Why Music Part 1 - Fine Motor Skills

Why Music? - Part 1 - Fine Motor Skills

Is your child going to learn how to hold a bottle? a spoon?  a fork?  a knife? 

How about learning how to tie their shoes?  button a shirt?  zip a zipper?

Is he or she going to count on their fingers?  pick things up?  learn to write, print, draw, paint or type?

Or, now of the above due to a disability?

Fine motor skills are used in anything that fingers are used.  The better one can use their fingers, the more they can do in life. 

If you answered yes to any of the previous questions, they need fine motor skills,  Therefore, music will benefit them!!!

There are several ways that music can help develop good fine motor skills.  The first is finger play.

Many music activities use music to teach and help develop these skills.  Think about “Itsy, Bitsy Spider”, “Open Shut Them”, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”, any finger counting song and many others.  They all have finger movements that can be done with songs.  It helps children of all ages, from infancy to the young at heart, to use and control the movement of their fingers.  The earlier children start using the fingers the better they will learn to control those movements. 

Another way music helps is through instrumental lessons.  Whether it is piano, violin, clarinet, cello, trumpet, or any other instrument, fine motor skills are used.  Imagine a concert pianist playing a piano sonata by Beethoven.  The pianist is able to individualize and use each finger as an instrument in itself and in concert with the other fingers to perform a beautiful and moving piece of music. 

Anyone can take music lessons!!!  It is not just who can read or even have fingers.  I had a student who did not have any fingers on her left hand.  She still was able to play the piano with both hands!  She used the sides of her left hand to play notes.  She played beautifully. 

Both music finger activities and instrumental lessons help the dexterity, control and coordination of muscles and strength of one’s fingers, hands and wrists.  It seems to be a simple skill to learn, but takes time and repetition.  Music is repeatable as well as can be enjoyable and decrease frustration of children to repeat things.  There is no wrong or right, just an increase of skills.  Children of any developmental level or skill can learn from these simple music activities. 

Go back to that concert pianist, they are often able to play vigorously for hours.  They have built the strength, dexterity and motor memory to play for a long period of time, which is life-long.  Do you actually think about how to tie your shoe or do you do it by motor memory?  Do you think about how to use an eating utensil or do you just eat?  All fine motor skills, which music benefits!!!

Having good fine motor skills also helps in school and academic performance with writing, printing and typing.  In having those skills, things such as self-esteem can also be affected because it is easier to master. 

Why not give your child every resource possible to learn?  Why not give them the gift of music?

Let Music Teach!!!  Change the World Through Music!!!