How Can Piano Music Help You Ace Your Exams?

​It’s that time of the year, when students of all ages are gearing up for final exams. We all probably have our favorite methods for helping to study and ace our exams.

Some of us hunker down in a quiet space so we can focus solely on our studies.

​Some of us wait until the last minute and then stay up and cram the night before. A few of us, actually stay caught up during the semester so we don’t have to do much but review before and exam. <---but not that many of us!

Piano students and piano music lovers have an extra method for studying that has been scientifically proven to help students make better grades on their exams…

Turn off the Stones and Turn on the Mozart 

Classical music has already been proven to increase motor skills, problem solving skills, enhance mood, and help with relaxation.

Now studies are showing that specifically piano music or other instrumental music assist students in learning and retaining information better than listening to rock n roll, or other types of music that have lyrics.

Students that listened to music with lyrics were more distracted than students that listened to piano music, as the instrumental music was more of a background stimulus, and didn’t require thinking on the part of the listener.

French researchers concluded that classical music put students in a heightened emotional state, making them more receptive to information.

A French University study consisted of playing classical music during a one hour lecture in the background, while the lecture was occurring. Afterwards, students were tested on the lecture. Students who had the classical music on during the lecture scored better on the test than those who didn’t have classical music on in the background.

Duke Cancer Institute found that patients experienced less pain and no rise in blood pressure when listening to classical music during cancer procedures and treatments compared to those who didn’t listen to classical music.

The University of San Diego supported this conclusion with their own study that compared the blood pressure of patients listening to pop or jazz music with those who listened to just classical and piano music, and found that the only music that didn’t raise blood pressure was classical music.

If Not Mozart…

If Mozart isn’t your cup of tea, then it’s important to find some classical piano music that you can connect with, so you can start using it to help you get ready for exams!
It’s best to find music that you like, and that can be considered background music. Meaning: no loud intense sections, no lyrics, and play the music softly, so it isn’t louder than your thoughts.

Here are a few suggestions...

• Chopin Nocturnes
• Bach
• Beethoven Sonatas
• Grieg's Lyric Pieces for solo piano

More of This, and Less of That 

One of the biggest benefits from listening to classical piano music while studying for exams is that you will be much more relaxed and calm heading into the actual exams; in addition to all of the good things you’ll get from the power of music to help you learn.
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Imagine…less stress, better concentration, and more ability to retain information.
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What are you waiting for? Get out the books and some great piano music, and get a leap on those exams!

Stay tuned to LessonsOnTheWeb to learn much more!

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