The Psychology of Practicing the Violin
Everybody knows “practice makes perfect,” but how beneficial is a practice mindset when it comes to playing violin? It's proven very beneficial, as practicing the violin strengthens your brain functions.
A positive effect of playing a musical instrument is the release of a complex hormone in the brain called dopamine, a “feel good” chemical messenger, which helps you to feel pleasure and motivation. This means that violin playing can boost your mental health in ways such as managing anxiety, improving self-control, and fighting depression by sparking positive emotions.
Simply doing the act of mental practice, where you visualize yourself running through a piece of music without physically playing it, can be energizing enough to increase your dopamine. Visualization is one of the most popular psychological techniques used by musicians to stimulate the mind.
Additionally, learning how to read music and play the violin may enhance the development of your communication skills. It might even elevate your long-term and short-term memorization, writing, and reading skills. In practical terms, this could lead to improvements in job performance or better test scores for students in school.
Furthermore, progress in hand-eye coordination, greater focus and a higher mental processing speed are other benefits associated with violin playing.
Experiencing the benefits described above will undoubtedly raise your self-confidence and self-esteem, so when you start playing the violin, you can expect to feel good, smart, and happy.
Building a positive practice routine
Another popular psychological technique musicians rely on to build their practice routine is goal setting. A player’s musical ability will not improve without steady practice. Setting clear, attainable goals that challenge you to practice consistently will lead to meaningful progress, and gaining positive reinforcement from reaching your desired goals will drive your motivation to continue good practice habits.
Overcoming mental blocks
As with any learned skill, staying motivated to practice can be tricky. Some folks may become obsessed with perfection, not understanding how rare it is to have perfect pitch, while others may struggle dealing with frustration, and see the joys of playing disappear. The key is to be intentional with the use of mental strategies and set yourself up for success in your practice routines. Taking that approach to overcoming mental blocks and believing in yourself will make it possible to take your violin playing to the next level.
