Playing a musical instrument and emotions

[Rhi]

So I'm currently doing my dissertation, and I'm looking into how playing a musical instrument affects mood. Loony Bob gave me permission to post the link here, no personal information is asked. But I also want to hear what you guys think about why people play musical instruments, and the effect they have on a person. Or if you think that's rubbish, then say why! All ideas are welcome :)


If you want to take part, and you're over 18, and play any instrument at any skill level, pleeeease do. You can do it from home, its 45 minutes, but 30 minutes of it is you playing anything you want on your instrument. The other 15 minutes are just some questionnaires, asking about your mood, why you play a musical instrument, and some demographic information (nothing sensitive is asked!)

Here's the link, and links to contact my supervisor if you have any questions you don't want to ask me:
Link to the study, including all the information about the study given to you before you agree to take part (https://sdu-surveys.herts.ac.uk/musicians)

Researcher: Rhiannon
musiciansstudyherts@hotmail.com

Supervisor: Dr Nicholas A. Troop

Principle Lecturer in Health Psychology
University of Hertfordshire

Tel. 01707 286451 (direct line)

Email. n.a.troop@herts.ac.uk

Link to Nick Troop's page on the University of Hertfordshire website (http://psydb.herts.ac.uk/staff_list/FMPro?-recid=33663&-findall=&-sortfield=surname&-max=2147483647&-lay=details&-db=staff_list_email&-format=recorddetail.html)

Thanks guys! Hope to hear your opinions on this, I'm really lucky to be able to do a study on something I'm so interested in :)

[Shorty]

I love studies like this! It's been many years since I played an instrument, but I can try to fill it out as best as possible.

[noxious.sunshine]

Oooo yeah!

I don't play anything currently, unless you count the recorder XD (which I don't have one now)... So I guess vocals? Could that count as an instrument?

[Shoden]

I could whip something up but, most of the time I have no clue what I'm playing. I just go with the flow. I can barely even READ and write down notation D:

[Shiny]

I could whip something up but, most of the time I have no clue what I'm playing. I just go with the flow. I can barely even READ and write down notation D:

Same here. I have no idea what I'm playing when I play it, but when it actually sounds good I'll record it and then I'll open it years later and be like, oh I should make a longer thing of that but then it becomes a thing. I only like making music when it isn't a thing, and I can just do it.

[escobert]

Well damn, if I wasn't musically inept I would totally do it.

[noxious.sunshine]

I did it.

It isn't that hard...And yeah, vocals counts as an instrument in the survey... I giggled incessantly as I was typing up the list.

[Bubba]

I'm doing some practise tonight for an acoustic showcase next Friday. I'm sure I can squeeze this in while I'm doing it :)

[The Man]

I haven't played anything in years but I may give this a go soon if I can find a way to set up my synthesizer in my room, unless I forget :monster:

[Rhi]

Oh wow thanks guys :) Escobert, literally any skill level is completely fine. We want to get a range of abilities. Noxious.sunshine, any instrument counts, singing and the recorder included :) Also, I forgot to say in the original post, but if anyone's interested in the results, I'm happy to share what we find.

[noxious.sunshine]

I'm interested!!

[Rhi]

Then I'll make sure I share them once I have the results. Not 100% sure when that will be, but it all has to be handed in by the 2nd April so I'll need to have the results a while before then to write the report up.

[AssassinDX]

I'll give it a go when I have a spare half hour, but I will say here that it is a wonderful feeling when simply jamming on my guitar a nice sounding riff comes together, like "I'm responsible for this sound."

Or when finger picking and the next thing I know I'm forming lyrics in my mind to an improvised acoustic piece, I think my mood definitely influences the direction my playing goes in. Like when I feel... Melancholic perhaps, I'll just pluck away on my 12 string, or when I want to blow off steam I'll fire up the Fender amp and rock out for an hour. Both have me feeling happy when I'm finished, good music either played by me or listened to always has that effect.

[Rhi]

Hello! Thought I'd update anyone that's interested: we have the results! As expected, after playing there was an increase in positive emotions and a decrease in negative emotions. Nothing shocking there, but there is a more interesting finding: that for positive emotions, there was an increase in activated affect (this is playing for enjoyment and excitement) and safe-content affect (playing to feel safer and more secure in yourself) but there was no significant effect on playing to feel relaxed/less stressed. This is one of the first studies on the effects of playing a musical instrument and there are still many unanswered questions we could not address with one study, but this gives a baseline that future research could work from, as well as giving a scientific measure to the relationship. If anyone has any further questions feel free to ask :)