Like most skills, learning a new instrument doesn’t just happen overnight. Learning a new skill such as strumming a guitar or tickling the piano keys takes both time and practice. But the secret ingredient comes down to discipline and being able to maintain that consistency with practice, even during those warm summer days when you’re tempted to toss it all aside.
Practicing your instrument during the cold, dreary winter months is easy! It’s the perfect way to keep busy and hone in on your skill. But once that weather changes, it’s a lot harder to stick to the routine when the outdoors await.
Here are some helpful ways to encourage practice, even on bright, sunny summer days.
Striking a Healthy Balance
Maintaining discipline during those warm, sunny days is difficult for us all. But there are strategic ways to strike a balance to keep on practicing while being able to enjoy the weather too. These three simple ways are how many musicians stay on track, so try to incorporate these into your routine so that you can commit to learning and still indulge in that glorious sunshine.
1. Create a Schedule
The best way to stick with your instrument and commit to practice is by creating a schedule. Schedules help you to remember when to practice, and it allocates your time much more effectively so that you can keep it organized. And when the warmer weather arrives, we know that those weekly calendars can fill up very quickly. But try to make a point to always include your music practice in your weekly schedule so that you have time to practice and still have plenty of guilt-free time to enjoy that sunshine.
2. Practice Outside
There’s no better way to merge the pleasure of playing your instrument with the beautiful weather. When you’re struggling to keep with your allotted timeframe for practicing and just want to get outside and enjoy, why not take your instrument with you?
There are, of course, limitations depending on what instrument you play, but if you’re learning one that’s easy to take with you, then head to the park or even out on the patio to practice and soak up that vitamin D.
3. Use Incentives and Rewards
Sometimes, incentives and rewards can be extremely helpful. When there’s a struggle to strike that balance, give yourself or your child something to look forward to once that practice session is over. This could be a dip in the pool, a trip to the ice cream shop, or watching a favourite show. Offering your child some sort of reward if will encourage that commitment to learning first.
Making Progress During the Summer
We always recommend students to keep up with their musical studies during the summer months so that they don’t become rusty and lose any progress they made during the school year. While some students take time off for trips and vacations, they will continue their lessons in a limited capacity during the summer.
If you are interested in summer music lessons, or want to learn more about our summer programming, please contact us to request a free in-home consultation.
