Skillup rate for instruments

65 bard. Currently at 385 dex (capped + PP1 and shammy buffs)

I'm seeing approx 1 skillup every 15mins constantly twisting songs, all of which are in the 190-220 range (none completed under Bard's Instrument Mastery = lvl 50 cap).

I'm not being slowed down by fizzle issues or anything, and a quick number crunch shows me around 120 hours at this rate to cap my skills (for 65)

Is this normal or intended?

I'd imagine that this is only going to get longer as I get higher in skill due to diminishing skillup chance.

The character is admittedly powerlevelled, but it seems like the skillup rate for instruments is much, much lower than almost any other skill.

It does take exceptionally longer to skill up Bard instrument skills as compared to combat skills, leave him logged in your guild hall with melody up and 4 differnt types of instrument songs.

That's just how it gets. Be thankful that you can AFK skill up. Getting spell skills up for a caster is even worse!

You're on crack Sir. You can get up all the casting skills in a single night, I have done it many times. My lvl 59 Bard has been twisting for a week solid and is still not capped for his lvl in anything. Bard skillups are ridiculous.

Time to max skills at 70 - 5 days /played.

My 59 has 7 days /played, 5.5 of which were sitting still in the GGH last week doing nothing but melody and the skills still aren't maxed.

My powerlvld 100 Shaman sat in the GH one night and maxed all casting skills except evo.

So, once again, bard skillups are ridiculous.

Try buying a level of Instrument Mastery AA. Maybe I'm crazy, but I'm confident I saw my skillup rate go way up after getting that.

The skillup rate is certainly out of date. Without having been power-levelled I find my new bard at level 54 has instrument skills that are nowhere near good enough to reliably play the current rank of all song types (average skill is around 170, and this is after thirty hours AFK instrument work). The same is true to a lesser extend for my boxed mage.

I think that it is time for SOE to bring the skill-up rate more in line with the improved XP per kill rate that we have had for some time. At 54 if it only takes me twenty kills to level up (one hour maximum) then Dre's figure of 1 skill-up every 15 minutes shows how large a shortfall there is.

Interesting, I will give this a try.

For those wondering, 1 pt in Instrument Mastery does seem to be the key. Thanks to Feradach for the suggestion.