Did you know that picking up your guitar could prevent you from getting sick?

Or, that you could raise your IQ by playing guitar?

That might sound hard to believe …

But actually when you understand the logic behind it,

You will get yourself extremely pumped up to pick up that guitar!

In today’s post we will share the only list on the web with All 30 Benefits of Playing Guitar.



So let’s get started with those benefits of playing the guitar.

Picking up the guitar has got some serious positive effects, from increasing your immune system, to becoming more intelligent!

All the benefits of playing guitar will be categorized in one of the following 6 categories; health, mind, physical, emotional, social or other.

So, Let’s Jump Right Into the 30 Benefits of Playing Guitar!

Health

1. Stress Relief

First up in our list of benefits of playing guitar, stress relief. Studies have shown that playing a musical instrument will decrease stress in the body. Stress release in the body will lead to more healthiness in the body and mind. It is known that stress can actually weaken the immune system, which can open the door for bacteria, viruses or diseases to exploit your weakened body. Constant stress is also bad for the mind, it can lead to anger, a burnout or depression.

Better pick up that guitar quickly …

Mind

2. Expand Your Creative Mind

When playing the guitar you will use parts of your brain that you are generally not really used to. Stimulating these parts of the brain will actually make you become MORE creative according to studies! This is an awesome addition while doing something that you love. Creativity helps you find solutions to problems and expand your imagination. A creative brain is something that is highly desired by employers, but also a great asset to have in any social interaction.

3. Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone

Another one of the amazing benefits of playing the guitar, is that you will be put into situations you most likely won’t find yourself in if you wouldn’t have picked up the six-string. When playing the guitar, you will eventually start gigging around. If you’ve been gigging for 10 years straight and you are an absolute beast on stage, then you most likely won’t feel too much anxiety. However, for most guitarists, getting on stage for a big crowd is somewhat frightening. Doing something you feel some sort of a resistance towards will definitely help you grow as a person.

4. Becoming More in the Moment

Nowadays we are always thinking, thinking, thinking. We are too much inside of our own heads, thinking about how to act and what others think of us. Playing the guitar helps you let go of all those thoughts and just experience the moment how it is. This really is such an amazing guitar benefit.

5. Become Smarter

While learning to play the guitar you will learn a lot of new things. Different parts of the brain will be tickled to help you perform on your best abilities. Think of all the new information that is being jammed into your brain, from music theory to reading notes, to hand positioning, fret and finger locations, sounds, complete songs, to learning entire tabs by heart! Research has shown that you could gain up to about 7 points in your IQ when playing an instrument.

6. Forces to Expand Your Knowledge

While in the process of learning to play the guitar you will read into a lot of new subjects. These were things you didn’t know anything about before you started to learn to play the guitar. This is another amazing benefit of playing guitar, because it will broaden your general knowledge.

“So, is playing guitar good for your brain?”

Don’t worry there is more …

7. Become Better at Mathematics

Studies have shown that guitarists, or musicians in general, that perform sequential skills, rhythm and pitch manage, will perform better in math. This doesn’t directly mean that you’ll become Albert Einstein when you start playing the guitar, but it does make you a little bit better.

8. Keeps the Brain Sharp

One of the great benefits of playing the guitar is that you will keep your brain sharp. The reason for this lies in the fact that guitar players brains will constantly have to perform at a high level in order to keep you satisfied. Once you start getting better and better, you demand continuous better quality playing from yourself. The only way to keep up with your own standard, is to keep learning new cool things to keep yourself engaged and play better.

9. Improves Reading Skills

When reading sheet music, your brain has to constantly translate visual notes to a position on the fretboard of your guitar. Your brain does this, depending on the tempo of the song, pretty dang fast. Your brain will have to develop great reading skill to keep up the pace, hence improving it.

10. Become More Confident

What other way to build your confidence, than to be admired by many and being in the spotlight all the time!? Fact is, that you definitely are going to need some pedals when you are hitting the stage.

Physical

11. Create Calluses on Fingers

It might not be the prettiest thing, but calluses on fingers are very beneficial in some situations. I know I definitely have burned my left hand way less than I have burned my right hand for instance.

12. Enhancing Hand-eye Coordination

When playing the guitar, the guitar and you will have the become one. This means, that the hands will have to do exactly what the mind wants. For many aspects of guitar playing, the things you do with your hands are based off muscle memory, but especially when it comes to improvisation, good hand-eye coordination becomes dramatically more essential. In the process of learning the guitar, you will become very well coordinated with your hands, which is an awesome benefit of playing guitar.

13. Improve Hearing

Another one of the physical benefits of playing guitar, is that you will improve your hearing. To detect the subtle differences in sounds and to detect whether you are playing out of tune or not. Your ears need to improve, to get to a high level.

14. Improve Flexibility

While playing around a guitar neck your hands need to be very flexible. Especially when it comes down to playing those, sometimes freakish looking, jazz chords, your fingers really need to be able to stretch… FAR.

Emotional

15. Be the Center of Attention

Now, I understand that for some this might be more positive than for others, but fortunately you will always be in full control to look for, or avoid these kind of situations. I am talking about playing in groups of course, will it be gigs or around a campfire, as a guitarist you’re, more often than not, in the center of attention.

16. A Great Feeling of Joy

Another awesome benefit of playing guitar is the incredible amount of joy you get from doing it. Studies show that dopamine is being released when we do something we really love doing, this would be playing the guitar if it is really something you like to do. As a fun fact, dopamine is also released during sex.

17. Gain Euphoric Experiences

Learning how to play the guitar can be extremely frustrating, but it is this difficulty that makes successes all the greater. When you’re nailing that fast lick for the first time, your first time on a stage or doing some amazing improvisation, these are all moments that will get you an amazing euphoric feeling in your body.

18. Express Your Emotions

Music is a tool to express your emotions and it doesn’t even matter what kind of music style you play. This will be true for every musician around the world with a passion for music. It’s undeniable that you’re not playing the exact same way when you are feeling down and depressed as when you are feeling happy and upbeat.

19. Get More Happiness

Interesting fact about guitar players, they have a lot of happiness. When playing the guitar is something you love doing and you’re doing it often, then this will improve your baseline of happiness through your day to day life. The more often you are finding yourself hang around in some emotional state, the more your baseline will steer into that direction.

I think you’ll agree with me when I say …

If you made it this far, you are probably interested in playing guitar.

If you haven’t started playing yet, learn how to get set up with great beginner guitar.

Social

20. Helping Others Learn

Next on our list of benefits of playing guitar, is helping out other to learn. This is something, I find myself is one of the most rewarding things to do. It is an amazing feeling to give tips to a beginner guitarist, or help out anyone who is trying to learn anything at all for that matter. Also, consider helping others learn about the benefits of playing acoustic guitar.

21. Create Social Connections

Another on of the great benefits of playing guitar, is that it will help you create social connections. During a jam session in a bar or at a concert it’s always a great conversation starter to talk about something you both have passion for. It is well assumed that when you are going to a concert or gig that you are going to start seeing people that will have the same interest as you.

22. Social Bonding

While talking with like-minded people, it forms a very fast and deep connection when you both truly have passion for the same thing, that is music.

23. Learn How To Work Better in Groups

When you are on your way to becoming a rockstar, it is quite impossible to never work with other people. Being a musician, or at least a hobbyist, you’re constantly tested on your ego and ability to work with others. Are you going to try and push for your way or will you try a more collaborative frame?

Other

24. Attract the Opposite Sex

When being a guitarist you will often hear “Ohh did you do it for the women?”, or “You must get a lot of women because you play guitar“. And I am not going to tell you otherwise now, you can still consider it as one of the benefits of playing guitar. However, I will say, you’re not going to enjoy playing, nor get good at it when you do it only for this reason. Personally, I think it’s a messed up mindstate, but hey, everyone his own thing.

25. Get Wealthy

If you really want to become wealthy, being a guitarist isn’t the best option to do so, but it definitely is on the table. To live off your passion is a lot of hard work, but if you achieve to do so, you are living the dream of many.

26. Follow Your Musical Passion

Not many are doing it, but it is amazing. If you have a true love for music, you are listening to it every day, from waking up to night-night time, the music is running through your veins. To unleash this fire onto your guitar, is heaven. Being able to follow your musical passion is one of THE best benefits of playing guitar.

27. Become More Disciplined

When having to practice every day on your guitar, will it be for just yourself, school, your band or some performance, you will have to set aside some daily time. When you need to structure your day in order for yourself to being able to put in the hours that are necessary, you WILL become more disciplined in the process.

28. Travel Around

When you start playing in a band or any other musical formation and you start getting some rep, you will gain access to something very privileged. You will be able to spread awesome vibes and good music, while travelling around. My father for instance, had the opportunity to grab his trombone and travel with one band to the USA and with another band to Thailand, pretty cool if you ask me.

Here’s something to keep in mind:

When you’re traveling you will need something to protect your guitar.

Many people won’t do the research and buy a guitar case of bad quality.

Inform yourself on stuff that matters when buying a guitar case.

29. Bring Good Vibes

Everywhere you go, you will spread good vibes and bring smiles, this, of course, is one of the most satisfying benefits of playing guitar. People will be happy to see you coming and hate to see you go. Especially in the more intimate settings, like campfires, living rooms or at parties, where there is a crowd, people will always enjoy your company. That is of course if you know how to play a couple of songs …

30. Become Famous

Start out being your local hometown hero and take it to the big leagues. Everyone started out small, but if you have enough drive to push through, you could get to that point where people start asking you for autographs.

31. Home Decoration

When being a guitarist you always have some awesome decoration hanging or standing in your living room or bedroom. Since the first guitar, guitars have been a great source of a juicy, elegant or just awesome pieces of decoration in people’s homes. I always make sure to place my guitars and amps in the most prominent spots of my bedroom and living room.

32. Sound Like Your Idol

Lastly on our list of benefits of playing guitar, is sounding like your idol. Too often am I listening to some awesome songs or solos of my idols, and I am like “I can’t wait to grab my guitar when I get home”. Being able to get into the same sort of headspace as your idol and recreating similar sounds is one of the most amazing benefits of playing the guitar. When trying to get a similar kind of sound like your idol, you’re most likely going to need an Overdrive pedal.

There You Have It!

The complete list with all 30 benefits of playing guitar.

If you didn’t know why you should play guitar, now you know.

We hope that we have convinced you to start out with this awesome journey.

There are plenty of benefits that tell you to just START.

Because as you can see, there aren’t really a lot of disadvantages of playing guitar.

If you want to start playing guitar, you better learn what mistakes not to make.

When starting out playing guitar there are some essential accessories for your guitar that you will need.

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