Blog

🎸 5 New Year’s Resolutions for Beginner Musicians

January 1, 2026

The start of a new year is a great time to reset, refocus, and reignite your passion for music. Whether you’ve been strumming for six months or just picked up your first instrument, setting musical resolutions can help you stay motivated and make measurable progress all year long.

At Music Royale — your Friendly Neighborhood Music Store in Powell, Ohio — our teachers see the same patterns every January: new students hungry to improve, returning players ready to break habits, and everyone looking for that spark to keep practicing.

Here are five realistic, achievable New Year’s resolutions to help you grow as a musician in 2025 — and actually stick to them.

🎶 1. Break Bad Habits Before They Break You

Even the best players pick up a few bad habits. The new year is your chance to fix them — one at a time.

Focus on these key areas:

Body Position: Bad posture = bad tone. Check your shoulders, wrists, and back during every practice.
Tempo Steadiness: Use a metronome (we love Korg) to lock in consistent timing.
Clean Starts and Finishes: Don’t fade out or rush endings — record yourself to hear where you drift.
Repetition: If you think you’ve practiced enough… do one more rep.

➡️ Learn more about proper technique and performance posture with one of our music instructors.

🎯 2. Set Goals That Actually Work

“Get better at guitar” isn’t a goal — it’s a wish. Real progress comes from setting specific, trackable goals.

Try this structure:

1 Big Goal (e.g., perform a song at an open mic, Get to the next volume in your method book, break a bad habit)
2 Growth Goals (e.g., learn barre chords, practice 20 minutes a day)

Break it down by time:

Weekly: Focus on consistency.
Monthly: Add one new technique.
Quarterly: Record or perform your progress.
Yearly: Play for an audience or teacher.

Be honest about what you can handle. Allow breaks when needed — burnout kills motivation faster than bad tuning.

➡️ Need help setting realistic goals? Check out our Student Resources and talk to your instructor about a personalized practice plan.

📓 3. Journal, Track, and Reward Yourself

Accountability makes progress visible — and fun.

There’s no single right way to track growth, but here are three personality-based approaches:

The Reflective Type: Keep a music journal to record what you practiced, what clicked, and what you want to improve.
The Reward Seeker: Create a prize system (new strings, concert tickets, or your favorite drink after hitting milestones).
The Data Nerd: Use a spreadsheet or tracker app like Notion or Trello to visualize your practice habits.

No matter your type, seeing tangible progress keeps your motivation alive.

➡️ Join us on social media to find community performances to set as milestones.

🧘 4. Stretch, Breathe, and Warm Up

Musicians are athletes — your hands, arms, and shoulders are your instruments too. Taking care of your body helps you play longer, stronger, and with less pain.

Try this resolution: “Warm up before every session.”

Start with gentle stretches or yoga poses for wrists and shoulders.
Play a few scales to get your head in the game.
Add breathing or meditation to calm your focus before performing.

According to the American Physical Therapy Association, regular stretching reduces repetitive stress injuries common in musicians. A healthy body means a more consistent practice routine — and more years doing what you love.

➡️ Meet the Teachers!

🤘 5. Freestyle: Make Some Stuff Up

This might be the most fun resolution of all: experiment.

Once you’ve practiced your scales and nailed your set list, give yourself permission to just play.

Make your own version of a song you love.
Record a solo and improvise over it.
Jam with friends — even if it’s messy.
Post your creation and tag us on social media!

Freestyle sessions build creativity and confidence — and remind you why you started playing in the first place.

➡️ Share your progress and connect with other local musicians on our Facebook page or Instagram.

🥁 Final Thoughts: Small Steps, Big Sound

You don’t need to change everything at once. Pick one or two resolutions, stay consistent, and enjoy the ride. By this time next year, you’ll be amazed at how much progress you’ve made.

At Music Royale, we’re here to help every step of the way — whether you’re fine-tuning your technique, finding your sound, or just getting started.

👉 Start your new year strong:

Browse Music Lessons in Powell, Ohio
Visit our Store Info to stop by in person
Follow @MusicRoyale for daily tips and local music updates

Because every great musician starts somewhere — and this could be your year to play louder, smarter, and better than ever.

#MusicRoyale #PowellOhio #MusicEducation #MusicLessons #FriendlyNeighborhoodMusicStore #NewYearsResolutions #LearnMusic #MusiciansOfOhio