There are no shortcuts. Walking the whole path is what defines the destination. Becoming a skilled musician happens by walking the miles it takes to get there. There are a few things that might make it easier for you,

• Talent might make the journey more pleasant for you
• A good teacher might save you some fruitless meanders
• Having the resources to put as much time as possible into practice will get you there quicker

There is so much to learn and the landscape you will traverse opens up as you go. There will be some tough choices along the way as you can’t do everything. There isn’t enough time to cover all the ground.

This all came back to me watching Two Set Violin on YouTube. They have lots of fun while pointing this, and more out. The mythical Ling Ling practising 40 hours a day is the standard to aspire to. How good you become is about how hard you work not whatever ephemeral talents you might have started with.

Everyone you have ever heard who sounded amazing put in the hours. The clever and lucky ones managed some kind of efficiency to the journey. There is no substitute for the time there are no shortcuts. Walk the path and try to enjoy the journey.