The Most Boring Article About 2 Awesome Benefits of Music From a Guitarist You'll Ever Read

I personally cannot play the guitar even if my life depended on it. I will probably break a few strings and produce a sound that you’ll consider annoying. But whatever sound is produced or you like there are benefits of music which you can attest to.

But the great thing is that my brother is quite a good guitarist and we had a conversation on what music is to him. I may not know how to produce my own music but am a big fan of other people’s music.

I love music from the different melodies and sounds, it’s like you are being taken to a different dimension where you are hypnotised by the music.

A meta-analysis of 400 music studies found that listening to music has the ability to reduce anxiety, fight depression and boost the immune system according to Psychology Today.

It’s been found that listening to music on headphones reduces stress and anxiety in hospital patients before and after surgery.

Back to my guitarist brother, I always wondered what the composer’s perspective on music is.

What is it like being on the other end of the lane not from the fan perspective but the actual producer of the music? Does the composer use of a guitar or other musical instrument make the music have a different feel to him?

This are the kind of questions I bombarded my brother with but check this out, according to Lifehack, one study showed that if people actively participated in making music by playing various percussion instruments and singing, their immune system was boosted even more than if they passively listened.

Maybe this will convince me and you to take up some guitar lessons. Anyway my guitarist brother did answer my questions giving me some insight into his world. These are the two things I found out:

1. 1. Wonderful music is expressive

The composer has a message to relay and the best way he or she can do that is by music. The expressiveness of music is the reason why no matter the language or origin of composer everyone can understand what the music saying is.

This understanding brings togetherness hence the reason why music is the best way to unite people. That when you become happy due to this expressiveness. Different types of music have a different message to them. There is something the musician is trying to convey to you and tell you.

This can be anything from love, anger, regret, fear and sorrow, you will resonate and love that music according to how you feel. For instance it’s widely known that athletes or players listen to some music before they go out to play a game.

According to Business Insider, athletes who competed in sports like figure skating, meanwhile, could reach optimal performance by listening to music with a slower tempo. Therefore the benefits of music can be evidenced here by athletes.

Also one small study by researchers at Brunel University revealed that music can enhance endurance by 15%. When competing at any level, but especially at the pinnacle of a sport, even a 15% increase in performance can be the difference between victory and loss.

Whatever type of music you listen to means that it’s expressing what you feel either fear or nervousness. The point being to make you less fearful or nervous and just do whatever makes you feel that way.

Research proves that when you listen to music you like, your brain releases dopamine, a “feel-good” neurotransmitter. You’ll feel emotions like happiness, excitement, and joy, according to Lifehack.

1. 2. Music is relaxing and uplifting

You are listening to that song and you are totally relaxed. You worries and crippling fear are gone in that moment of listening or playing that song. You feel stressed out from your work, why not press play and listen to that song.

Listening to music you enjoy decreases levels of stress hormone cortisol in your body, which counteracts the effects of chronic stress, according to Lifehack.

Music has the power to do this, being relaxed. Life is a constant of ups and downs and challenges are real but most people do not handle this phase of challenges well. You will become depressed with your joy and happiness greatly affected.

When this happens the best thing you can do for yourself is put on some great music to listen to.

That does not mean that the challenges will disappear and vanish but you will be able to handle them with a clear head. You know that there is a challenge here but you are not allowing it to make you stressed. You will be much calmer and relaxed and finding a solution will be faster.

According to PsychCentral, listening to music can have a tremendously relaxing effect on our minds and bodies, especially slow, quiet classical music. This type of music can have a beneficial effect on our psychological functions, slowing the pulse and heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and decreasing the levels of stress hormones.

Do not disregard the power of that music, as the famous Albert Einstein once said, "Life without playing music is inconceivable to me. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music ... I get most joy in life out of music."

Conclusion

The type of music you listen to brings out the best from you and maybe that is why you love music so much. Good music has the power to attract everyone in the world without a care of where you come from.

But also music can be used negatively for example in situations of spreading hate towards a certain group of people.

This will make a person full of hate and anger all because of the fact he or she listens to a certain type of music. A once positive and happy person can become angry and bitter because of the music he or she is listening to.

This widely explains how powerful music is and with great power comes great responsibility.

You know that it’s expressive and relaxing therefore the reason why you feel most comfortable listening or playing that good music. For instance you are nervous and anxious, that music you love so much is the key here. You will feel comfortable and eventually less nervous and anxious.

Have you listened or played some good music recently? Do you agree with the benefits of music? Do you know of any other lessons from a guitarist on playing and listening to music that I haven’t mentioned?

If so then do tell and share in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you. Also share this with your friends and family, sharing is caring.

-Michael Kamenya