The Benefits of Studying Piano

There are many benefits of studying piano. One is hand-eye coordination. Another is improved spacial reasoning. Another is improved hearing acuteness. There are many studies evidencing the benefits. Here's one article from Pascack Press, Wednesday, September 8, 1999:

'Study after study confirms that young children who take piano lessons not only improve their coordination, they learn how to concentrate better too, improving reading scores, enhancing their memory skills and increasing their confidence levels.

Researchers at the University of California at Irvine are at the forefront of some of the lasts research on the merits of piano lessons for children. Their study, which took place over two years, found that 3 and 4-year-olds who were given weekly piano lessons for a year had improved their puzzle-solving skill by 34 percent over groups who were given singing lessons, computer lessons, or specific instruction at all.

Music is not just notes. It's patterns of notes and relationships between notes that you see as you play," says UCI neurologist Gordon Shaw. "And like in a chess game, you have to be able to see quite a bit ahead to play."

The theory is that exposure to music rewires neural circuits. Researchers in Germany, for example, have concluded that as a child grows, the brain develops parts of the sensory cortex dedicated to physical skills, like riding a bicycle or playing a musical instrument. These connections last a lifetime and are directly related to other skills we learn.'

In a documentary about the national crossword championship, the question was asked what occupational type is best at crosswords. The answer? Mathematicians and pianists!

I know of no problems with playing piano. Possibly a soar back if you play for three or four hours. I've never heard of anyone getting carpal-tunnel syndrome. Piano playing is a great way of strengthening the tendons in your forearm.

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