Qualities of A Good Musician (10 traits + habits I love)
Serious question: what makes a good musician?
It’s a bit subjective — for sure — but I think there are some core traits that stand out. Then again, this is just my hot take. Because what makes someone good or bad is always open for interpretation.
This post simply shares what I believe are the best qualities of a musician. These are the things I love and try to embody on a daily basis (ish).
So let’s do this!
What Makes A Good Musician?
The lens we define quality through is complex and individual.
One person can call you brilliant, while the very next labels you a complete fraud (not to sound dramatic).
But all that really matters is you and your own opinion about yourself.
The truth is, great art or music isn’t always obvious. It can depend on things like who made it, when it was created, where it was made and so on.
Why is Picasso’s earlier work not as popular as his cubism?
Is John Cage’s song 4’33” (which is just four minutes and 33 seconds of pure silence) make him a good musician?
What makes an artist talented or impactful is never just one thing. It’s a collection of nuances, context, timing and who knows what else.
But I do think there are some core traits worth honing…
Top 10 Qualities of A Musician
1. Knows Their Instrument
IMO, it’s hard to be a good musician without deeply knowing your craft. This is your principal instrument.
Whether that’s a guitar, singing, piano, DJing, sampling or even using AI, knowing your instrument is foundational. You can’t be a good musician without it.
But what makes someone good at their instrument?
According to me, it’s two things:
Continues to stack new skills
Confident in their abilities
If you can adapt to new technology and quickly play out your ideas or musical obligations, then I say you’re good with your instrument.
This is something I’m always working on. It’s the purpose and motivation behind showing up and practicing everyday.
Put another way, never stop learning.
2. Continues to Show Up
What makes someone great? They keep showing up, day in and day out.
Nothing replaces experience and consistency. It’s something you can’t learn in a class or a random weekend workshop.
Because continuing to show up leads to something intangible: wisdom.
My best progress comes from trying, failing, trying again and continuing to move forward little by little.
I'm far from perfect, but I believe simply showing up (*with intention) does more than anything else.
It’s a basic formula, not sexy at all — but hey, it works.
So here are some ways I stay consistent with my stuff:
Have short-term projects and long-term goals
Assign meaning to your projects and songs
Never stop learning
Hang around more musicians
Cultivate a growth mindset
Focus on the now and milestones (not what-ifs and finish lines)
3. Has Musical Soft Skills
Soft skills are personal traits that help you work and make music better.
Hard skills, on the other hand, are technical knowledge (like knowing how to play the guitar).
Anyone can develop hard or soft skills, but great musicians don’t just stop at their technical learnings. They also have solid soft skills
For example:
Trust in creative intuition (more on this below)
Not easily influenced by musical trends or criticisms
Humility mixed with confidence
Self-awareness
Emotional awareness
Non-judgmental
Patience
Soft skill development doesn’t feel important since the impact isn’t immediately felt (like learning a new EQ trick that produces tangible results).
But it’s something I always prioritize.
Because better soft skills will help you make better music.
4. Is Patient
Caveats aside, songwriting takes time. And a good production takes even longer.
So a good musician (if logic follows) has patience.
They have patience for the process, the obstacles and the results. Making music is a journey and the destination is rarely clear.
Becoming a good musician requires present moment awareness and an appreciation for the meandering journey.
Put another way, it requires patience.
It’s not always easy, but a calm and collective approach is an awesome creative energy to embody.
This is one area I’ve struggled with in the past — especially patience for details and developing a song to its fullest potential.
Nowadays, I try to practice creative patience daily. Meditation and staying mindful are my two best strategies for this.
5. Is Detailed
The devil lives in the details — when it comes to contracts. But with creativity, magic lives here.
This is another area I used to skip over (again, impatience). I didn’t fully appreciate how small things can truly make a big splash.
A good musician knows that the seemingly small choices add up and are crucial to spend time on.
They’re like the spices of a good meal. You don’t always see them, but you taste them and you know they’re in there, collaborating and making that sh*t tasty af.
Here are some examples of musical details:
Small instruments and noises that are barely audible
Sound design (whooshing, steps, people, city chatter, etc.)
Being intentional with automation, filtering and other FX
Singing with moments of personality (over ‘correct’ technique)
6. Knows When to Break the Rules
“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
Templates, strategies and tips are great. But there comes a time when ignoring them is greater.
This is the mark of a good musician — knowing when and how to break those pesky musical rules.
Unintentionally making a mistake is often due to a lack of knowledge or expertise. But intentionally doing it is often due to an abundance of knowledge or expertise.
Reaching this point is exciting. But even beginners can practice it.
After learning a new concept or “rule”, try challenging it. Look for examples that disprove it. Experiment with failing at it and listen to your intuition and the sound itself.
Do you like it? Why or why not?
If you like what you’re doing and how something is sounding (even if it’s technically ‘wrong’), then I say just run with it. Follow the breadcrumbs, keep pulling the string and see what unravels.
Explore more:
➤ How to Become A Songwriter
7. Follows Their Intuition
As a musician, intuition is a core soft skill.
Because creative decision-making isn’t a templated formula. You need to know how to listen to your gut.
One way I like to practice intuition in music is by using a creative flow state, which is when you’re so involved in a task that you lose track of time and space. The best creative moments live here.
And we all know this place. It’s the zone — that sweet spot where writing is easy and ideas flow.
A good musician knows this and will optimize their life (and their studio) in a way that makes it easier to reach this state.
So here are some quick tips to find more flow and intuition in your music:
Fix flow bottlenecks or obstacles
Avoid distractions
Do regular social detoxes
Keep your music practice time completely open and with no end time
Practice living in the present moment
Optimize your practice space for more flow
Explore more:
➤ Intuitive Songwriting Guide
8. Is Inspired (not envious)
Comparison is the enemy of happiness — and creativity. It’s also a slippery slope that can lead to envy.
This is a sucky emotion. So I like to stay mindful of it.
Being inspired by other artists is a great source of motivation. We should all support each other.
But I’ve noticed that when I don’t take action on my inspiration, that inspiration can turn into jealousy.
Put another way, being inspired and ambitious without taking any action will (eventually) create negative emotions like envy and anger.
So be inspired — but then take action (like we talked about in tip two above).
Good musicians appreciate a good song or a great artist (regardless of the genre or nuance surrounding it). But they’re not jealous. They’re inspired.
So be inspired too. Boost others up before yourself and remember to take more action.
9. Is Intentional
I fully support willy-nilly songwriting. It’s like using your intuition.
It’s usually more mood-based and lacks a clear direction or purpose. But it’s great for exploration and just having fun. So this type of writing will always be a part of my life (in some capacity).
But layering in some actual intention elevates everything.
For example, my songs never used to have meaning, themes, lyrical impact or story. If asked, I couldn’t answer. I just liked the melodies.
But recently, I started approaching music and individual songs with more purpose.
I think about what I want a song to achieve. What’s its message, theme and motivation?
And (big surprise) my music has actually started to sound better. It just hits differently. Because every detail has a deeper purpose to it, like a supporting character in a story.
Of course, I still write without intention or direction sometimes. But the major projects usually have a story or purpose attached to them.
I’ve found this makes me a stronger, more serious musician.
10. Owns Their Authenticity
We all have influences, whether we’re conscious of them or not. But at some point, owning what makes you authentic is required.
And don’t worry, this is inevitable if you continue to show up and hone your craft. Because no matter how hard you try, you can’t quiet your unique voice forever.
Even if you do cover songs, you’ll have a unique spin on them.
Your musical authenticity may start as subtleties. But as you give those subtleties room to play, they start to grow and expand. Eventually, your authentic points come into clear focus.
A good musician highlights what makes them unique. They don’t suppress their unique voice for fear of judgment or sounding different. They embrace it. They test often and move on when something flops.
Your musical identity is your musical soul. So let it out, damnit!
(the world is waiting)
Later ✌️
The exact qualities of a good musician are hard to pin down. It’s art, so it’s inherently subjective.
Still, I think there are a few truths — like knowing your instrument, being intentional and having a solid mindset (e.g., inspiration vs. envy).
But what matters most is having fun and finding your authentic voice.
Nobody can tell you that you are or aren’t a good musician or that your work is or isn’t meaningful. You assign its value first and foremost.
So just keep showing up and focus on improving as a musician and a human.
It’s all a journey — there are no destinations and ‘good’ is not a place.
