Provided is a method for controlling an ultrasonic motor to reduce noise sounding during low-speed rotation in a surveying instrument adopting the ultrasonic motor for a rotary shaft, and a surveying instrument for the same. In a method for controlling an ultrasonic motor according to an aspect of the present invention, in a low-speed rotation range of an ultrasonic motor, a ratio of an acceleration period as a time of application of the drive signal in a control cycle is controlled, and a time to start the acceleration period is randomly shifted for each control cycle. In a method for controlling an ultrasonic motor according to another aspect, a time to start the acceleration period is regularly shifted for each control cycle. In a method for controlling an ultrasonic motor according to still another aspect, second-half acceleration control and first-half acceleration control are alternately repeated.