What is the Suzuki Philosophy

If you’ve been thinking about violin lessons for your child, it’s possible that you’ve heard about the Suzuki method, but aren’t quite sure what it means, or if it would be the right method for your child. Today I want to explain the basic tenets of the Suzuki method so you can fully grasp what it’s all about!

 

Hi, I'm Melodie with the Violin Practice Partner, and I've been teaching violin for 25 years. It's my mission to help light the world through music by helping children learn to play the violin, while also gaining confidence, learning important life skills, and improving their academic achievement.

 

Learning the violin can be an exciting journey for your child. Choosing a teacher and method of training can be confusing at times. I want to share pieces of the Suzuki philosophy, and explain why it’s the methodology I use while teaching violin.

 

#1 – Parental Involvement

The Suzuki method looks to the parent or caregiver to be involved 100% of the time. The parent/caregiver should attend lessons with your child, and take notes about what they are learning. The parent is also expected to be present during practice time to reinforce concepts from the lesson.

 

#2 – Listening and Reading Music

The Suzuki method emphasizes the students getting to know the music before they play it, following the idea that children will learn by immersion like how they learn their spoken language. Sheet music is introduced after the child has spent some time experimenting with the violin.

 

#3 – Repetition and Encouragement

As your child learns the violin, repetition is essential! Once they learn a piece, they will learn to play it in new and different ways. Each child’s effort to learn the violin should be met with praise and encouragement. Just as each child learns their language at their own pace, it is the same with the violin. They will build on small steps until they have mastered the instrument.

 

#4 - Starting Early

In order to learn by immersion, under the Suzuki method, students can start learning to play at an earlier age than with traditional methods. Some teachers will start with children as young as four years old. Each student learns by listening, developing basic technical competence on their violin, then learning to read music.

 

Thank you so much for doing your research as you consider the best choice for your child! Please click here for my free guide on what to look for in a violin teacher.

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