{"id":9163,"date":"2022-10-25T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-25T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=9163"},"modified":"2023-03-01T10:17:50","modified_gmt":"2023-03-01T18:17:50","slug":"music-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/music-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Music and Mental Health: The Power of Piano"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If you love music, you understand the healing effect it holds. Music and mental health are so connected. Songs have a way of soothing us when other things can&#8217;t, and playing music expresses challenging emotions that words can&#8217;t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But if you&#8217;re not a musician, can you still benefit from the positive effects of playing music? Absolutely! Keep reading to learn more about the positive benefits of music and ways complete beginners can use music to ease stress. No music experience required!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"#music-mental-health\">Music and Mental Health<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#sound-amazing\">Sound Amazing on the Piano in 5 Minutes<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#calming-keys\">Calming Keys<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#3-melodies\">3 Beautiful Melodies Anyone can Play<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#4-chords\">Play Your First Song With Just 4 Chords<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<span class=\"blue-text-block\"><center><h2 style=\"font-size:22px\"><b>\ud83c\udfb9 Your Go-To Place for All Things Piano<\/b><\/h2><p>Subscribe to <i>The Note<\/i> for exclusive interviews, fascinating articles, and inspiring lessons delivered straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.<\/p><iframe class=\"email-form-include\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/center><\/span>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"music-mental-health\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Music and Mental Health<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/14103629\/Lake-Go-Keys-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9168\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/14103629\/Lake-Go-Keys-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/14103629\/Lake-Go-Keys-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/14103629\/Lake-Go-Keys-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/14103629\/Lake-Go-Keys.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>Music is good for you \ud83d\ude0a<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>People who listen to music to de-stress don&#8217;t need a study to prove this, but it&#8217;s still nice to know that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/monitor\/2013\/11\/music\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">science<\/a> backs this up. A 2013 meta-analysis of 400 studies confirmed that music both relieves stress and improves immune function. The body produces less cortisol (stress hormone) and more immunoglobulin A and killer T cells when in the presence of music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>Piano lowers stress&#8230;better than other things \ud83c\udfb9<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Now this is a win for piano! In one <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/215684363_Piano_playing_reduces_stress_more_than_other_creative_art_activities\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">study<\/a>, college students\u2019 cortisol levels were measured before and after doing artistic activities. The activities were playing piano, sculpture, and calligraphy. All subjects had some experience with their assigned activity, but none were professionals. A control group sat in silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remarkably, the piano playing group experienced far larger drops in cortisol levels than the sculpture and calligraphy groups. So there is definitely something powerful about playing a musical instrument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>Piano as mindfulness \ud83d\ude0c<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/greatergood.berkeley.edu\/topic\/mindfulness\/definition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mindfulness<\/a> is a popular and effective practice. It means paying attention to the present moment, without judgement. The good thing about mindfulness is that you don&#8217;t need to sit in the lotus position and do nothing. You can practice mindfulness through walking, eating, and of course, piano playing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you play music, pay attention to the sensations in your body. If you notice you&#8217;re holding stress in an area, try to let it go. Focus on the nuances of each note you play: dynamics, articulation, phrasing, and so on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>Music may ease pain \ud83e\udd15<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mhanational.org\/chronic-pain-and-mental-health\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mental and physical health<\/a> are connected, and chronic pain can really diminish a person&#8217;s quality of life. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-rheumatologist.org\/article\/music-may-help-reduce-pain\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Studies<\/a> suggest that music may have a small but significant effect on reducing pain. A theory is that music stimulates a person&#8217;s senses other than pain, thereby drawing attention away from the pain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>Music can help you sleep \ud83d\ude34<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Good sleep is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.camh.ca\/en\/camh-news-and-stories\/mental-illness-associated-with-poor-sleep-quality\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">essential<\/a> to both physical and mental health. Studies suggest that music helps people fall asleep and improves quality of sleep. Again, this may be tied to cortisol: decreasing cortisol through music may make it easier to fall asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/listening-to-music-before-bed-may-disrupt-sleep-5189417\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">other studies<\/a> have found that listening to music right before bed can give you earworms (when a song gets stuck in your head) and lead to poorer sleep quality. So, along with everything else on this list, do what works for <em>you<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>Playing piano stabilizes brain degeneration in older adults<\/strong> \ud83e\udde0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In one <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnagi.2022.817889\/full#h1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">study<\/a>, older adults were sorted into two groups. One group received weekly, hour-long piano lessons for six months and practiced for 30 minutes a day. The other group attended lessons on music history, culture, and appreciation. At the end of the six months, the fornix (a white matter tract in the brain) of the second group&#8217;s participants declined. But the group that got piano lessons did not experience the same effect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/neuroscientificallychallenged.com\/posts\/know-your-brain-fornix\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fornix<\/a> is associated with memory and naturally declines with age. Learning to play an instrument may be a powerful defence against cognitive decline and even <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/12815136\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dementia<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>Music therapy can treat depression \ud83d\ude42<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Music therapy has been around for a long time. In fact, it was first recognized by the United States War Department in <a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/treatments\/8817-music-therapy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1945<\/a>. The benefits of music have been studied for a while and there are now several different <a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/benefits-of-music-therapy-89829#toc-what-is-music-therapy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">types and techniques<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When combined with conventional treatments, music therapy has been shown to effectively <a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/benefits-of-music-therapy-89829#toc-effectiveness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">treat symptoms<\/a> of depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. And no, you don&#8217;t have to be a skilled musician to benefit from music therapy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weekly-email\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Piano Mental Health Exercises for Beginners<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/14122319\/lake-go-keys-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9172\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/14122319\/lake-go-keys-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/14122319\/lake-go-keys-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/14122319\/lake-go-keys-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/14122319\/lake-go-keys-2.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sound-amazing\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>Sound Amazing on the Piano in 5 Minutes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/piano-in-5-minutes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&lt;&lt;Full Lesson Here&gt;&gt;<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You don&#8217;t need to know how to read music or even what notes are to do this exercise. So long as you can physically press down keys on a keyboard, you can create beautiful music! And we&#8217;ll tell you exactly which keys to play. By the end of this exercise, you&#8217;ll be able to play a three-note pattern with your right hand and several bass note accompaniments with your left.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sound Amazing On The Piano \ud83c\udfb9\ud83c\udfc6 (In Only 5 Minutes!)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DPILs8Ovk74?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"calming-keys\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>Calming Keys<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/calming-piano\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>&lt;&lt;Full Lesson Here&gt;&gt;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This exercise introduces you to basic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/how-to-improvise-on-piano\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">improvisation<\/a>. And it&#8217;s super simple. Again, no experience is required and we&#8217;ll tell you exactly which keys to play. You&#8217;ll learn that because we&#8217;re in the key of C Major, any of the white keys are fair game. There are no wrong notes to worry about. Yay!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Calming Keys - How The Piano Can Help You Feel GOOD \ud83d\ude0c\ud83c\udfb9\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YdpVZdrBMZY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-melodies\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>3 Beautiful Melodies Anyone Can Play<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/3-beautiful-melodies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>&lt;&lt;Full Lesson Here&gt;&gt;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These little pieces are perfect for people who are just learning how to read music. But, again, knowing how to read is not mandatory because we&#8217;ll explain each melody in detail. For those who want to dive deeper, Lisa will introduce some fundamental theory concepts as well. (They&#8217;re not too complicated\u2014we promise!)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"3 Beautiful Melodies That ANYONE Can Play! (Piano Tutorial)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/io7t5FYdFdQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-chords\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>Play Your First Piano Song With 4 Chords<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/first-piano-song-4-chords\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>&lt;&lt;Full Lesson Here&gt;&gt;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you can play chords, you can play songs. There&#8217;s a common misunderstanding that beginner piano students are only allowed to play &#8220;Mary Had a Little Lamb.&#8221; But you can play basic versions of your favorite songs on the radio with just a few core concepts. Once you master the four most popular chords, you&#8217;ve unlocked <em>hundreds<\/em> of pop songs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Play Your First Song On Piano (With Only 4 Chords)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5yJCM0nheL0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>We hope these lessons inspire you on your journey to mental wellness! Everyone feels down, anxious, or stressed sometimes. Don&#8217;t be afraid to ask for help; it&#8217;s a sign of strength, not weakness. Here are some mental health resources if you need them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/mental-health-resources\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Mental health resource list by Healthline: <\/strong><\/a>when and where to ask for help, types of providers, and international resources<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/checkpointorg.com\/global\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Checkpoint global mental health resource list:<\/strong><\/a> resources, organizations, websites<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/suicidepreventionlifeline.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>National Suicide Prevention Hotline<\/strong><\/a> (U.S.)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<span class=\"blue-text-block\"><center><h2 style=\"font-size:22px\"><b>\ud83c\udfb9 Your Go-To Place for All Things Piano<\/b><\/h2><p>Subscribe to <i>The Note<\/i> for exclusive interviews, fascinating articles, and inspiring lessons delivered straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.<\/p><iframe class=\"email-form-include\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/center><\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Music and mental health go hand in hand. Reap the benefits of music with a few simple piano exercises, no experience required.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":9204,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1132,1108],"tags":[1069],"class_list":["post-9163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-musicianship","tag-gsotp"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9163"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9163\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9208,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9163\/revisions\/9208"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}