Cell phones, tablets, and other screens have become a natural part of our lifestyles. But with the increased use of electronic devices, we are seeing decreased motor skill capacity¹ in our children. However, motor skills are still essential to everyday life, and music lessons can help promote healthy motor skill development.
Which Motor Skills are Developed
Learning an instrument, like the guitar or the piano, can help children establish both fine and gross motor skills. Both instruments encourage strength in the smaller muscle groups. Both also teach students to be coordinated and timely in their movements. Additionally, piano lessons and guitar lessons can help students develop ambidexterity. This is not to say your student will suddenly become ambidextrous. Simply, they will get better at productively using both hands at the same time for the detailed task of playing.
How Motor Skills are Developed
Students get a diverse, well-rounded motor skill set when they play multiple instruments. For example, piano lessons develop gross motor skills by encouraging students to sit straight and strengthen their cores. Guitar lessons encourage fine motor skills with the fun picking and fretwork that students learn. Also, the rhythmic part of music lessons is especially good for motor skill development. Timing is essential to most movements we make, and rhythm is a wonderful instructor for these motor skills. (If you’re looking for more information on various musical instruments or disciplines to develop your child’s specific motor skill needs, Understood² has a great chart.)
Supporting Your Student: Playing an instrument like the guitar requires both strength AND precision of movement to get the right notes. Nothing but practice will help your students nail the precision. However, there ARE inexpensive finger strengthening tools available. These help students develop their smaller hand muscles when they’re biding their time in the car or a waiting room.
Are you interested in enrolling your child in guitar or piano lessons at one of our Olathe, KS locations? Click here to find out more about summer class offerings and enrollment.
Sources:
¹https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-14/ipad-generations-fingers-not-ready-to-write/9143880