How to Succeed at Learning an Instrument

What separates students who successfully learn an instrument from those who quit?

In this episode of The Daily Musician Podcast, Adam Wilson shares four simple but powerful principles that have helped thousands of music students make lasting progress over the past two decades.

You'll learn:
• Why making music fun is essential for long-term success
• How consistent practice beats occasional marathon sessions
• What to look for in a great music teacher
• Why playing with other musicians can dramatically accelerate growth

Whether you're a beginner, a parent of a young musician, or an experienced player looking to reignite your progress, this episode offers practical advice you can start applying today.

Learning an instrument isn't about talent—it's about building the right habits and enjoying the journey along the way.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Hey everyone, thank you so much for tuning into another episode of the Daily Musician Podcast. My name is Adam Wilson. I'm the owner of Learn Music. I've been playing guitar for 29 years and teaching for 22. I love music uh more than almost anything in my life. And over the years, I've had the opportunity to work with thousands of students of all ages and skill levels. And today I want to talk about a question that comes up all the time in lessons and conversations with parents and in discussions with our adult students. How do you actually succeed at learning an instrument? I've spent a lot of time thinking about that question. And while every student is different, I've noticed that the students who are the most successful tend to have a few things in common. Today I want to share four simple practices that can dramatically increase your chances of success on your musical journey. First, I want to tell you a little bit about my journey. I started playing guitar when I was 11 years old. Like most beginners, I didn't know anything. I didn't know about music theory. I couldn't read music. I didn't know scales or how chords worked. I just wanted to rock out and learn the songs that I loved. And honestly, that's what kept me going. As I've gotten older and spent more than two decades teaching, I've realized that while theory, technique, and all the fundamentals matter, the students who stick with music long enough to become great musicians are usually the ones who genuinely enjoy the process. So let's start there. Principle number one, make learning fun. One of the biggest mistakes people make is turning music into a chore. One of the greatest things about learning an instrument is that it's such an incredible outlet. Whether you're a child, a teenager, or an adult, music gives you a way to express yourself, process emotions, understand yourself better, understand the world around you, decompress after a stressful day, and build meaningful relationships with other people. And that's super powerful. And one of the best ways to keep learning fun is to learn music that you actually love. Now, don't get me wrong, scales are super important, chords are important, music theory is important, reading music is important. But if all you're doing is exercise and drills and super dry stuff, you're missing one of the most rewarding parts of learning to play an instrument. Learn the songs that made you want to play in the first place. I'm gonna say that again because that's really, really important. Learn the songs that made you want to play an instrument in the first place. If you're a guitar player, learn the riff that inspired you to pick up the instrument. If you're a piano player, learn one of your favorite songs. If you're a singer, work on music that excites you. The key is balance. Learn the fundamentals. That's so important. But learn songs and don't forget to enjoy the journey. Principle number two is practice consistently. So let's talk about practice. One thing I tell students all the time is this you don't get better by going to lessons. I'm gonna say that again too, because that's really important. You don't get better by going to lessons, you get better by practicing between lessons. Lessons provide direction, practice creates progress. So the good news is that you don't have to practice for hours every day. In fact, most people don't. At Learn Music, we have a program called the Kaizen Club that helps students gradually build healthy practice habits over time. So what we generally recommend as an aspirational goal is 30 minutes a day, five days a week. But don't feel like you have to start there. If you start at 10 minutes a day, four days a week, and slowly work your way up to that, then that's okay. But that 30 minute a day, five day a week mark, that's enough to create meaningful progress for most students. And if you want to practice more, you can. But remember, you don't want to be rigid about this. You don't want to, you don't want to make this a chore. You want this to be super fun. The important thing is consistency. So music and learning to play an instrument is a marathon and not a sprint. And a little bit of focus practice done occasionally will beat these occasional practice sprints. So you don't need to be perfect, you just need to keep showing up and practice consistently. Principle number three, find a great teacher. Now, I know what some of you are thinking right now. This is the Learn Music Podcast. They're a music school. Of course, you're going to tell me to get a teacher. And you know what? I am, and not because I own a music school. I'm saying it because I've spent 22 years watching students succeed and struggle. And having a great teacher is one of the fastest ways to accelerate your growth. So a good teacher acts as a guide. They help you avoid common mistakes, they help you stay motivated, they see things that you don't see that can help you get better, they help you create a plan, and they help you navigate moments when you feel stuck. So when looking for a teacher, there's a few things I'd recommend. First, find somebody who teaches the kind of music you're interested in learning. Second, find somebody you connect with personally. It's important that you enjoy spending time with the person that you're learning from. And third, find someone who teaches a balanced approach. You don't want someone who only teaches scales, exercises, and theory, but you also don't want somebody who only teaches songs. A great teacher helps you learn the music you love while also teaching you how music works. So they give you the tools to eventually become more independent and figure things out on your own. That's where the real growth happens. And you know what? I think it's worth mentioning too. Like I said, I've been playing guitar since I was 11. That was, it's almost been 29 years. And I still have a guitar teacher. You know, I'm a decent guitar player. I'm pretty good at playing the guitar, but I know I have so much more to learn. And one of the most helpful things in my journey has been finding somebody who's farther along on their journey that can help unlock the fretboard for me and help me understand how to play the guitar in a deeper and better way. And so I'm so thankful for my teacher. Shout out Trevor Giancola. I love working with you. So principle number four, play music with other people. If I had to pick one thing that accelerates growth more than anything else, it would be playing music with other people. So at Learn Music, we have our Legends program where students perform in bands with other musicians who are similar in age, interest, and skill. And it's incredible how quickly those students improve. In fact, just recently, last night, my kids and I went to see Yellow Card and Newfound Glory. Shout out to all the millennials out there, some of the best pop punk bands from that era. We went with another family whose kid plays in a band with my kids. And while we were there, I was talking with his dad about how much his son has improved in just six months of playing in a band. About six months ago, we were learning Zombie by the Cranberries, and this student did an amazing job. He did really good. But just the other night, we had an event at the Cain Center in Cornelius, and he played Lights and Sounds by Yellow Card. And that's a really technical song. And he crushed it. And I was just kind of sitting in my seat watching him, just thinking, it is amazing how much he has improved. He's gone from good to great. And I was so proud. But what I know is that honestly, that was a direct result of him meeting with a group of students who are similar in age, interest, and skill for an hour every week and really, really just going for it and having this challenge, having these new songs that they have to learn that he has to learn and gigs that he has to get ready for. It's been transformative in his life. And I know my own kids, they're in a couple bands as well, and that's been transformative in their life. And I've seen the same story play out hundreds of times over the years. When students start playing with other musicians, everything changes. They become more accountable, they practice more, they develop better listening skills, they gain confidence, they gain leadership skills, and perhaps most importantly, they finally have an outlet for the skills they've been developing. We say at Learn Music all the time that we want students to take what they're learning in the classroom onto the stage because knowledge is perfected when it's applied. And playing with other musicians is one of the best ways that you can do that. Music was never meant to be experienced entirely alone, it's meant to be shared. So key takeaways if you want to increase your chances of success as a musician, remember these four things. Number one, make learning fun. Number two, practice consistently. Number three, find a great teacher. And number four, play music with other people. None of these ideas are complicated, but they work. And over the last two decades, I've seen these principles help countless students become better musicians and enjoy the journey along the way. So here's a challenge for you guys. Before we wrap up, I want to leave you with a challenge for this week. Ask yourself these four questions. Am I learning music that excites me? Am I practicing consistently? Do I have someone helping guide my progress? And am I finding opportunities to make music with other people? Identify the areas where you're strongest and the area where you have the most room to grow. Then take one small action this week to improve in that area. And remember, progress doesn't happen overnight, it happens one step at a time. So that's a wrap, everybody. Thank you so much for listening to the Daily Musician Podcast. Learning an instrument is one of the most rewarding journeys you can take. It challenges you, stretches you, connects you with other people, and gives you a creative outlet that can last a lifetime. In future episodes, we'll continue exploring ways to help you think, work, and grow like a musician. So if you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this podcast with another musician in your life or maybe somebody who's been wanting to become a musician, and these things will set them up for success on their journey. Until next time, we're helping musicians become better musicians one conversation at a time. Thanks so much and have a great day.