A new study has found that learning to play music—even later in life—can improve brain function in older adults.
The research was led by Dr. Jennifer MacRitchie from the University of Sheffield, in partnership with Western Sydney University.
It suggests that creating your own music through improvisation may help your memory and thinking skills more than simply repeating a melody.
This is the first study to carefully compare two common ways of learning music: improvisation and replication. Improvisation means making up new melodies on the spot, while replication means playing a given piece of music over and over. Both methods were found to help with brain function, but improvisation led to even better results.
The research followed a group of older adults who were complete beginners at music. Over the course of 12 months, they were taught music using either improvisation or replication.
This is much longer than earlier studies, which usually last just three to six months. The team wanted to see not only how much musical skill the participants gained, but also whether their memory, attention, and motor skills improved.
Dr. MacRitchie explained that there’s been a long-standing debate about whether learning music actually sharpens the brain, or if it’s just that people with better brain skills are more likely to learn music in the first place.
By studying complete beginners and tracking their progress over a full year, her team provided stronger evidence that musical training can directly benefit the brain, especially in older adults.
One of the most exciting findings was that those who learned by improvising saw greater improvements in their cognitive and physical coordination skills than those who followed the replication method. Improvisation seemed to help even people who had trouble with memory, possibly because it focuses more on expression than remembering exact notes.
The researchers also looked at whether it made a difference to play music on a real instrument or a virtual one. Some participants used an actual piano, while others used an iPad app called Thumbjam.
The results showed no major differences between the two. This is good news for people who don’t have access to traditional instruments. Apps and other digital tools can offer the same brain-boosting benefits.
Dr. MacRitchie said these findings could help music teachers and program designers offer better, more personalized lessons to older adults. Music isn’t just for fun—it can also be a form of brain training.
And improvisation, in particular, may offer a great way for older adults to express themselves and strengthen their thinking and movement skills at the same time.
The study was published in the journal Royal Society of Open Science and shows strong promise for music as a tool to support healthy aging. More research is still needed, but this study opens the door for future music and wellness programs to include improvisation as a key part of their teaching approach.
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