Why you should play the piano badly

A practical tip for building a brighter brain

Most days I sit at the piano and play Beethoven and Chopin badly. I have recently been encouraged to stick at those few pieces by that great pianist Benjamin Zander. Apparently, after a few years of regular playing I will know them so well that I will be able to focus on playing the music rather than getting the right notes! 

To be honest, playing well isn’t what really matters to me. I started playing after reaching the age of 40. I knew that I would never become a concert pianist – or even a really good one. I would always be an amateur. I taught myself because I knew that playing the piano is one of those ‘must do’ brain exercises that would improve my mental functioning as I get older. I made the choice to play the piano badly. Recently I have found that I actually enjoy playing.

I started because I knew it would be good for me. I was fairly half-hearted about my practice. Then in 2007 I had an operation to remove a benign brain tumour and I knew that my recovery would depend on building brain function. I started playing every day. I also started listening to classical music again.

Three years later I am sure that my thinking is sharper than it was at 30 and that playing the piano has been a major part of that development. Listening to music alone does not seem to activate the brain as well as playing – sorry those of you who thought that listening might be easier! Listen of course, but try to actively play something as well. There is a lot of evidence from recent research supporting music in brain recovery; brain damage of all kinds, including stroke and accidents respond to music therapy.

Here are some tips:

• Learn to play an instrument badly. The piano is most complex (and therefore better) but any instrument will do.

• Keep practicing every day (or at least 3 times a week). Your capability is not as important as the fact that you are trying. It is this regular activation that will improve your thinking overall. We are so ‘programmed’ as children to get better and succeed at everything we do that we often give up and make excuses: ‘I am too old to start now’; ‘I’m not a natural musician’; ‘what’s the point if I can never be great’.  It will affect you. Just do it.

• If you have children, give them piano lessons (or whatever other instrument they feel attracted to). The evidence suggests that starting young benefits the brain by making it more ‘plastic’ which is a very good thing as it gives a child more potential (see page on plasticity in this blog).

• It is never too late to start playing, you may not be a great pianist but your brain will be more effective.

• Buy the rest of the family a set of earplugs for using during your initial practice sessions!

If you are not a music enthusiast, watch the video below by Benjamin Zander. Since watching this, I have begun to learn the Chopin piece he plays. I have grown to really enjoy the music I produce – but appreciate great musicians even more!

If you are interested in the underpinning research evidence for this post here are some links to a couple of articles. These are not the only examples – just search ‘brain and music’ then read the reputable sites. These include (among others): Posit science, Dana Foundation, Neurological Foundations, Scientific American Mind and neuroscience for kids.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/node/43946

http://www.dana.org/printerfriendly.aspx?id=26122 http://www.naturalnews.com/z029324_music_brain.html

See my previous post on October 5th 'Building a brighter brain'. SPECS is an easy way to remember the key areas of improvement, it stands for: Social, Physical, Emotional, Cognitive and Spiritual. Playing the piano is primarily a way to improve Cognitive function. The process involves many interconnected areas: "The brain areas involved in music are also active in processing language, auditory perception, attention, memory, executive control, and motor control.² Music efficiently accesses and activates these systems and can drive complex patterns of interaction among them". Michael Thaut PH.d and Gerald McIntosh MD Dana Foundation report 2010.

I rest my case. Start to play the piano badly now and encourage others to do the same.