Pick Up Guitar To Reap Benefits

Playing music is like a mega-vitamin, engaging more areas of the human brain than any other activity  Many people wish they could play a musical instrument, but just never seem to get around to it. Some of you may even think you’re too old to start learning.Of all the instruments out there, the guitar has got to be one of the most accessible.  versatile, popular, and portable It’s also relatively easy to get started with. It might take a little bit of effort, but there are so many incredible benefits to be had that you should pick up a guitar today.

It’s fun

One of the most obvious benefits of playing guitar is that it’s really fun! Whether you’re a beginner or a veteran, you probably started playing because you were interested, and you continue playing because you love it. The sense of accomplishment you get from being able to recreate one of your favorite songs is immense .It gives you the ability to develop a potential that might have otherwise gone unnoticed and open the closed doors of creativity and expression  Jamming with other musicians is also great fun, whatever your ability. When you listen to music, your brain actually releases a chemical that makes you happy (dopamine). Imagine how happy creating your own music can make you. Science aside, the guitar is probably one of the most fun instruments you can play (apart from the Ukulele maybe!). After all, who doesn’t love a good old sing along

Stimulates brain

Playing guitar naturally stimulates the brain. When you learn a new skill on your guitar, say a new song or chord or scale, you are growing new neurons in your brain and strengthening existing pathways. As per  findings from a study in Scotland, “people who practice musical instruments have sharper brains because they pick up mistakes in their performance and fix them more quickly than other people.

Reduces stress

We all know that stress is bad for you. We also all have more than our fair share of it in our day to day lives.Have you ever noticed how playing or listening to music seems to take your mind off the things that are bothering you? This same strategy may work to alleviate anxiety and/or chronic pain. An article in Men’s Health noted that based on a study from the University of Utah’s Pain Research center, listening to music can take your mind off and reduce pain—and what better music to listen to than the tunes you create on your guitar? Playing music is  a form of mindful meditation, where you are focused entirely on the present moment, engaged fully with your senses. Also, if you play with feeling, you activate your emotional circuitry and channel your emotions into productive expression. There’s nothing better to do after a bad day at work than pick up your guitar and play your troubles away!Your mind shifts from stressful thoughts to cheerful ones 

Enhances social life

Music is a social art and it can expand your social circle and take you to unexpected places.  Usually you play or perform with or in front of other people. Guitarists, unlike, say, keyboard players, have a unique ability to move around or even dance while they are playing 

 There's nothing quite like performing in front of an audience that truly enjoys the music you're playing, or the connection you feel with your bandmates when you all sync up and lock on that groove..

Develops co-ordination

A key part of playing the guitar is hand eye co-ordination. Strumming with one hand whilst fretting notes with the other all helps to develop good motor skills and muscle memory. This can also benefit you in other areas of life where good co-ordination is required. It can be particularly useful for the very young.

Children, for example, can really reap the rewards of playing guitar as it can help speed up their overall development and give them skills that they can use throughout their life. That isn’t to say that you won’t enjoy these benefits if you are older. Age is irrelevant when it comes to playing the guitar. You’re never too old to learn.

Improves your memory

Playing a guitar can benefit your brain immensely and your memory function could be increased quite significantly. When you learn new scales, chords and songs, your grey matter gets a really good workout. The more you absorb new information into your brain, the easier you’ll find it to retain that information. . On top of all this, playing guitar can even help improve your IQ!

Gives you a creative outlet

 Music is as much about emotion as it is about technical ability  It’s great to be able to express your emotions and show your creativity through guitar playing. Having a creative outlet to get lost in can really help improve your overall quality of life. If you have somewhere positive to channel your feelings, it can really help lower your stress levels 

Being artistic can also help when it comes to ‘thinking outside of the box.’ People come up with all sorts of interesting ideas and solutions to problems when they’re concentrating on something creative, such as playing an instrument. If you’re struggling to overcome an issue, go play your guitar for a bit. You might just have a Eureka moment!

Conclusion

There are many possible benefits of learning the guitar, ranging from the anecdotal to those backed by research. You may discover your own reasons with the passage of time. You should know that it’s never too late to learn an instrument,  If you haven’t yet committed to playing music for life, maybe now’s the time to take that step .It is an investment in a life skill that will reward you mentally, physically, emotionally, and even socially for all the years of your life,