Just imagine how boring life would be without music. Whether you’re just a listener or a performer, this art form just has something special about it that no other will ever have. It is a temporal art form, meaning that it also has its “time dimension.” Every musical piece tells its story over time, ultimately sharing the initial idea or a feeling that the artist wanted to express. And it’s such an immersive experience, both from the perspective of a listener and a performer. With this in mind, it’s pretty obvious that music and guitar lessons come with benefits for one’s personal development.
This is why we decided to dive more into this particular topic. Here, we will explore how a guitar can be a great “tool” for one’s wellbeing and personal improvement. More precisely, we’ll go into the topic of guitar lessons and the process of learning how to play guitar and how that particular activity can provide benefit. After all, playing guitar itself is a bit more of a complex activity it may seem at first. It’s more than just picking and strumming on its metal (or nylon) strings while pressing on the fretboard. And there’s probably a reason why this instrument is so popular, even after all these years. So let’s get into it and find out more about this topic.
Development of motor skills through guitar lessons
While it’s hard to say what exactly is the hardest instrument to play, we’re safe to say that guitar is a relatively difficult one. At least when it comes to beginners. When you figure out how it all works, you’ll be able to transpose songs, switch things around, and find new ways of how to play it. But if you’re new to it, it can be a bit puzzling.
Let’s start from the very basics. The guitar is played by pressing its strings on the fretboard and by plucking them above the soundhole or pickups. Obviously, you’re going to use two hands for these two tasks. And when you look at it, these are somewhat complex tasks that you’re handling. Your fretting hand needs to do all the work flawlessly without making any “empty spaces” and stopping the flow. At the same time, your right-hand needs to hit the strings, either with fingers or with a plectrum. Looing at experienced guitar players, this seems really easy. However, these are all complex coordinated movements.
Knowing that each hand is doing its own thing, there’s a lot of coordination involved here. This is exactly why guitar lessons and practice sessions can help an individual improve their motor skills. There’s also a lot of hand-to-eye coordination, which only supports this argument further.
Obviously, this is something that’s beneficial for younger ones. Nonetheless, it’s definitely beneficial for those who are learning how to play later in their lives.
It improves your memory
But learning how to play is not all about figuring out what your left and right hands do. You’ll definitely want to learn countless different songs, no matter the genre that you prefer. This, of course, engages your memory. Not to mention that you’ll have to memorize all the scale patterns and chord shapes on your fretboard while coordinating everything with your knowledge of music theory and its application on the instrument.
This is why learning guitar can help you improve memory. And it’s a skill that you’ll use in pretty much every aspect of your life. In combination with other benefits, it can even stimulate both your academic and professional career.
It stimulates your creative potentials
However, we need to think past the superficial concepts of the instrument’s nature. Sure, getting everything to sound right is not that easy, and it clearly gives benefits. But what about “reading between the lines”? What about creating your own music and improvisation?
Almost every person who took up guitar wanted to write their own music. Or at least create their own arrangements of some of their favorite songs. And in most of the cases, this is encouraged on guitar lessons. Of course, you need to go past the basic stuff for that. But just imagine all the benefits you’ll get in other fields in life as well. You may not notice it at first, but you’ll slowly start applying more creative solutions to your other spheres of life.
Guitar lessons can teach you discipline
While many think guitar is all about fun and enjoyment, there’s a lot of discipline involved if you want to become good at it. The key to progress is to be persistent and to work on your set goals step by step each day. It’s in some way similar to sports – you need to do it every day, or at least 5 to 6 days a week, in order to become really good at something.
At the same time, it’s really easy to get distracted and just start noodling (playing random stuff) all the time. Sometimes, it’s really hard to keep up with your schedule and set goals. But by working on it, you’ll be able to improve your discipline.
Mental health and social benefits
Just like any other instrument, the guitar is all about expression. You’ll get another voice for expressing your innermost feelings. And imagine how great that is for one’s mental health. Playing and practicing guitar is, in a way, like meditation as well. You’re present in the moment and are focused on what you’re doing now.
In the end, it also brings a lot of social benefits. It’s no wonder that the instrument became so popular. When you’re the only person in the room who plays guitar, it’s as if you’re under a spotlight. This is why it can also benefit those who need a little confidence boost in life.
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