Musical instrument

Musical instruments are objects which can be played by Sims. In The Sims and The Sims 2, they use the creativity skill. In The Sims 3, each instrument has its own skill.

The Sims

 * Piano
 * Guitar

The Sims 2

 * Piano
 * Drums
 * Bass
 * Guitar
 * Synthesizer
 * Violin

Playing for tips
The University expansion pack allows the piano, drums, bass, and guitar to be played for tips, and to be played together. To have a Sim perform for tips, click on an instrument, select the Perform... interaction, then select Rock, Jazz, or Country. Once a Sim is performing for tips, the "Join" interaction will appear on other instruments in the room. Players should note that Sims who join a performer may not begin playing at once, though they may still be tipped during this time. When Sims stop performing, they will wait for any Sims who were going to put a tip in the jar, then check the tip jar.

On community lots, Sims may be performing when the playable Sims arrive, and non-selectable Sims may autonomously join a performing Sim. If non-selectable Sims perform, any tips they collect will go into the playable Sims' household account, though a non-selectable Sim who collects tips will be credited with having earned that amount. Conversely, playable Sims who tip autonomously while non-selectable will not have the money taken from their household accounts.

The violin from FreeTime can be played for tips, but it does not use the system from University and cannot be played together with instruments that do. To have a Sim play the violin for tips, click on it and select Play for Tips. Players should note that, if FreeTime is not patched, the tip jar will leave an unusable tile after being picked up.

The Sims 3

 * Guitar
 * Piano
 * Bass
 * Drums
 * Violin
 * Laser Rhythm-a-con