How does your memory benefit from playing an instrument?  What benefits do you think you derive as you continue honing and developing finger and brain skills?  The human brain receives, actually, an excellent workout when playing an instrument.  We have normally a high regard for accomplished musicians and consider them to have a high intellect because they have been labeled “musically-skilled individuals.”

Most of these performers are known to have natural talent and can detect different pitches and notes.  They have the special ability to memorize the music by simply listening and then playing its notes.  This is a myth because, chances are, they have studied music for many years.  Therefore, playing an instrument employs your learned and practiced skills through the application of detecting, memorizing, and applying the notes, pitches and rhythm you hear. Your brain is constantly working and benefiting as you play any instrument.

Your mind is also busy doing the computations as you tickle those ivories or strings.  Why computations, you might be wondering?  It is because playing music takes mathematical skills in theory.  All music is written in mathematical terms so your brain must process the mathematical signals of the notes and rhythm of the written music as you play a specific piece of music.

The left part of the human brain is said to be the processor of the mathematical elements. From the notes that you are working on when you are pressing those ivories or strings with your fingers, you are also trying to solve a mathematical problem.

Therefore, in the same manner that your body needs nutritious foods and physical workouts to be in excellent condition, you also need the intellectual workouts for your brain.  Playing a musical instrument is just one of the ways to exercise your brain.

Another benefit of playing a musical instrument is that you develop motor coordination.  Hand and eye coordination tend to develop to ultimate levels and the brain develops the signals to allow the coordination.  The brain signals include which keys or strings to play and allows your ears to determine if the chord sounded by the hands is pleasurable to hear.  The brain sends signals to all of your fingers in this process.

Playing music can lessen, or eliminate, the stress you may have as a result of just living. As you attempt to play and hear the music, you have entered into another dimension whose world is nothing but peaceful and serene. You won’t care about anything around you except focusing and allowing consummation of the sounds you are creating.  Playing an instrument has a calming effect for both, the listening audience and performer. The performer also develops self discipline which will affect other areas of their life.

1) Ease of Learning: Right now, learning to play the piano is incredibly easy! With the advancements in communication and the easy availability of multi-media, there really are no obstacles in your way. Consider professional teachers, online tutorials or you can even learn now by watching a DVD!

2) Cost: The cost of learning to play has also gone down considerably over recent years. For the cost of a good meal in a restaurant, you can buy a really good standard instruction DVD or a tutorial book. Personally, I prefer the DVD route, as you can learn to play at your own leisure; you can pause to make a cup of tea whenever you want, and you can learn at your own pace. Think of the DVD as your own private teacher at your beckon call 24 hours a day! Also, you’ll find that the vast majority of the good standard course books are accompanied with their own audio cd, which is always a help.

3) Use As Gift: It’s a wonderful gift to give someone. It’s a real treat to be able to share music with those around you, loved ones such as grandchildren, children or that very special someone.

4) The music: Got a favorite song? Play the piano and you can hear it any time you want! How many times have you listened to a song you particularly liked and then thought to yourself, I wish I could play that? What, exactly is it that is stopping you from doing so? A quick visit to your local library will present you with sheet music for all levels of expertise. You can even go online and print off sheet music; some websites even let you listen to the music online as you play. This way you can get a real feel for the song.

5) Bonding: There’s really nothing better for that bonding experience. For hundreds of years the music of the piano has brought people together; imagine if you could initiate a sing along with your family! Believe me when I say, it really is a special experience for all the family. To take it a level further, get them to join in! There is a great deal of music that can be played by two people (called a duet) at once.

6) Music Basics: It’s very much like riding a bike – when you know the basics, you
are off and riding! Piano playing can only get better with practice and longevity (unlike riding a bike, which can be a bit challenging as you get older). The more frequent you play, the more you will learn.

7) Depth of Sound: It’s like having your own mini-orchestra! The piano is a wonderfully versatile instrument. You can play simultaneous notes (treble and bass, usually right hand and left hand) on it without too much difficulty. Most other instruments are restricted to a single sound which is why it stands out from other instruments.

Learn Music Language: You will find yourself understanding how music is put together, and this, in itself, will give you a much better idea of what exactly the composer was trying to get across. When you play an instrument such as the piano, you will find you have a much better understanding of the music you hear every day. You may even surprise yourself by thinking up better ways to play, or even to improve it!

9) Body Fatigue: The piano does not require the physical exertions of, for example, the accordian or the bass violin! Physically, playing the piano is much easier than some other instruments and other activity– it doesn’t take such a toll on the body. Some people continue playing to a very late age.

10) The Tradition: Since it first appeared on the musical scene over 250 years ago, the piano has influenced just about every genre and style of music, and has even prompted the rise of many new styles. Any musical concert you go to, of practically any genre, has a keyboard somewhere on the stage.

Learning the piano is a wonderfully gratifying experience, and when you learn properly you won’t regret it. The above list is only a very few of the countless reasons why you should learn to play the piano. There are many more; I’m sure that you could even think of a few more yourself! It really is one of the best things you could ever do for yourself.

The alternative is to learn to play via online piano lessons or by DVDs designed to teach piano.  For example, one of the most popular DVD presented piano courses available can be found at http://piano-lessons-reviews.info.  This course includes 14 DVD’s of interesting course material.  There are lots of other courses on the internet that are fantastic teachers and are surprisingly inexpensive. They have many advantages over a traditional human tutor. These include,  learning at your own speed, lower cost, allowing you to play with background music and much less travel time. Think about not having to play the same tune over and over again with a tutor.  Instead, it’s much more flexible to learn by yourself with the help of a computer or by DVD .  The computer will not shout at you or make you feel stupid.  It certainly is a brilliant method of learning.  The lessons usually include videos, sound bytes, forums, ebooks. They are also enhanced by a huge variety of piano music and music styles, including modern music and classical.

Another major advantage with online piano lessons is that they are extremely flexible and can adapt to your learning speed.  You can take a lesson when you have the time available; you are not stuck to a fixed time every week.  If you are at home for a period of time, you can use the extra time to concentrate on additional lessons!  If you are very busy during the day, you can squeeze in a lesson later in the evening.

If you are thinking about learning to play the piano and are unsure of the best approach then click on the link above to navigate to one of the very best online piano lesson review sites.