Listen
Listen to anything you can get your hands on. Surround yourself with lots of music. It doesn't matter what you listen to - just listen to as much as you can! If you get the chance, go and hear music live. Live performances can inspire you even more.
Practise
If you want to become a great player then the most important thing is daily practise. Set a regular time aside and try to stick to it! It is much more useful to have a daily 10 minutes than one hour once a week.
Record
Why not try to make a recording of your playing? When you play it back, listen and ask yourself what you like and dislike about it and how you could make the performance more interesting. Then after some more practise, make another recording and see if you can hear the difference.
Create
Why not write some music of your own? You could write some stuff and include it in a concert programme. Play along with records, tapes and CDs. See if you can work out how to play the tunes, then try to improvise using other notes as well.
Perform
Playing in front of people is a bit nerve-wracking. Get into the habit of performing by giving concerts for your family and friends. Your nerves will never lessen but you will become more confident and more able to cope with them.
Aim High
No matter what stage you are at, try to have something to aim towards. It might be a concert, exam or just being able to play a piece you thought was too hard. Whatever your aim is - aim high, be ambitious. It's surprising what you can achieve when you try hard enough.
Plus est en vous! There is always more in you!
Plus est en vous! There is always more in you!