--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you practice for ten years, you may…" description: "\"If you practice for ten years, you may begin to please yourself, after 20 years you may become a performer and please the audience, after 30 years you ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/ali-akbar-khan-57351_artist_if-you-practice-for-ten-years-you-may-be_194116.jpg" --- # If you practice for ten years, you may begin to please… ![“If you practice for ten years, you may begin to please yourself, after 20 years you may become a performer and please the audience, after 30 years you may please even your guru, but you must practice for many more years before you finally become a true artist-then you may please even God.” quote by Ali Akbar Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/ali-akbar-khan-57351_artist_if-you-practice-for-ten-years-you-may-be_194116.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/ali-akbar-khan-57351_artist_if-you-practice-for-ten-years-you-may-be_194116.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/ali-akbar-khan-57351_artist_if-you-practice-for-ten-years-you-may-be_194116.jpg) > “If you practice for ten years, you may begin to please yourself, after 20 years you may become a performer and please the audience, after 30 years you may please even your guru, but you must practice for many more years before you finally become a true artist-then you may please even God.” [Ali Akbar Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-akbar-khan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Long‑term dedication transforms personal satisfaction into mastery, then into service to others, and ultimately to spiritual fulfillment. **In simple terms:** Practice leads from self‑pleasure to divine expression. Key Takeaway Commit to lifelong practice beyond external rewards. Themes discipline mastery spirituality art growth Mood inspired contemplative Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - learning an instrument - teaching - spiritual meditation - creative work Key Concepts musical development pedagogy transcendence Questions to Reflect On - What does “true artist” mean to you? - Are you practicing for self‑growth or external validation? A Different Perspective The path may be endless; true artistry may never be fully attained. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Guru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guru/) [Performers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performers/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [True artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-artist/) [True artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-artists/) ## Related quotes > [It's good to actually cry. Trust me, I've had a lot of practice over the years!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalia-kills/it-s-good-to-actually-cry-trust-me-i-ve-had-a-lot-of-practice-over/) [Natalia Kills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalia-kills/) > [“its takes year's and year's of practice to be someone else, why not take those years to discover your true self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olawoyeo/its-takes-year-s-and-year-s-of-practice-to-be-someone-else-why-not/) [OlawoyeO](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olawoyeo/) > [“The simple rule: some get saved, but most don't. The choices are important before the years begin to go so very fast.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-mccorkle/the-simple-rule-some-get-saved-but-most-don-t-the-choices-are/) [Jill McCorkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-mccorkle/) > [ Yeah, playing anywhere from three to five gigs a week definitely \[helped\]. I think all the practice throughout the years and doing what I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-bice/yeah-playing-anywhere-from-three-to-five-gigs-a-week-definitely/) [Bo Bice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-bice/) > [After twenty years you can begin to be sure of what camera will do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brassai/after-twenty-years-you-can-begin-to-be-sure-of-what-camera-will-do/) [Brassai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brassai/) > [I never look forward. I live for today. And if you think about what's going to happen in a year, in two years, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-ovechkin/i-never-look-forward-i-live-for-today-and-if-you-think-about-what-s/) [Alexander Ovechkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-ovechkin/) > [“He liked to join in any game that was afoot, so long as it was simple, such as dominoes or draughts, but was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-hughes/he-liked-to-join-in-any-game-that-was-afoot-so-long-as-it-was-simple/) Molly Hughes > [“… ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself Ricky Nelson (Referring to creative works, not other things)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ya-can-t-please-everyone-so-ya-got-to-please-yourself-ricky-nelson/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You write to please yourself, you write to move yourself, to engage yourself in the asking of questions that are important to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/you-write-to-please-yourself-you-write-to-move-yourself-to-engage/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [Your first duty as a writer is to write to please yourself. And you have no duty towards anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-chang/your-first-duty-as-a-writer-is-to-write-to-please-yourself-and-you/) [Iris Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-chang/) > [As a filmmaker, you have to understand the essence of the book and tell the story you want to see on the screen, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evangeline-lilly/as-a-filmmaker-you-have-to-understand-the-essence-of-the-book-and/) [Evangeline Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evangeline-lilly/) > [Music is an individual pursuit - it is made to please yourself first. The pleasure of other people is a byproduct of the pleasure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-dulli/music-is-an-individual-pursuit-it-is-made-to-please-yourself-first/) [Greg Dulli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-dulli/) > [But why should you care what people will say? All you have to do is please yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/but-why-should-you-care-what-people-will-say-all-you-have-to-do-is/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [I am a dedicated madman, and that becomes its own training. If you can't resist, if the typewriter is like candy to you, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/i-am-a-dedicated-madman-and-that-becomes-its-own-training-if-you-can/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [ I walked all around it \[the Guggenheim Bilbao\] and couldn't find one clear, clean shot. To make things worse, the weather was lousy. Nothing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-polidori/i-walked-all-around-it-the-guggenheim-bilbao-and-couldn-t-find-one/) [Robert Polidori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-polidori/) ## More by Ali Akbar Khan > [Music is the only thing that you can share with a million million people and you don't lose, you gain. It helps you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-akbar-khan/music-is-the-only-thing-that-you-can-share-with-a-million-million/) [Ali Akbar Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-akbar-khan/) > [Music is like a river or stream that has come down to us through time, bringing nurture to man's soul. From the past masters,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-akbar-khan/music-is-like-a-river-or-stream-that-has-come-down-to-us-through-time/) [Ali Akbar Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-akbar-khan/) > [Our sages developed music from time immemorial to take shelter in one's true self. Real music is not for wealth, not for honors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-akbar-khan/our-sages-developed-music-from-time-immemorial-to-take-shelter-in-one/) [Ali Akbar Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-akbar-khan/) > [Singing instrumental music is most important because, while you play an instrument, you are singing through the instrument... actually, you are singing inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-akbar-khan/singing-instrumental-music-is-most-important-because-while-you-play/) [Ali Akbar Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-akbar-khan/) > [Real music is not for wealth, not for honours or even the joys of the mind... but as a path for realisation and salvation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-akbar-khan/real-music-is-not-for-wealth-not-for-honours-or-even-the-joys-of-the/) [Ali Akbar Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-akbar-khan/) [Explore all 6 Ali Akbar Khan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-akbar-khan/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) [Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you practice for ten years, you may begin to please yourself, after 20 years you may become a performer and please the audience, after 30 years you may please even your guru, but you must practice for many more years before you finally become a true artist-then you may please even God.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ali Akbar Khan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-akbar-khan/if-you-practice-for-ten-years-you-may-begin-to-please-yourself-after/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-akbar-khan/if-you-practice-for-ten-years-you-may-begin-to-please-yourself-after/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/ali-akbar-khan-57351_artist_if-you-practice-for-ten-years-you-may-be_194116.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/ali-akbar-khan-57351_artist_if-you-practice-for-ten-years-you-may-be_194116.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/ali-akbar-khan-57351_artist_if-you-practice-for-ten-years-you-may-be_194116.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you practice for ten years, you may begin to please yourself, after 20 years you may become a performer…” — Ali Akbar Khan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ali Akbar Khan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-akbar-khan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you practice for ten years,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-akbar-khan/if-you-practice-for-ten-years-you-may-begin-to-please-yourself-after/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-akbar-khan/if-you-practice-for-ten-years-you-may-begin-to-please-yourself-after/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```