“Although there is no precise agreed-upon time frame, music teachers often state that mastering an instrument requires 1–3 hours per day of study, practice, and rehearsal over 10–15 years. Musical mastery varies based on the specific instrument played and the commitment made to mastering it,” ‘Leading Musicians’ explains the type of dedication needed to play at a very high level.
However, you shouldn’t feel disheartened when hearing how long it takes to master a musical instrument. It doesn’t much take longer than learning any other non-musical skill. Besides, nobody says that you have to be a professional of world-renown, with ambitions to shoot for the stars (and beyond).
The simple fact is that you can learn to play for your own pleasure without worrying about being ‘perfect’ or what others will say. (Though if you’re truly, objectively awful, you might want to consider sound-proofing your home to protect your neighbors from your hobby.)
Josh Kaufman said in his TED talk that it takes a mere 20 hours to get pretty alright at any skill. So if you’ve always been curious about music but haven’t wanted to invest years and years of your time, why not give his suggestion a try: spend 20 hours learning the instrument of your choice. You might be surprised by how far you come in such a short amount of time.
