How to Become a Better Musician: 10 Tips for Beginners and Professionals

If you want to establish a career as a musician, you need to dedicate the time and effort required to play like a pro.
It’s okay to make mistakes during the songwriting and music recording process, but when it comes to live performances, you must ensure your musicianship and stage presence are top-notch at all times.

Whether you've been playing your chosen instrument for years or you're just starting out, nobody is perfect, and everyone can improve. So, if you're ready to take the next step to play like a professional or you're looking for new ways to refine your skills, here are our tips to help you become a better musician.

1. Practice Techniques

This may seem obvious, but simply playing your instrument isn't the same as practicing it.
When a professional musician practices, they go through scales (or rudiments) repeatedly, aiming to improve their technique. Establish a specific practice routine or warm-up regimen for each day to lock those scales into your memory.

You should not only practice scales and exercises to maintain your skills but also challenge yourself to master something new as often as possible.

2. Set Goals

Set realistic goals at every opportunity and strive to achieve them, whether it’s learning a specific scale by heart during a practice session or mastering a complete song by the end of the week.

These goals can be short-term, like practicing for 60 minutes each day or learning a new piece, or long-term, like preparing for a full performance.
Achieving these goals will give you a sense of accomplishment as your skills develop and make each practice session more productive.

3. Be Patient

Perhaps the most important quality for a musician seeking to perfect their instrument is patience, especially if you’re just starting out. Don’t take your frustrations out on your instrument. Stay calm and keep practicing!

No one becomes a virtuoso overnight, so if you hit a wall, don’t give up—keep going until you get it right. It takes a lot of time and effort to become a truly great musician.

4. Make It Fun

While it’s important to work on scales and other (sometimes dull) techniques, don’t forget to make your practice sessions enjoyable! Learn your favorite songs and incorporate new material alongside structured exercises to keep things fresh and exciting.

The worst thing for a musician is when playing becomes a chore instead of an enjoyable experience.

5. Organize a Jam Session

Whether you’re planning to form a new band or just enjoy a friendly jam with friends, playing in a group can help you improve not only your technique but also your timing and improvisation skills.

Playing with others exposes you to new ideas and methods, and it’s an excellent way to get honest feedback about your playing style.

6. Know Your Key

Building on the previous point, if you plan to play with other musicians, it’s essential to know what key you’re playing in at any given moment and adjust your approach accordingly—unless, of course, you’re the drummer!

Learning scales can help you stay in key during a jam session. As experienced musicians know, every musical scale is centered around a specific key. The more scales you know, the better you’ll stay in key, improvise over a track, and sound great when playing with others.

7. Find a Teacher

Taking lessons is one of the most effective ways to become a better musician, no matter your skill level. There’s always something new to learn, and a professional mentor can help you develop new techniques while refining old ones.

However, paying for lessons isn’t an option for everyone, and many musicians are self-taught. If you’re on a tight budget, you can always ask a musician friend to help you develop your skills or watch and learn from the thousands of YouTube videos available for your chosen instrument.

8. Know Your Gear

A professional musician should have a deep understanding of their gear, as well as their technique. You can’t produce great sound if you don’t know the capabilities and limitations of your equipment.

That said, you don’t want to be "all gear, no idea." If you’re new to your instrument, there’s no point in spending thousands on high-end gear when you can achieve the same results with affordable equipment.

Learn everything you can about your chosen instrument—not just how to play it!

9. Use Online Resources

There are plenty of free resources available for musicians looking to improve their skills and learn new songs. Websites like UltimateGuitar.com and 8notes.com provide access to thousands of tabs, chord charts, and sheet music.

If you want to learn a new song or cover a specific track, there’s no excuse not to look up the chords, tabs, and notation online.

10. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

It’s often tempting to stick with what you know, but as a musician, you should step out of your comfort zone as often as possible, discover new ways to play, and constantly challenge yourself.

Yes, it may be frustrating, and yes, it will take hard work, but the rewards of mastering something new are worth it. A year from now, you’ll look back proudly at how far you’ve come!