Need some motivation to get you through January? These music legends have you covered

We’ve collected some musical words of wisdom from ten of our favorite artists.

January blues got you down? We feel you.

For many of us, the beginning of January is a time when motivation is running high, our resolutions still fresh and our willpower relatively untested. But New Year cheer only lasts so long. As January rolls on, through Quitter’s Day and Blue Monday (said to be the most depressing day of the year), we can often find ourselves needing another push in the right direction.

That’s why we’ve taken the opportunity to scour the internet for some piano-learning pick-me-ups — a little injection of inspiration, if you like — and compiled a list of ten of the very best, each delivered by a musical legend with the accolades and accomplishment to back it up.

They’re not all about playing piano, or even learning an instrument, but you’re sure to find something that speaks to you in the list below.

A stylized image of a woman in a sleeveless top with a confident pose, accompanied by a pink quote that reads, "Be driven, be focused, but enjoy every moment, because it only happens once." The name "Alicia Keys" appears in the lower left corner.

Alicia Keys: "Be driven, be focused, but enjoy every moment, because it only happens once."

We’re kicking off the list with a quote from one of the most accomplished artists of her generation — and one who knows well what it means to be driven. By age 12, Keys was practicing piano for hours every day in a quest to perfect difficult Beethoven pieces. And it paid off: she signed her first record deal at 15 before going on to sell over 90 million records and win 17 Grammys.

Commitment like hers pays off, of course, but if you’re not aiming to sell quite as many records or win quite as many awards, perhaps pay closer attention to the second half of this quote. We believe that learning to play ought to be fun, so try not to place too much pressure on yourself and be sure to enjoy the process. Practicing for several hours each day may lead to mastery, but you can make real (and rapid) progress in far less time than that by just squeezing in a quick song, game, or exercise whenever you feel like it.

A stylized purple-toned image of a woman in a reflective, checkered outfit appears on the right, with a quote about practicing guitar and songwriting attributed to Taylor Swift on the left.

Taylor Swift: "I have to practice to be good at guitar. I have to write 100 songs before you write the first good one."

Sticking with pop powerhouses, we move on to some wise words from Taylor Swift. While she may be talking more about writing music than learning to play it, the advice here is highly relevant. Here at ROLI, we have our own variation: “Play the wrong note first.”

What does it mean? It means get stuck in, don’t be afraid to make mistakes (because you will make many — that’s how you learn), and watch as your skills seemingly level themselves up. It pays to remember that even Taylor Swift had to start somewhere. The difference between her and the rest of us is that she’s already put the work in.

A stylized image of a man with glasses and a beard on a red background, accompanied by a large white text quote about practice and improvement in music, attributed to Ed Sheeran.

Ed Sheeran: "The more you write tunes, the better they will become. The more you do gigs, the better you will become. It's just kind of like the facts of life; the practice-makes-perfect thing."

Echoing Taylor Swift’s words above, we now have Ed Sheeran’s take on the importance of practice. Are you spotting a trend here? Sheeran has absolutely walked the walk on this too — he once played 312 gigs in a single year, so we can safely say he’s pretty good at it now. And his rise from busking and sleeping on couches to worldwide success is an inspiring story of persistence and perseverance in its own right.

If we can add one thing to Sheeran’s sentiment, it’s that perfect practice makes perfect. It’s more important, in our experience, to practice well than to practice for hours on end. It’s a good thing, then, that the ROLI Learn app is designed to ensure you do just that — and Airwave adds even more to the experience.

A stylized portrait of a man in a suit and tie appears on the right, with the quote "Do not fear mistakes. There are none." in large text on the left, and the name Miles Davis in the lower left corner, all set against a dark background.

Miles Davis: "Do not fear mistakes. There are none."

Miles Davis, inarguably one of the most influential figures in jazz history, was known for inventing and reinventing genres, forms, and even himself. Critics have often described his “fearless” approach to playing, and it seems to have been a philosophy he applied to life too.

Yet another piece of advice to file under “mistakes are your friends,” this famous quote may be most often applied to jazz and improvisation, but we’d argue it’s every bit as relevant to the process of learning a new instrument — can we really call them mistakes if making them is an essential part of the process?

A man in a suit and tie is shown smiling on the right side of the image, with a motivational quote about learning from taking chances displayed in large text on a beige background.

John Legend: "You learn so much from taking chances, whether they work out or not. Either way, you can grow from the experience and become stronger and smarter."

Legend may not be his real name, but we’d say he’s earned it at this point. The pianist, singer, and songwriter is one of just a handful of artists to attain EGOT status — by winning Emmy, Grammy (he now has 13), Oscar, and Tony awards.

The advice above was surely hard won from Legend’s early career as a session player, where taking chances and seizing opportunities is very much the name of the game. As far as learning piano goes, we’d file it alongside some of the other advice in this list about being unafraid to make mistakes. Think your favorite song is too tough to learn? Give it go: you may or may not surprise yourself, but you’ll definitely learn from the experience.

A stylized image of a smiling man in sunglasses and a suit, set against a pink background with the quote "Ya gots to work with what you gots to work with." and the name Stevie Wonder in white text.

Stevie Wonder: "Ya gots to work with what you gots to work with."

This one hits harder than most. Steve Wonder, blind from shortly after birth, certainly knows more than most about working with whatever you’ve got. Hopefully you’re not facing the same level of hardship as Stevie, but it bears keeping in mind that we all have different strengths, abilities, and limitations. What matters is what you do with them.

Maybe you have less time to spare than most, can’t find a quiet practice space, or struggle to build the needed dexterity for tricky passages? It’s equally likely, however, that you have your own particular advantages — maybe you’re especially persistent, have a great ear for pitch, or excel at creating and sticking to habits and routines for example. It’s all about playing to your strengths to overcome your weaknesses.

A pink-tinted portrait of a woman with styled hair and earrings appears on the right, while a motivational quote in large pink text is displayed on the left against a beige background.

Lady Gaga: "Don't ignore even the smallest glimmer of passion in your soul, run towards it with everything you have. It could change your life."

Lady Gaga is certainly not someone who could be accused of lacking passion — and she certainly seems to have followed hers throughout her distinguished career.

What this quote says, to us, is that there’s a reason, or a spark, that prompted you to pick up the piano in the first place. Gaga’s telling you to listen to that, follow it, and see where it leads… and we can’t help but agree.

A stylized purple-toned image of a man in a leather jacket and tie appears on the right, with a quote on the left reading, "You'll learn more from your accidents than anything that you could ever learn at school." attributed to Billy Joel.

Billy Joel: "You'll learn more from your accidents than anything that you could ever learn at school."

Who better to take advice on learning to play piano from than the Piano Man himself? Given that he’s a classically trained pianist, we have to assume that Joel has made his fair share of mistakes from which to learn. One that stands out in particular is the time he got his nose broken while boxing — an event he credits with instilling in him the discipline and toughness he needed to navigate the music industry later on.

Famously, Joel didn’t initially like learning piano, and would rather have been playing sports (boxing included). He did, however, have a near-obsessive interest in The Beatles, studying and dissecting their work note-by-note — which goes to show how important it can be to discover your own motivation for learning.

A stylized pink-toned portrait of a woman with long hair is on the right, with a motivational quote in large text on the left that reads, "If everything was perfect, you would never learn, and you would never grow." The name "Beyoncé" appears below the quote.

Beyoncé: "If everything was perfect, you would never learn and you would never grow."

It may be hard to believe that anything is all that far from perfect when you’re Beyoncé, an artist renowned for the high standards she holds herself and her team to. This quote, however, is from very early on in her career, before she’d launched the solo career she’s best known for now.

In a way, that’s one of the most inspiring things about it: This lesson, internalized early on, eventually helped Beyoncé become one of the most successful artists of all time. Similarly, by recognizing that every imperfection in your piano playing represents an opportunity to learn and improve, you’ll be developing a mindset that continues to be an asset throughout your learning journey — one that ultimately guides you to your own form of success.

A stylized portrait of Prince in green tones appears on the right, with the quote “Sometimes it takes years for a person to become an overnight success.” in large text on a light green background.

Prince: “Sometimes it takes years for a person to become an overnight success.”

Words like “genius” and “prodigy” are often thrown around in relation to Prince Rogers Nelson, and they surely contributed to the attitudes he was addressing with this statement. By attributing his musical abilities to innate qualities, we ignore one of his most defining traits — his work ethic.

Truthfully, there are no “overnight successes” when it comes to music. To reach the level of any of the artists on this list requires huge amounts of time, effort, and dedication. Sure, it helps if you have a natural aptitude for your instrument, but you still need to put in the work.

The most important takeaway here is perhaps not to compare yourself with others or become disheartened by their talents — it’s worth remembering that an impressive performance is often the result of a lifetime of dedication. You may not be at the same point in your journey, but by simply practicing regularly, you can be sure you’re on the right path.

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