How People Who Play The Piano Have A Different Brain Structure Than Those Who Don’t

Not everyone can be a pianist. Some people take to the piano and play it like they have been playing for years right out the gate; others can practice for years and, even with piano lessons, continue to play like a beginner. 

What science tells us is that there is a reason why some people can play the piano flawlessly while others can never fully grasp it. The brain structure of those who can play the piano like an expert is different from those who cannot.

Unlike guitar or drum players, the brain of a piano player is entirely different. Drums require very little pitch selection or chord voicing while guitar players only need to focus on six various notes, and have to be heavily centered on left-handed dexterity. If you happen to be looking for a new guitar, check out the ESP Ltd EC 1000 Guitar.

To play the piano, you have to use many different functions and areas. It requires that two hands be playing equally and differently at the same time and, with eighty-eight different keys to consider, playing piano takes a whole lot of multitasking. 

An expert piano player can play as many as ten different notes at one time. That requires a distinct type of brain capacity and one that science is just beginning to understand.

To play the piano well, you must also overcome one of the most innate talent that humans have; the propensity to favor one hand over the other. The piano moves people and when you play, there is no such thing as ‘left-handed’ or ‘right-handed’ when you are playing the piano; you have to be ambidextrous to perform proficiently.

What creates the difference?

When you take a look at the brain structure of the average person, what you find is that the central sulcus of the brain tends to be deeper either on the left of the right side; it is this depth that determines which hand is dominant in any given person.

When you look at the brain of a pianist, what you see is that there is minimal variation in the depth of the central sulcus. Their brains are much more symmetrical than the general population.

Although they might have been born either left or right-handed, their brains have managed to discount it. Since most piano players still favor one hand when they are not playing, researchers believe that it isn’t that they were born without the differential, rather that, over time, the depth difference has been equalized. 

The brain of a person who plays piano has been able to compensate and override the propensity to be left or right-handed when they are hitting the keys of a piano.

In general, those who can play the piano have a more rounded and equal brain than those who don’t. The piano not only forces the brain to override dominance for which pianists use, but studies also suggest that the brains of pianists operate with more efficiency. 

Studies about piano and brain connectivity

Studies have shown that pianists have more connection between the various parts of their frontal lobe, which is responsible for making decisions. The frontal lobe is integral to language, problem-solving, decision making, social behavior, and spontaneity. That means that pianists can take in more information and be more creative; it also means that they are quick with decision making and think more methodically than their non-playing cohorts.

Since playing the piano requires a lot of attention from the entire brain, pianists are better able to conserve energy and allocate resources in the right way. Their brains also pump more blood than non-players, and they are better at fine motor skills. 

Although most people will have a piano lesson or two growing up, there is a difference between those who go on to master the art of playing the piano and those that do not. Maybe their differences are due to a mixture of their DNA combined with the ability for their brains to override nature and adapt but, whatever the reason, it is clear that a piano player’s mind is inherently different than the mind of someone who doesn’t play. 

So, it is a good idea to get kids involved in piano early, since it might just give them a leg up and adapt their brains to think quicker, be more spontaneous, and to communicate better than people who have never given it a try. 

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