What Musical Pieces to Learn on Guitar or Keyboard This Festive Season

A father and daughter play Christmas carols on piano on Christmas day.

The festive season is a unique time of year for music learners. With a little more breathing room, a few family gatherings on the calendar, and that unmistakable holiday energy in the air, it’s the perfect moment to learn new pieces on your instrument — whether you play guitar, keyboard, or piano.

I often encourage students to use this time not just to practise more, but to practise smarter — choosing music that’s enjoyable, meaningful, and achievable.

Here are some great ideas for what to learn this festive season, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or returning player.

1. Festive Classics Everyone Recognises

Learning well-known festive songs is one of the fastest ways to build confidence and motivation. These pieces are often harmonically simple, familiar to listeners, and perfect for casual performances at home.

Great festive pieces for guitar and keyboard include:

• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

• Silent Night

• Jingle Bells (yes — but done tastefully!)

• Last Christmas – Wham!

• White Christmas

On guitar, these songs are excellent for practising chord changes, strumming patterns, and fingerpicking.On keyboard, they help reinforce chord voicings, melody playing, and coordination between hands.

2. Pop and Acoustic Songs for Summer Evenings

December in Cape Town means long evenings, braais, and relaxed gatherings — perfect for pop and acoustic music.

If you’re taking guitar lessons in Fish Hoek, these are fantastic songs to add to your repertoire:

• Wonderwall – Oasis

• Fast Car – Tracy Chapman

• Let It Be – The Beatles

• Skinny Love – Bon Iver

For keyboard or piano students, great festive-friendly options include:

• Someone Like You – Adele

• Clocks – Coldplay

• Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey

• Imagine – John Lennon

These songs help develop musicality, groove, and expressive playing — skills that matter far more than just technical drills.

3. Pieces That Build Technique (Without Feeling Like Homework)

The festive season doesn’t need to mean abandoning progress. In fact, it’s a great time to quietly strengthen your foundations.

Some excellent technical pieces disguised as “real music” include:

• Simple blues progressions (great for guitar and keyboard)

• Pop ballads with broken chords

• Slow fingerstyle guitar pieces

• Piano arpeggio-based songs

I often tailor festive-season pieces so students improve technique while still enjoying the process. Motivation is everything.

4. Music You Can Play for Others

One of the most rewarding things about learning an instrument is sharing music with people you care about.

During your guitar or keyboard lessons, it’s worth choosing at least one piece that you can confidently play for:

• Family gatherings

• Friends visiting over the holidays

• Informal jam sessions

Playing music socially builds confidence, rhythm, and timing — and reminds you why you started learning in the first place.

5. Try Something New (Just for Fun)

The festive season is also a perfect time to experiment:

• Guitarists: try fingerstyle, open tunings, or basic improvisation

• Keyboard players: explore pop accompaniments, chord inversions, or simple jazz voicings

There’s no pressure — just curiosity. This kind of exploration often leads to big breakthroughs in the new year.

Looking for Guitar or Keyboard Lessons?

If you’re based in Fish Hoek or the surrounding Southern Peninsula, I offer guitar lessons and keyboard lessons tailored to:

• Beginners and adult learners

• Teens and creative students

• People returning to music after a break

My lessons focus on real music, confidence, and helping you build a lasting relationship with your instrument — not just ticking boxes.

The festive season is a wonderful time to start, reset, or reconnect with music. 🎶

If you’d like to take lessons in the new year — or even squeeze in a few before the holidays — feel free to get in touch.