The purpose of the study being reported here set out to examine the achievement goal orientations of students majoring in Music Education as predictors of their learning approaches. Set in Turkey, the study group consisted of music education majors (n = 240) in a variety of higher education settings (n = 5). The study results revealed that the learning approach orientation scores positively predicted the deep motive scores of students studying instrument learning, whereas the performance-avoidance orientation scores negatively predicted the deep motive scores of the same students. In addition, while the learning-approach and learning-avoidance orientation scores positively predicted students' deep strategy scores, performance-avoidance scores negatively predicted the same scores. Furthermore, the learning approach scores negatively predicted students' surface motive and surface strategy scores, whereas the performance-avoidance scores positively predicted the same scores. The study results showed that vocational music education students' achievement goal orientations mediate the explanation of their learning approaches (surface or deep). In line with these results, it can be considered that the positive changes that can be achieved in the direction of achievement goal orientation of university music students will have a positive effect on their approaches in instrument learning.