This reflection explores the context of the emerging field of adaptive music education and the use of music adaptation plans (MAPs) to demystify adaptive pedagogy used for pupils with physical disabilities. It explores the themes that connect the ingenuity and creativity of adaptive instruction across the study of various musical instruments, highlighting three key areas: pupil considerations, adaptive considerations and pedagogical considerations. MAPs offer a structured approach, enabling teachers to adapt techniques and apply creative solutions to connect music education to a historically excluded population of pupils.