Should Your Child Play a Musical Instrument to Develop & Support Math Skills?

Some research suggests kids who learn to play a musical instrument have better math skills than kids who don’t play a musical instrument. You may wonder why learning to play a musical instrument helps improve math skills?

Some mathematical concepts get reinforced when learning to read music and play an instrument. These mathematical ideas include:

Rate: A child will hear how playing notes fast or slow affects the tempo.

Fractions: Musical notation is full of fractions. Every note is represented as a fraction of a whole note. The length of the whole note depends on the time signature of the piece.

Patterns: The current number system (base 10) is based on a pattern of arranging 10 numerals to create an infinite number of possibilities. The chromatic scale (used in Western music) is based on a pattern of arranging twelve notes to create an infinite number of possibilities.

Symmetry and asymmetry: Notes are created by making vibrations. If your child plays a string instrument they will learn how where they press down on the string affects the vibration, and therefore the sound.

Counting: To play a piece with the correct rhythm, a musician must count the beats.

This list shows some of the connections between math and music, which may explain the relationship, but it isn’t the full story. According to Scientific American, the evidence shows a correlation between the two skills but the relationship may not causal. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-there-a-link-between-music-and-math/

In other words, it may be that learning the instrument directly improves math skills, but it may not. The relationship could also occur for other reasons. Maybe kids who like math also tend to like music lessons. Perhaps the same parents who support music education also support math education. It could be that the same family culture that propels kids to take music lessons also nurtures math skills.

One of the most important lessons kids can get from learning a musical instrument is the understanding that mastering any skill takes grit, or perseverance. Musical training isn’t the only way to improve grit. Training for a long time in any skill will reinforce the rewards of persistence. Math enrichment at Mathnasium of Littleton helps students increase their confidence, too. We are most interested in your children’s math education, but we know that kids develop life skills in many places, including here at Mathnasium of Littleton.

In short, if your child is interested in music, great! It can’t hurt. But please don’t push your child to learn a musical instrument just for the math benefits. Many other activities will benefit math skills, too.

To learn more about different activities and their relationship to math please read some of the following articles:

• Eat and Play to Understand Fractions
• Give Your Child the Joy of Success in Math
• Give Children a Break
• Are You Choosing Sports Over Academics?
• Why Does Mathnasium of Littleton Love Math Games
• 10 Fun Ways to Incorporate Math During School Breaks
• Mathnasium of Littleton's Gift Giving Guide to Delight Children and Support Math Skills
• Mathnasium of Littleton Improves Grit
• Use Math to Improve Your Child's Confidence in Their Ability to Learn
• Games, Awards, Rewards, Events, Parties, Celebrations and Hard Work at Mathnasium of Littleton

And feel free to call us with any questions you have regarding your child and math! 303-979-9077

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