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Instruments
February 10, 2026 at 08:03 AM
Full rewrite with all instruments, composing system, genre unlocks, busking, Pro Musician ambition, and children access
The Instrument skill covers playing music in inZOI. It scales from level 1 to 10 and is available from the Teenager life stage through Senior. Three instruments are playable: piano, guitar, and drum set. Beyond performing, Zois can compose original songs and sell them for Meow, or busk in public areas for tips.
All three instruments are purchased through Build Mode and placed as furniture in the home:
Piano - a full-size keyboard instrument. Click it and select "Play Piano" to start.
Guitar - a portable string instrument. The Zoi picks it up and plays where they stand.
Drum Set - a percussion kit the Zoi sits at and plays.
Each instrument levels the same Instrument skill. There's no separate skill per instrument type.
Playing instruments directly (clicking the instrument and selecting "Play") is the faster way to gain Instrument skill experience. The Zoi performs in real time and the skill bar fills at a steady rate.
Composing happens on a computer. Starting at Instrument skill level 1, a Zoi can open the computer and select the composition option. This is slower for skill gain than playing, but compositions can be named, described, and sold for Meow. The tradeoff: composing gives income, playing gives faster leveling.
New musical genres unlock as the Instrument skill increases:
Level 1 - basic compositions (no specific genre label).
Level 2 - Folk, Jingle.
Level 4 - Classical, Hip-Hop.
Level 6 - Jazz, Movie Score.
When composing, the Zoi can name the song and write a description. Each composition becomes a sellable digital item. Click "Can Sell" on the computer to list it. Higher skill levels and more complex genres tend to fetch better prices.
Finished compositions are sold from the computer. Click "Can Sell" after completing a piece, and it becomes available for purchase. The sale price scales with the Zoi's Instrument skill level and the genre complexity. A level 6 Jazz composition earns significantly more Meow than a level 1 basic track.
Zois can perform music in public areas to earn Meow from passersby. Take a guitar to a park, cafe, beach, or any busy area and select the busking interaction. Tips accumulate while the Zoi plays. Crowded spots pay better because more NPCs walk by and contribute.
Good busking locations include the parks in Dowon and the beach area near Muscle Beach in Bliss Bay. Foot traffic varies by time of day, so busking during peak hours (mid-morning through afternoon) yields more tips.
An efficient approach to the Instrument skill:
Buy an instrument through Build Mode and place it at home.
Play the instrument directly from level 1 through about level 7 or 8. Playing levels the skill faster than composing.
Around level 7-8, switch to composing on the computer. By this point, the genres available (Jazz, Movie Score) sell for good Meow, and the income outweighs the slower skill gain.
Sell compositions regularly. Each sale brings in Meow that can fund other household expenses.
The Pro Musician is one of the desired lives ambitions. Completing it requires hitting specific milestones in a set order:
Buy any instrument and play it 3 times.
Play drums 10 times while the Zoi is feeling Sentimental (an emotion state).
Max out the Instrument skill to level 10 and play guitar 20 times.
The Sentimental emotion requirement for the drum milestone can be tricky. Watch for it to trigger naturally through interactions or life events, then immediately send the Zoi to the drums.
Children cannot access the adult Instrument skill, but they have limited access to music through the Creativity child skill. Children can play drum kits and keyboards, which builds their Creativity rather than the Instrument skill. Once they age up to the Teenager life stage, the full Instrument skill becomes available.
Guitar is the most versatile instrument. It works at home for skill gain and in public for busking.
Don't start composing too early. Playing instruments directly gives more skill experience per hour until the mid-to-high levels.
For busking income, pick spots with heavy foot traffic during daytime hours.
If pursuing the Pro Musician ambition, buy all three instruments early so the Zoi has access to piano, guitar, and drums at home.
Pair instrument practice with the Performance skill for Zois pursuing entertainment career paths.
