The brain activity of jazz pianists differs from those of classical pianists, even when playing the same piece of music. A musician's brain is different to that of a non-musician. Making music requires a complex interplay of various abilities which are also reflected in more strongly developed brain structures.
Real pianists are marked by brains that efficiently conserve energy by allocating resources more effectively than anyone else. Dr. Timo Krings scanned pianists' brains as they soloed and found that they pump less blood than average people in the brain region associated with fine motor skills.
Scientific studies and research show that playing musical instruments, like the piano, can even have a positive impact on your IQ. Studies that have been done throughout the years show that after about a year of weekly piano lessons and practicing, on average, children's IQ went up about 4.3 points.
Generally, piano players are quiet, intelligent, inquisitive and analytical.
Benefits of Playing the Piano: Neuroplasticity
Playing the piano changes the brain in a positive way! Studies show that music stimulates the brain in a way no other activity does. While playing a piece on the piano, you are adding new neural connections, which primes your brain for other forms of communication.
Comparing a group of highly trained pianists with a group of nonmusicians who were similar in terms of age, income, and education, she found the musicians were better at recalling both words and visual designs.
✔ Unlike many other instruments, the piano is bulky and cannot be easily transported. Piano is a bulky instrument. It is not easy to carry and it takes up a lot of space. If you want to learn to play the piano, you need to have a lot of patience and be willing to put in the time and effort required.
Good (and especially great) piano players have full control over their playing, and everything is intentional. If they play a note loudly it's because that note was MEANT to be played that way. I often say that practicing dynamics is the faster way to go from a good piano player to a great one.
Are pianists smart? Because making music involves crafting and understanding a songs emotional content and message, musicians often have higher levels of executive function. A category of interlinked tasks that includes planning, strategizing and attention to detail.
What struck me about the study was its finding that the average IQ was around 115 -- a full standard deviation above the population mean. Based on this study, I would say that most musicians are of above average intelligence. Among famous pianists, there are many who strike me as geniuses.
Playing the piano improves your mathematical ability. Notes and rhythms, as well as music theory, are based on math. Reading music and counting rhythms require math skills. Studies have shown that students who play an instrument usually perform better in math tests than students who don't.
Some people are naturally faster, stronger or smarter than others, and these people naturally navigate to athletics or academics. Similarly, for the very reason you cite nobody is born with the ability to play the piano, but people are born with varying degrees of musical sensitivity and proclivity.
Pianists use their muscle memory to remember all the notes while playing. When a pianist plays a piece their muscle memory helps them to play the notes without necessarily having to remember every single note.
Young pianists are often very quick and rely a lot on their muscle memory – like the kind we all use typing. This is dangerous, however; if you're nervous or tired or distracted on stage, it's the first thing to go.
This is why experienced pianists who have practiced a lot have their muscle memory already developed, and thus they can perform without thinking. Muscle memory doesn't actually record or retain a memory in your muscle, but rather, in the nerves and neural pathways associated with that muscle.
Playing the piano teaches you perseverance
As you look forward to being able to play the song, you stay motivated, learn patience, and increase your perseverance. These skills will always help you when you are confronted with difficult tasks at school, university, or work.
The 10,000 hour rule is a rule of thumb used to show that about 10,000 hours of practice helps you master a skill. While this is true for a lot of things, and it is true for the piano most of the time, it's not a hard and fast rule that should be used universally.
The best piano players pay close attention to every piece they play, every movement of their fingers and hands. Having the ability to notice every detail of your performance, from pitch to placement, will help make you a skilled pianist in time.
When playing the piano, the pinky finger, the wrist, and the elbow should line up in a mostly straight line. Sometimes, especially when playing with both thumbs on Middle C, kids will rotate their hands so their wrists are bent. Try instead to keep the wrists straighter and let the hands turn in toward each other.
Some people start to wonder if pianists can type faster. Amazingly, studies show that pianists type more quickly and accurately than non-pianists. According to a recent research from the Max Planck Institute of Informatics, piano players can 'play words' as fast as expert typists can type them.
Hand coordination/independence. One of the most challenging aspects of playing the piano is developing hand independence. In the beginning, much of what you'll play will be in unison. That means if you play scales, the right and left hands play the same notes at the same time.
A few telltale signs that you might be playing too much, or that your body needs time to recover before diving into an hour long practice are: Sore, cracked hands, if your fingertips are too sore or painful to play effectively, if your fingers feel achy or sore a day or two after your last practice.
Calm the mind
Studies show that time spent at the keyboard improves mental health: people who make music experience less anxiety, loneliness, and depression. Playing piano has also been shown to be a great source of stress relief, and provides ample opportunities to bolster self-esteem.