Summer Practice Tips for Musicians
School is out for summer, and you may find yourself as bored as Alice Cooper if you’re not careful! It’s challenging to stick to a steady summer practice schedule between trips to the beach, pool, vacations, and a general relaxed routine. However, summer is an excellent opportunity to pivot your focus and work on some bonus aspects of music that might need a little extra work. It’s our job as musicians to always analyze our progress and be objective. If you’re doing that regularly, you likely already know some weaknesses of your performance that need work. Everyone has them, and summer is a perfect opportunity to focus and tackle those pesky pieces that bother you. Here are some goals for summer practice – stick to these, and you’ll come back to school and the new year with new and honed skills!
Metronomes, ugh.
Yes, I know: only three people in the whole wide world enjoy practicing with metronomes, and those people are strange. However, you MUST use a metronome regularly, as every musician has to get in touch with and nurture the inner pulse. You know, the little beat in your body that helps you keep time and prevents rushing, dragging, and tempo mistakes.
Here’s the tip: try practicing with a drum track. You can use one of the many free examples on YouTube, or you can use an AI drummer on your favorite digital audio workstation like Logic. Many free standalone drum machine apps can create fun drum loops for you.
Why is this better? Many musicians find that playing to a drum track helps lock in to the groove and feels more natural than using a basic metronome. I definitely play tighter with a drum track. It’s easier to find the stressed beats in the measure, and you may even find yourself creating your own drum loops and compositions after you practice.
Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall:
Regardless of your instrument, every musician can benefit from practicing in the mirror. Use the irregular summer practice schedule to branch out and get some dedicated mirror time. Look at how you’re holding the instrument, how your fingers and hands are placed, and every aspect of your overall posture. If you experience soreness, pain, or discomfort after playing, I guarantee that mirror work will give you clues about why that’s happening. Then make steps to correct those issues.
Don’t be afraid to experiment! Mirror work is an excellent tool for trying new performance techniques and will show you how you appear to an audience. You’ll likely discover some strange ticks or habits that you didn’t know about, and that’s okay! That’s why we use the mirror – it makes you a well-rounded and informed musician.
Back to Basics:
Think of it now: that one simple part of your instrument that you should know better. That one thing that you might feel a little embarrassed about. That tiny little detail that you might not want to ask your teacher about. Things like stringed instruments (fretted and classical) not knowing all the notes of the fretboard, pianists not knowing all the notes of the required scales or chords, guitarists not knowing triads, woodwinds and brass not knowing all of the alternate fingerings and positions for notes, drummers not knowing the required rudiments, and more.
We ALL get swept up in the musical journey and develop cracks in the foundation. That’s part of being a musician. It’s also our job to shore up those cracks and be as well-rounded as possible. Take this summer and pick that one pesky thing to work on, and I guarantee that you’ll feel better when fall comes around!
Listen Up!
Going on a road trip, vacation, or drive to the beach this summer? Why not pick a new artist or genre and do a deep dive? Listening to all types of music and styles really helps grow your musical brain, and it can give you new ideas for playing, writing, and performing. You might even like what you hear and fall in love with a new artist!
Me? I still haven’t listened to the entire Chappell Roan album, so I’ll be doing that. Even if you don’t like what you hear, I guarantee that you can find some part of the music that applies to your playing. And in the rare occurrence that you can’t find anything useful in what you hear, it’s important to critically listen and be able to articulate why you don’t find the new music appealing.
Take a Big Bite:
I always find that summer practice is a great time for a new project or big piece that might be out of your comfort zone. Try choosing a new song that you know is beyond your current ability. If you stick with it and go slow, you will find that the perseverance really pays off when you go back to easier material. Just like when we try hard music and need an easy tune for a brain break, it often pays to leap ahead and bite off more than you can chew. It might just kickstart your development and help you get over a hurdle or plateau in your musical journey!
This also applies to musical projects. Have you been putting off recording or writing something new? Have you found yourself tinkering with your instrument or endlessly selecting new music instead of just jumping in and going for a big goal? Now is the time – get in there and take the first step!
Play with Others!
Most musicians would agree that playing with other people is the reason why we practice so much! Music is a language, and it’s not super fun to speak it alone. Grab some friends, family, or acquaintances this summer and play music with them. Easy stuff, hard stuff, new stuff, anything. The important thing is to just play in a group. If you’re new to this, just remember that every single musical group of all time, from a simple singer-songwriter duet to a full orchestra, sounded pretty bad at the beginning. It takes time and repetition, so be patient and play some fun tunes along the way! Playing with other musicians is the single best way to improve your abilities.
I hope that you have a lovely summer and that you get some time to focus on music! Stay tuned for the next edition of the Songbirds Knowledge Blog, and stay cool out there!
