enjoyment, but it turns out that it's also good for you.
Hand-Eye Coordination
Studies have shown that playing the piano improves your hand-eye coordination, and it does it by remapping the way your brain sends signals. Your brain is actually changing the way it sends information so you can improve the speed of your fingers on the keys. This remapping benefits you in all of your other tasks that require good hand-eye coordination as well.
Prevents Cognitive Defects
According to one study, playing the piano can have a profound and lasting impact on the brain. The additional neural connections that your brain creates while learning the piano—the same type of remapping that improves your hand-eye coordination—also helps prevent cognitive defects later in life. That's true even if you don't start until later in life. Piano playing positively affects both the cognitive function and quality of life of adult players, according to this study.
Makes Your Brain Grow
Not only does the process of learning an instrument improve coordination and prevent defects, but this process of brain plasticity actually causes the growth of additional brain matter. Studies have demonstrated that the brains of adult professional musicians have larger corpus callosums—the nerve fibers that connect both parts of the brain—than non-musicians.
Decreases Mental Stress
One study demonstrated that musical performance on the piano helps players deal with mental stress more effectively. This happens through regular and repetitive practice and regular performance whereby the player develops mental scripts. Mental scripts are like shortcuts in your brain. Your brain develops a pattern to be able to accomplish the piece you are practicing more easily, and while developing that script, your level of mental activity slows and your stress decreases.
To learn more, contact a resource that offers home piano lessons.
