The benefits of learning how to play guitar.

A lot of research has been done analysing the benefits of continuing to learn whwn you are older.
A retired person, of course has more time available to pursue differnt interests. For some, it is painting or woodworking. Learning to play the guitar has many benefits. It provides the brain with thinking activity.
Yes, there are some physical challenges, as it does involve using you fingers.


Aside from the enjoyment you will have playing guitar you will also see the mental and social benefits as well. Lutz Jäncke, a psychologist at the University of Zurich, said: "Learning to play a musical instrument has definite benefits and can increase IQ by seven points, in both children and adults. "We found that even in people over the age of 65 after four or five months of playing a instrument for an hour a week there were strong changes in the brain. "The parts of the brain that control hearing, memory, and the part that controls the hands among others, all become more active. Essentially the architecture of the brain changes. "For children especially we found that learning to play the piano, for instance, teaches them to be more self-disciplined, more attentive and better at planning. All of these things are very important for academic performance, so can therefore make a child brighter. "Of course music isn't the only answer, but I do believe that it should be used in addition to other things." Mr Jäncke also said that music can also make it easier to learn foreign languages and become more perceptive in interpreting the emotions of others. He added: "When you play a musical instrument you have to learn about tone and about scores and your ability to store audio information becomes better. "So not only does this make it easier to pick up other languages and have a better verbal memory in your own language, we have also seen that musicians are able to pick out exactly what others are feeling just on the tone of their voices. Empathy, disappointment, that kind of thing. "If music has such a strong influence on brain plasticity this raises the question of whether this effect can be used to enhance cognitive performance. "Several studies indeed show that musical practice increases memory and language skills, and I suggest expanding this field. "Hopefully, the current trend in the use of musicians as a model for brain plasticity will continue ... and extend to the field of neuropsychological rehabilitation." By Richard Alleyne and Richardalleyne The Telegraph – UK 1) New passion In their book Life Launch – A Passionate Guide to the Rest of Your Life, Pamela McLean and Frederic Hudson explore the new and different chapters of life.

European Journal for Research on the Education and Learning of Adults Volume 16, No. 3, October 2025 https://rela.ep.liu.se/issue/view/506/431