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Has your brain changed with music?

B

BassOfDiamonds

Jul 17, 2012
44
0
36
San Francisco, CA
#1
I just read somewhere that learning a musical instrument can improve certain cognitive functions, such as spatial skills, working memory, etc.

Have you found this true in your experience? Or is this mainly for kids and/or people who study formal music theory?

If this is true, yet another excuse for me to be addicted to bass. (The bug has bitten me. I don't think I've ever been so obsessed with something in my life, lol. :hiding:)
 
#2
I'd like to think so, if only my perception of musical/ rhythmic things. A couple days ago I discovered the faucet of my bathroom is a perfect metronome: you can count to 4 and a drop of water will always fall in 1. Of course, accoplishing that requires some skills in keeping time musically.

On a more serious note, I'm not sure if 2-3 years of playing music is enough to distinctly alter cognitive processes. 20-30 years, I don't have a doubt.
 
#3
I think playing BASS helps my personality. It calms me down. I get that quiet time. It helps with my interaction with people. I noticed that recently. When an arguement breaks out over silly stuff, I let it go.

I had not been playing my BASS for a while. Got busy etc.
It was easier to pull me into arguements.

Then I picked up my BASS one night and practiced. I went to a Jam session with some coworkers. Now I'm back to center. When people start talking nonsense(Usually politics) I just don't join in.

Yeah, playing music is a type of therapy, and changes your mind.
When you get to that place, That calmness helps in all other areas of your life.
 
#4
GypsyMan said:
I think playing BASS helps my personality. It calms me down. I get that quiet time. It helps with my interaction with people. I noticed that recently. When an arguement breaks out over silly stuff, I let it go.

I had not been playing my BASS for a while. Got busy etc.
It was easier to pull me into arguements.

Then I picked up my BASS one night and practiced. I went to a Jam session with some coworkers. Now I'm back to center. When people start talking nonsense(Usually politics) I just don't join in.

Yeah, playing music is a type of therapy, and changes your mind.
When you get to that place, That calmness helps in all other areas of your life.
Click to expand...

That sounds great....I'm pretty bad when it comes to being a Type A, fiery control freak at times. For some reason, practicing my bass makes me zen, even when frustrated with mistakes. Usually with most things, I just get impatient and irritable when I stumble with something.

However, I don't think it'll make me any less fired up about politics. That's just my DNA, lol.
 
#7
Well, just speaking from my own personal experience. I started playing bass when I was a teenager. I was young and reckless then, even foolish at times. Since taking up the bass, I have not only graduated high school, but earned two college degrees and several educational certificates in a wide variety of subjects. I'm 41 now and I can say that I'm definitely a much smarter person now than I was before I started playing bass.
 
#12
BassOfDiamonds said:
I just read somewhere that learning a musical instrument can improve certain cognitive functions, such as spatial skills, working memory, etc.

Have you found this true in your experience? Or is this mainly for kids and/or people who study formal music theory?
Click to expand...


I think this theory would apply to kids and younger folks whos brain is still in the developing stages.

I didnt learn to read (music) until I was 36, i think. I studied some theory shortly after that, and Im sure it had little or no effect on any cognitive functions. ime.

But interesting concept, nonetheless.

edit: good grief. i misread the OP's statement. Its got nothing to do with reading or musical theory!! LMAO. So,, nvm.....
 
#14
the only thing i've noticed since taking up the bass,...

i'm way more anti-social. while friends are partying and such, i'm practicing/playing. they brag about the great time they had and i reply with clips from YouTube of some random band that i subbed on bass recently.

(whatever):confused:
 
#15
BassOfDiamonds said:
I'm aware this is sarcasm, but it reminds me - why are drummers stereotyped as dumb? Seems like having to be able to figure out and create the perfect blend of complex rhythm would require a reasonable IQ.
Click to expand...

Really, I don't know why. I have played with smart drummers, and modest guitarists, and singers who weren't deuche nozzles -- but these are the stereotypes for some reason.

The part about bass players beings smarter -- that's not the stereotype. Nobody but us believes that.
 
#19
fraublugher said:
The brain lights up in both hemisphere's when we play music according to MRI scans.
Click to expand...

I'm certainly no neuroscientist, but if I had to guess (we'd call it a hypothesis), I'd say that the left side of the brain is likely to light up relatively more in the brains of musicians when exposed to music (not playing music), than is the case among non-musicians when exposed to music (among right-side dominant subjects, that is. The right side would light up more among musicians, I think, among left-side dominant subjects.).

I know that in my own case, it is virtually impossible for me to listen to music in a 100% passive, non-analytical way. There is a part of my mind that is always breaking it down, deconstructing it, evaluating it, etc. - no matter how much I may also enjoy that music as an aesthetic experience... :hmm:

MM
 
#20
I don't know how to read music, TABS, or know much of anything about theory. I only notice that since I started playing bass in '06 or '07 that I have a better handle on my anger. I struggle with mental problems so any help is good help. I feel music can help anybody do anything.
 

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