Is there empirical evidence that piano makes you smarter? I’m sure facts are inconclusive but I do know one thing and that is this. Piano teaches you patience, routine, the importance of practice, and mastery. If that’s not enough to make you smarter I don’t know what will. You’ve probably heard of all the rumors that listening to classical music while you’re young makes you smarter but it seems that this claim is false. Although classical music does help to improve cognitive abilities, it does not provide long term results. However, playing an instrument helps light up different regions of the brain, which in the long term can help to increase cognitive ability quite significantly. I’ve been playing piano for years and years now and it feels like it has helped with memory and spacial intelligence. Just listening to classical music can help as well, just give a listen to Debussy’s Clair de Lune or Beethoven’s famous Fur Elise. They are great examples of classical piano music that helps you concentrate better. Of course, if you can learn to play Chopin’s Fantaisie Impromptu without any sheet music to guide you I’d say you are a certified genius. Just look it up, Yundi Li’s performance is just magical, the song is long and intense, demanding lots of flexibility and talent. And although the majority of people will never reach that level there is still a lot that playing the piano can do for your brain’s capacity to learn. So what are you waiting for? Your brain demands a challenge, and piano is a great way to fill that role! You can start lessons or teach yourself, but just make sure to practice as often as you can and be sure that it brings you enjoyment, which I’ve found is incredibly important. So get going!
Piano Pro Player 