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A small study in Bath found that playing the piano once a week for 11 weeks enhanced how volunteers processed sound and sight. Researchers revealed that the complex learning involved in playing an instrument – learning movements, reading music and listening out for mistakes – is like a training session for your senses!

Boost your mood and lower your inflammation

It might not surprise that the right tune can boost your mood. But did you know that playing an instrument can lower inflammation in your body – which in turn can lead to a whole host of physical and mental benefits?

In a recent study, people who were already using mental health services were assigned to either a group drumming session or to a control group. At the end of the study, the drum players had reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety – and they also had reduced inflammatory markers, like Interleukin 4. These benefits were sustained for up to three months after the drumming sessions finished. Chronic inflammation is considered to be linked to mental health disorders – and a drop in inflammatory markers can be really valuable.

Making music makes your brain stronger

A US study on older adults looked into the effects of music activity on brain function. People were put into different groups: one group learned to play the piano, another learned percussion, while a control group listened to music passively. All groups practised for 30 minutes a day over a four-month period. In the groups where people learned to play either the piano or percussion, there were improvements in working memory!

And that’s not all – the piano playing group had additional benefits. Participants saw improvements in their fine motor skills which are particularly useful in hand-eye coordination! Compared to the group passively listening to music, actively engaging in music activities showed huge brain benefits.

Dr Sofia Senfield from the Open University in Catalonia has also been looking into how short term musical training can help the brain. In her study, learning and practising the piano was compared to other leisure activities, like painting, in adults aged over 60. The results were impressive with both groups seeing improvements in cognitive function. The musical training group however, produced significantly higher improvements in executive functions, divided attention and inhibitory control.

“The type of cognitive abilities that music enhances are cognitive functions that we also use in our everyday life activities,” says Dr Senfield. “We also found that it improves the mood of the participants and their emotional state.”

How does it work?

“When we are playing a musical instrument, there's a vast amount of evidence showing that this simultaneously activates different brain areas related to our auditory processing, visual processing, and it also implicates a lot of motor coordination,” explains Dr Senfield.

“Apart from that, it also impacts brain regions that are related to emotions. Music has the ability to really put into play all these brain regions in a very powerful way.”

In the Just One Thing podcast, true beginner Matthew is challenged to play the ukulele for as little as 20 minutes a day. With the help of online tutorials, Matthew was able to go from not picking up an instrument at all (since school days) to having a really good go.

So why not give learning an instrument a try? No matter what you try to learn, from the ukulele to the grand piano, musical training could help you master a new skill, and transform your senses, your mood and your brain!