10 Ways Violin Lessons Will Greatly Improve Your Mind and Body

Learning to play the violin is rewarding in and of itself, but there are a number of proven sideline advantages on offer for anyone embarking on this musical journey.

When you take up violin lessons, here are just a few of the benefits – both mental and physical – that you can expect to gain alongside learning how to play this great instrument.

When You’re Just Starting Out…

1. Better Posture. Right from the off, you’ll be encouraged to sit with better posture in order to play the violin and this will very quickly become second nature. Many students almost instantly report a feeling of looseness in their upper body, as well as an alleviation of shoulder and back pain.

2. Reduced stress. It has long been known that listening to music is an effective stress reliever, and playing an instrument yourself even moreso.

3. Better dexterity. When you first start off with violin lessons, you may find that the muscles in both hands stretched to the limit as you adapt to reaching notes and holding a bow. This strain will quickly vanish as your muscles develop, leaving you with greater dexterity in both hands.

As You Attend Regular Lessons…

4. Enhanced Memory. As you increase your knowledge of scale formation, note position and sheet notation, you’ll come to find your memory sharpening in a way that can be applied to other areas of your life.

5. A Sense of Accomplishment. Once you get into the habit of attending regular violin lessons, you’ll no doubt feel a sense of pride for sticking with it… especially since you can now effortlessly do the things you struggled with on day one!

6. Real Brain Training. As well as gaining a sharper memory, learning to play the violin has been proven through numerous peer-reviewed studies to have a positive impact on your academic skills (including attentiveness, critical thinking, problem solving and even vocabulary.)

As You Really Take Off…

7. Improved Confidence. There’s nothing quite like the sense of pride and self-worth gained through mastering that one piece of music or scale you’ve been persevering with for weeks, and it’s a self-confidence booster you’ll get often as you progress through your violin lessons.

8. It’s a Social Skill. It won’t be long before you feel comfortable enough with your skills to join an orchestra – plenty exist for all skill levels, and are almost always crying out for extra strings. It’s here that the real fun begins; collaborating with others and learning to play in harmony comes with its own array of benefits, but above it all, it’s simply good fun.

9. Improved Arm Strength. Once you’re at a level where you’re playing orchestra concertos, one thing you’ll definitely notice is your arm strength improving as you hold your violin and bow up for two hours straight. Compare this to your first violin lesson, and you’ll realize that you’ve come a long way!

10. Strength of Character. Nobody who undertakes violin lessons and sticks with the instrument comes away from the experience without higher expectations of themselves, more perseverance, and a new found love of music.