Is The Suzuki Violin Method Bad For Learning?The Suzuki Violin Method was developed by Dr. Suzuki, a Japanese violinist and teacher who created a method for teaching violin to young children. This method has been used to teach the violin to millions of children all over the world. He developed a system that involved teaching children to learn the violin by imitation and repetition. Whereas traditional violin teaching usually instruct children on how to read music first, this method theorizes that children can learn to play music in the same way they learn language. So the method emphasizes listening, imitation and also playing along with other people. This article will explore some of the aspects of this method and will enable you to determine if it will be suitable for you. First of all, if you are parents considering this method for your child, one thing you really need to know is that it will involve a lot of participation from you. The Suzuki Method requires that you attend lessons with your child. This is so that you know what the child needs to practice at home. The aim of the Suzuki Method is to be a fun and interesting way for the children to learn play the violin so you should find the classes very instructional too. You will find that children can begin learning the violin in a Suzuki school at a very early age, even as early as two. This is in contrast with the traditional violin method which usually begins at around the age of seven or so, and most traditional violin teachers will not be willing to take on a child at an age less than five years. The Suzuki Method focuses on imitation, which means watching and listening and music pieces are also memorized. This means that you will have to know pieces that the child needs to listen to at home and this will need to be repeatedly played. This is in contrast to the traditional method where children learn to read music first and will not listen to a piece before they actually play it. The benefits of the Suzuki approach is that your child will usually become able to play more and more complicated pieces of music, and at a purely playing level, the child will be able to progress much more quickly then through the traditional method. Some people argue that this style of leaning creates an over emphasis on playing by rote. They argue that the children’s playing is mostly robotic and is not back by a full understanding of the music. For this reason, certain Suzuki teachers, in the West particularly, may add some elements of music reading to the curriculum. The Suzuki Method emphasizes well trained and qualified teachers so be prepared for this as you might need to pay a little bit more for such a teacher. Repeating and repetition is a great part of the Suzuki Method, so you need to be aware that you need to encourage your child to repeat earlier pieces that they previously learned. This method does not involve learning a piece of music once then forgetting about it. Pieces learned at a much earlier stage are repeated later on. Some people have argued that the emphasis on practice and repetition in children as young as three may be counter-productive. Group training is a very big part of the Suzuki Method and fairly young children are put together in groups. You will find to your delight that they are able to play pieces competently in groups after a short period of instruction. Children love group playing. It is a great source of motivation and a visible marker of their progress. Be sure to bring along your camcorder along. There is a particular group form cause a Suzuki Violin Master Class in which children at the same level - which is called the Suzuki Violin Book level – are put together to play certain set pieces on the violin. Typically, a Master Class will have around 15 to 20 young students, all at the same level, accompanied by a teacher and a piano player. These classes have a very set format starting from tuning, going through to bow exercises and a mini recital. All in all, the Suzuki Method is very well suited to our modern age, in which students want to make visible progress quickly. But some people argue that in the long term, students may lack important elements of musicianship. Any person wishing to study the violin in greater depth can go on to traditional study beginning with sight reading. |