How to Practice Over the Summer Holidays

🎶 How to Practice Over the Summer Holidays

Summer is here! While the school term may have ended, your musical journey doesn’t have to take a break. In fact, the summer holidays are the perfect time to explore, enjoy, and grow as a musician without the pressure of homework or tight schedules.

Here are some simple, practical ways to keep your skills sharp and your passion for music alive during the holidays:

1. Make a Light, Flexible Practice Plan

No need to stick to a strict timetable, but having a loose plan can really help. Aim for shorter, more frequent sessions and try to play at the same time each day to build a habit.

Tip: Use a wall calendar or a practice app to track your progress; it’s surprisingly motivating to see your streaks grow!

2. Set Fun, Achievable Goals

Summer is a great time to focus on personal musical goals. Maybe you want to learn a new piece, improve your scales, or even write a song.

Examples:

Learn one new piece a week
Master a tricky section you struggled with during term
Record a mini summer concert for friends or family

You can always email your teacher to request a new song or ask for practice advice!

3. Explore New Music

With fewer time constraints, why not explore music outside your usual syllabus? Try a film score, jazz improvisation, pop songs, or traditional music from another culture. Listening to any music is a great step!

Bonus: Ask your teacher for recommendations or search for easy versions of your favourite tunes.

4. Play Along With Recordings

Playing along with recordings can help improve your rhythm, timing, and expression. It also makes practice way more engaging!

Tip: YouTube, Spotify or Apple Music (for example) offer excellent backing tracks.

5. Keep It Social

Music is meant to be shared! Team up with a friend for a duet, play for your family, or even organise a mini garden concert.

Can’t meet in person? Try virtual jam sessions or record yourself and send it to your teacher or fellow musicians.

6. Don’t Worry About “Perfection”

Summer is the time to relax and enjoy your instrument. It’s okay to have off days. If you miss a practice or don’t make as much progress as you hoped, that’s fine – just keep going.

Consistency is more important than perfection.

7. Remember to Have Fun!

Music practice should be something you look forward to. Experiment, improvise, or even invent your own game to make practice exciting.

Try this: Put different practice activities in a jar and draw one at random each day!

Final Thoughts

At River Thames Music Academy, we believe the summer holidays are a fantastic opportunity to grow as a musician in a joyful, relaxed way. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced player, a little practice goes a long way and most importantly, it keeps your love for music alive and thriving.

Happy playing, and we can’t wait to hear what you’ve been working on when lessons resume in September!

🎵 Want a custom summer practice plan? Reach out to your teacher—we’re happy to help!