Why Adult Piano Lessons are so Good for Your Brain Health

Are you considering starting piano lessons later in life? Maybe you’ve always wanted to master Beethoven’s "Moonlight Sonata". Or would you simply love to nail "Happy Birthday"? Maybe you had piano lessons as a child but now you fancy turning your hand to a bit of jazz. Or you’re in need of a mood boost and you’ve heard that playing an instrument can help with that.

All great reasons. But did you know that you will be giving your brain the best possible workout along the way? 

According to The Alzheimer’s Society, the number of people with dementia is rising, and one in three people born today will develop dementia in their lifetime. A sobering thought, isn’t it? 

But there’s very hopeful news for pianists… 

Astonishing results from a twin study revealed that ‘musicians playing an instrument in older adulthood had a 64% lower likelihood of developing dementia or cognitive impairment’. 

So what is it about playing the piano that has such a profound impact on the brain? 

With Dementia Action Week this month, it’s an opportunity to shine a spotlight on these hidden but exciting benefits. 

The link with thinking skills 

The piano is being identified as the instrument most associated with better thinking skills or "executive function" in adults over 40. 

This is emerging from the ongoing PROTECT study at the University of Exeter, which is aiming to understand how healthy brains age and why people develop dementia. 

Data from over a thousand participants shows that the pianists perform "significantly better" at tasks assessing the brain’s agility and resilience, compared with the non-musicians. 

The research is concluding that continuing to play the piano into later life - or returning to it - is a key way to proactively reduce the risk of cognitive decline. 

So what exactly is going on up there? 

When you play the piano, multiple neurological pathways are connected. Brain imaging has shown that when so many areas of the brain are engaged, you can actually change the structure of your brain - reshaping your brain for the better! 

• A faster messaging service - There’s a bridge that connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain, called the corpus callosum. When you play the piano, lots of activity happens here. Strengthening that bridge means that messages can travel through the brain faster, across multiple routes. This improves a whole range of cognitive abilities (thinking skills), from language memory to spatial awareness.

• Creative influence -  Whenever an activity uses both the right and left sides of the brain, your natural creativity is given a boost. You might even start composing as your next project…

• Problem solving - The cortex, or frontal lobe, is responsible for finding solutions, decision making and thinking creatively. Practising scales will activate this area. Good to remember if you struggle with motivation! 

• Fine motor skills - The cerebellum is located at the back of the head and is responsible for coordinating muscle movements. It also affects your sense of timing. When it’s stimulated, it allows you to do fine movements and improves dexterity. So with your strengthened mind-muscle connection, there’ll be knock-on benefits for your everyday activities, such as driving and cooking. 

• Energy boost - People who take up the piano in their adult years have been found to have increased levels of human growth hormone, which is produced in the pituitary gland. This makes sure those energy levels are kept topped up. 

• New brain cells - Playing piano can actually stimulate neurogenesis, or the production of new brain cells. This has exciting potential therapeutic benefits for certain existing neurological conditions such as Parkinsons and Altzheimer’s. 

Become a multitasker 

Pianists develop expertise at splitting their attention in multiple ways:

• Ten fingers working independently 

• Reading and decoding sheet music 

• Pushing foot pedals 

• Double-checking the sound 

• Creative interpretation of the music 

Scientific evidence shows that doing all these things at the same time activates different areas of the brain. These areas relate to auditory, visual and spatial processing and motor coordination. 

This multi-sensory brain activity improves your multitasking skills in everyday activities. Other brain exercises like reading, writing, or doing crossword puzzles just can’t compete! 

A stronger working memory 

Volunteer adults took part in six months of piano lessons for a study in 2022. In these adults, the fornix – a region in the brain associated with memory – degenerated at a slower rate, compared to a group who didn’t play piano. 

So it seems that concentrated, regular music practice could help to counteract natural age-related memory decline. 

And there’s more good news for the memory. For the volunteers who took up the piano for that set period, those benefits lasted well beyond the trial. 

As you play, you’re training your brain to store lots of bits of information in your working memory at the same time. This is crucial for planning and problem solving. 

But on top of that, pianists have an enhanced memory function - creating, storing and retrieving memories more quickly and efficiently. Just like a well-organised filing system! 

Sharpening the concentration 

Your ability to focus and pay attention to detail will improve. It doesn’t matter whether you practise for long or short periods - it’s practising on a regular basis that counts. 

Piano lessons for every stage of life 

Our brains continue to adapt and rewire themselves in response to new experiences throughout our lifetimes. This ability is called "neuroplasticity". 

So when it comes to challenging and strengthening those neural pathways, it’s never too late!

Whether you’re ready to take the plunge with adult piano lessons, or just wondering about dipping a toe in, feel free to get in touch to discuss your next steps. 

lessonwithsusanna@outlook.com

Image credit: Abstract Art Stock photos by Vecteezy