Relationship between Playing Musical Instruments and Subjective Well-Being: Enjoyment of Playing Instruments Scale

While the positive effects of listening to music on mental health and well-being have been extensively studied, the effects of enjoying playing musical instruments have rarely been examined. Many tools have been developed to measure music listening; however, tools to measure the enjoyment of playing instruments have not yet been developed. This study aimed to develop and validate a tool to measure such enjoyment and to examine its relationship with subjective well-being and happiness. Primary information about the aforementioned enjoyment were collected from fourteen Chinese laypersons, five music graduates, and five music teachers using open-ended questions. Item and exploratory factor analyses were conducted using data from 361 Chinese adults, and the reliability and validity of the scale and the relationships between the variables were analyzed using data from 277 Chinese adults. The results revealed that the three-factor model for the enjoyment of playing instruments demonstrated excellent model fit, and satisfactory internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and criterion-related validity were demonstrated for the learning/social bonds, achievement/pride, and cognitive refreshment/stimulation subscales. All subscales of enjoyment were positively correlated with subjective well-being and happiness. This study highlights the usefulness of the Enjoyment of Playing Instruments Scale (EPIS) as a measure for research, educational, and clinical use, providing a rationale for using instrument playing as a therapeutic approach to promote subjective well-being.