Written by Anna Jacqueline Henry

Piano was originally named as “gravicembalo col piano e forte”, which means “a harpsichord that can play soft and loud noises”. Bartolomeo Cristofori, an Italian instrument maker invented the piano in the 1700’s. It was developed to solve different problems with keyboard instruments like when it comes to sustaining dynamic variety and producing soft and loud notes.

Learning how to play the piano is really nice as it comes with a number of benefits that can help you in so many ways. If you are planning to get one, refer here to know the prices.  Pianos can be a bit costly, but learning how to play it and reaping its positive effects on your overall personality and health is definitely worth the cost.

Piano Benefits

There are a lot of studies showing that playing the piano can benefit a person physically and mentally. Below are 12 major reasons why piano has a great impact on pianists’ lives:

1. Playing Piano Can Relieve Stress

Sitting down to play a piano can help your mind refocus and even relieve stress or tension. Playing the piano requires full focus; leaving no room for other thoughts which makes it ideal for those people who are having trouble sleeping due to overthinking.

Aside from that, playing this instrument can be a great solution for people with high blood pressure and a good therapy for people dealing with anxiety. Pianists are seen to have lower risks of having depression too.

2. Your Emotion Can Be Expressed

Piano can be a perfect tool for people who have a problem expressing themselves. As you play the piano, you’ll be able to connect yourself to music. We have different emotional responses to different tunes. Most of the time, major scales in piano can mean a happy feeling while the minor ones tend to be delicate and lonely.

In addition to the scales, the intervals and dynamics can also affect the atmosphere. When you learn how to manipulate the notes, you can show what you feel through the art of music.

3. People Will Be Entertained

Piano will not only benefit you but other people as well. Most people love listening to music and this applies to all ages including children. Playing piano in a room can provide an elegant ambiance making it perfect for most celebrations.

Those people who greatly appreciate this musical instrument love being in piano concerts which are generally longer than the regular ones. In fact, the longest piano concert in Guinness World Record actually lasted for 103 hours and 8 seconds.

Because of the entertainment value that the piano brings, music fans don’t mind spending longer time to watch a pianist perform.

4. Helps Prevent Memory Loss

According to some research, old people who spend their lives playing the piano performed better during the assessment of brain function. Studies show that the longer a person has been engaged in music and piano, the lower the risk of having memory problems like dementia. Playing this instrument is seen to lessen the hormone called cortisol which causes decreased memory.

Even children who take piano lessons at a younger age are seen to have enhanced skills and better in their classes. They usually have sharper minds and improved response to speech. A piano can give a great impact in shaping your brain and improving its function especially if you undergo extensive training.

5. Piano Can Make You Discover More About Yourself

Piano can help you discover many things about yourself such as when it comes to your patience, bravery, creativity, and hard work. If you are not a productive person, playing the piano can teach you how to manage your time.

Some people who can play the piano even discovered that they can make a piano piece in just a small of time. Besides that, it can also teach you to be responsible and well-disciplined.

6. You Will Learn How To Focus

Playing the piano requires concentration. It’s not as simple as just pressing the keys, you need to coordinate your fingers, eyes, and mind. You have to focus on the rhythm, pitch, note duration, and tempo. When you start learning how to play the piano, you will also learn how every detail matters.

7. You’ll Appreciate Music Even More

As you strive hard to learn piano pieces, you’ll learn that it’s not easy to reach certain goals. You need to give full effort to acquire some things that you want in life.

Music is not something that you can take for granted because it can help you in several ways like in appreciating every culture. Piano can make a great impact in learning about the history because its styles vary in different cultures and time periods.

8. Learning to Play  Piano Isn’t Hard

Compared to other instruments, playing the piano is less difficult to learn. In fact, many children at their young age can play difficult piano pieces.

As a beginner, you can enroll in piano classes or watch piano tutorial videos online. You can also have piano lessons in your area.

9. Playing This Instrument Can Build Your Confidence

The process of learning how to play the piano includes building up self-confidence. Some studies show that children who have been taking piano lessons are seen to have higher self-esteem. It can even reduce stage fright and shyness by performing in front of different audiences.

10. Piano Can Make You Open-minded

In learning how to play the piano, you will not receive praises all the time. You need to get honest comments regarding your performance to know what you lack and where you failed at. Knowing your mistakes or getting feedbacks from a piano instructor teaches you to accept criticism in a positive way.

You’ll be able to learn how criticisms can help you improve and develop your skills. Constructive criticisms from a qualified piano teacher can give you lessons which you can apply to your daily life.

11. It’s Fun To Play the Piano

Getting out of your comfort zone, you will learn to socialize and take a step into learning something new through the use of a piano. Playing the piano can be more fun than you actually think because you can collaborate with others too.

Bands, orchestras, dance schools, and musical theaters are just some of the groups where you can join in. Great challenges await you as you have to make adjustments for others as well.

12. Knowledge About Piano Is Something You Could Cherish Forever

Once you master playing the piano, it will not be hard for you to learn other instruments like guitars and violins anymore. Knowledge about this instrument can be helpful in different aspects of your life and sooner will become part of it.

In fact, a 73-year-old musician is reported to be still able to read music and play the piano despite having amnesia. It is because knowing how to play a musical instrument (a piano for that matter) is not just a knowledge. It is something that a pianist does – a way of living.