This paper contains research on the relationship between factors that explain the pupils' perception of music and musical education and their motivation rates to study the subject of music based on motivational explanatory models of cognitive orientation. One hundred and sixteen, sixth-year primary education students belonging to four schools in the Basque Autonomous Community (Spain) participated in the experience. The most significant results suggest that the perception of difficulty of music is related to the students' motivation. Besides, the most motivated students prefer activities related to instrumental interpretation and musical audition. Conclusions lead us to interpret instrument interpretation activities as positive, where the difficulty of the repertoire is adapted, as well as those strategies that favour different forms of student participation, according to their abilities.