The benefits of learning the piano as an adult
The start of a new year is a common time for people to consider learning something new and embrace new fun hobbies. While learning an instrument is a common resolution to have, it’s still too often renowned as something that can only effectively be achieved by people of a certain, younger age. So if you find yourself thinking that you might be too old to actually learn to play the piano, or that you’ll never make great progress on an instrument due to your age, have a look at this great list of benefits that point out how everyone - young and old - can get something positive out of this pastime!
Healthier Body and Mind
Many studies, like this one from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, show that learning a musical instrument helps relieve depression and anxiety, while also improving dexterity. In fact, playing the keyboard is something that has been shown to help both stroke survivors and adults with osteoarthritis, as these movements reduce pain and strengthen their fingers.
This just goes to prove that even older adults who may be limited in movement can benefit from playing the piano. It’s also a great way to keep the brain active as learning an instrument increases neural connections, consequently improving brain function. Basically, the more you learn, the happier your brain will be!
Bringing people together
Regardless of what age you might be, anyone can benefit from connecting with other people through a mutual passion for music. If anything, it can greatly help those older adults who might find it harder to meet new people and to find company at a time in their lives when they’ve retired and family commitments have decreased.
Plus, discussing music with others and playing with different musicians is going to not only nurture new relationships, it will also boost your motivation to progress on your piano learning journey. Setting yourself a goal to learn a new piece so that you can play it with others can be hugely encouraging.
Unleashing creativity
It’s often believed that a creative person is one who’s had a talent ever since they were a child, and that creativity is something that can’t be developed. But the great thing about playing an instrument, especially one like the piano, is that it allows anyone, from any walk of life, to unlock their creative self. Because, in reality, we all have a creative bone in us, we just need to find the best way to unleash our creative side!
Learning to play gives you a clear path in how you can unleash it, and opens up plenty of opportunities for you to be creative. Something that, as we know, might often be forgotten about as adults, busy with jobs and other commitments.
Great for routine
Even as adults, we can all be guilty of struggling to keep up with a routine. We might have great ambitions but as the day goes by, and our to-do list grows, we can easily end up forgetting about our priorities. Since learning the piano requires you to stick to a practice routine, it’s also likely to positively influence your approach to life, and encourage you to get more organised.
As there’s no better motivator than noticing how much progress you can make on the piano if you follow through on your routine! Or notice how much worse your playing will get if you keep forgetting to practice. Plus, it can make the tough days go by easier when you get to do something that you love, like playing the piano, every single day.
We hope that this blog has inspired you to get started with learning the piano and has cleared out any doubts about whether or not you can learn an instrument even if you’re starting later in life. Everyone can do it, at any age, the key is to practice and have fun!
