“Soft Skills” Learned in Private Music Lessons
Piano lessons do more than teach songs, scales and sight-reading. A growing body of peer-reviewed research shows that structured musical training can help students build important personal and interpersonal abilities known as soft skills, that support success not only in music, but in life..
What are Soft Skills?
Charles Sturt University states: “They are a combination of people skills, social skills and communication skills, as well as personality traits and attitudes. So they’re the things that enable you to navigate your environment, perform well, and achieve your goals...”
https://insight.study.csu.edu.au/what-are-soft-skills/
Hard Skills
In contrast, “…hard skills tend to be very job specific. They’re key abilities needed to perform certain tasks or duties….”
https://www.seek.com.au/career-advice/article/soft-skills-the-key-to-success
Example
When running a music tuition business, my hard skills include having the ability to read and play music, and having the ability to use online software such as Canva, My Music Staff and Squarespace. Soft skills that I possess, include patience, empathy and communication skills. Both sets of skills are important to effectively do my job.
Why are Soft Skills Important?
Soft skills help us not only manage challenges but thrive in social, academic, and professional settings. Employers increasingly value these skills because they shape how well someone works with others and adapts to new situations. Developing soft skills early in life can set students up for future success far beyond the piano bench.
Research shows that private music lessons foster a wide range of soft skills, including:
Communication Skills — Learning to express ideas, listen, and receive feedback effectively.
Taking on Constructive Criticism — Developing openness to feedback to improve skills.
Confidence and Public Performance Skills — Building self-esteem through recitals and performances.
Collaboration and Leadership — Playing with others encourages teamwork and leadership abilities.
Organizational Skills, Goal Setting, and Scheduling Practice — Planning regular practice sessions requires time management and setting clear objectives.
Emotional Expression and Empathy — Music encourages emotional connection and awareness of others’ feelings.
Self-Regulation and Concentration — Staying focused during practice and lessons.
Study Skills, Discipline, Patience, and Perseverance — Consistent practice teaches persistence and resilience.
Self-Motivation and Problem-Solving Skills — Overcoming musical challenges fosters internal drive and creative thinking.
Attention to Detail and Memory Development — Mastering pieces improves cognitive skills and precision.
Adaptability — Learning to adjust to different pieces, teachers, and performance conditions.
Backing These Skills with Research
A comprehensive meta-analysis by Sala and Gobet (2020) found evidence that music training supports cognitive skills like working memory and attention, though effects vary depending on intensity and study quality.
(Available here)
Other studies in Frontiers in Psychology highlight how musical training enhances executive functions like self-regulation and motivation, essential for managing practice and learning.
(See this review)
Research also shows that music encourages empathy and prosocial behaviours, especially through ensemble playing and performance preparation.
(Read more here)
Specific piano education research highlights how self-efficacy and reflective practice strategies help students develop discipline, confidence, and goal-setting skills.
(Example study: MDPI)
How to Nurture These Soft Skills in Music Lessons
Teachers and parents can intentionally support these skills by:
Setting clear, achievable goals for each practice session.
Encouraging reflection and journaling about progress.
Providing constructive, encouraging feedback.
Creating performance opportunities to build confidence.
Supporting group playing to foster collaboration.
Conclusion
Private piano lessons offer far more than musical knowledge. They provide a rich training ground for valuable soft skills — from communication and confidence to perseverance and empathy. Backed by growing scientific evidence, these lessons help students develop tools that will serve them throughout their academic, social, and professional lives.
Skills and supporting evidence
Concentration / Attention
Structured instrument practice requires focused, repeated attention to detail (reading notation, coordinating hands), and reviews of music-training studies report modest improvements in attention and related executive functions. Effects are strongest in well-controlled, intensive programs. Frontiers+1
Memory & Cognitive Development
Several meta-analyses and reviews link musical training to improvements in working memory and inhibitory control (components of executive function), especially in children who receive sustained, frequent training. Again — effects are typically small to moderate and depend on program intensity. FrontiersSpringerLink
Discipline, Time Management & Study Skills
Research in music education (and instrument-specific studies) shows that self-regulated practice, goal setting and reflective strategies predict better progress and higher self-efficacy among piano students. Interventions that teach reflection and planning strengthen these study skills. MDPIVDU
Self-Motivation, Patience & Perseverance
Qualitative and quantitative work on piano learning links regular practice routines, feedback cycles, and incremental goal setting to increases in persistence and task persistence — traits that translate well outside music. Structured lessons create repeated opportunities to experience gradual improvement, which builds perseverance. VDUDergiPark
Taking on Constructive Criticism & Attention to Detail
Teacher feedback and iterative practice teach students to use critique productively (identify small errors, implement corrections). Music education studies document how feedback loops foster attention to nuance (dynamics, rhythm, articulation). VDUDergiPark
Problem-Solving Skills & Goal Setting
Learning pieces involves breaking down problems (fingerings, phrasing, technical passages) into solvable steps. Research on self-regulated learning in music links strategy use (chunking, slow practice) to better outcomes — clear evidence of applied problem solving. VDU
Emotional Expression, Empathy & Collaboration
Group music making, ensemble playing and synchronized activities are associated with increased empathy and prosocial behaviour. Even solo piano students gain emotional literacy through expressive practice and performance. Several reviews synthesise evidence for music’s role in empathy development. Frontiers+1
Confidence & Public Performance Skills
Studies of performance preparation and self-efficacy show that recitals and graded performances help students manage performance anxiety and build confidence — a transferable public-speaking/ presentation skill. Programs that scaffold performance opportunities show stronger gains. MDPIDergiPark
Selected accessible references (free where indicated)
Sala, G. & Gobet, F. (2020). Cognitive and academic benefits of music training with children: A meta-analytic review. Memory & Cognition. (summary / free copy available). Europe PMCSpringerLink
R. Rabinowitch et al. / Musical Training in the Development of Empathy and Prosocial Behaviors, Frontiers in Psychology (2021) — open access. Frontiers
Frontiers in Psychology (2022). Effects of music training in executive function performance — systematic review — open access. Frontiers
Using Self-Efficacy and Reflection to Improve Piano Learning Performance, Education Sciences (MDPI, 2025) — open access; piano-specific evidence about practice, reflection, and confidence. MDPI+1
The impact of music training on executive functions in childhood — Springer systematic review (2022) — PDF available.
