The piano is a great hobby and is easily one of the most well known and played musical instruments in the world. Simply google "Most played musical instruments in the world" and you can easily see piano at the top of the list. So what exactly makes the piano such a great hobby?
1. Satisfaction
Have you ever felt the adrenaline rush after learning an extremely piano piece? The satisfaction you felt through the adrenaline rush is almost like a drug, captivating and motivating you to continue your search for that musical gratification. This is especially so for beginners. The pride they felt, the contentment they got whenever they learnt a difficult-to-master piece. It is exactly this type of feeling that will motivate every pianists to continue striving to search for that fulfillment in their musical endeavor, making the piano a great hobby for all!
2. Mental Strength
To add on to the previous point, the process of pursuing the satisfaction of improving your piano skills hones the perseverance and discipline of an individual. Many a times, playing the piano helps to train the mental strength of an individual, improving his or her ability to persevere when dealing with difficult or heavy tasks be it in school or work. It also helps an individual to have the mental capacity and discipline to follow through and complete his or her tasks no matter how hard it gets.
3. Stress Relief
Psychiatrists often use music as a form of therapy for their patients. This tells us a great deal about how music has healing properties that allows an individual to calm his or her mind. In fact, there is even a research conducted which proved that playing the piano reduces stress more than other forms of artistic activities. Hence, if you are someone who has to deal with high amount of stress, the piano is the perfect hobby to cultivate!
4. Cognitive Development
Yes! Piano improves an individual's cognitive ability. Playing the piano is a complex process that involves factors such as motor skills. Research have shown that playing the piano benefits the pianist tremendously in long run. If an individual played the piano since young, chances are they will be able to pick up mathematics and science related subjects significantly faster than those who did not. This is because playing the piano stimulates the brain in a way that most other activities cannot, connecting the neurological pathways that can later on be utilised by an individual to process mathematics and science related content. Also, if an individual maintains the habit of playing the piano throughout their life, memory losses and cognitive decline can even be prevented or postponed!
5. Concentration
When playing the piano, there are a lot of factors that a pianist has to consider to play a perfect piano piece. Being able to concentrate on many things such as tempo, pitch or rhythm helps to improve an individual's ability to concentrate on his or her tasks on hand. This is extremely important to anyone as concentration is an important factor that ultimately affects the efficiency of an individual, which is an important skill set one needs in the work force.
Now that you understand why the piano is a great hobby, it is never too late to start learning the piano! Stay healthy, smart, and happy! Learn the piano today!
Wen Feng is a passionate music aficionado. He is constantly on the search for new music to listen to, with a particular interest in classical music. Piano pieces have always been a great companion and kept him calm throughout his school and work life.