Learning Violin Using Suzuki Method
Created by the Japanese violin player Shinichi Suzuki, the Suzuki learning method is a great and natural way of developing musical talents right from the start with children as young as 3 and 4 years of age. What is a better site than a lovely 3 year old virtuously playing his/her little violin?
I say lucky and blessed are the parents that can invest in their children! Each child represents an unfolded bundle of incredible achievements and you never know what that sweet and naughty (at times) curly head has to offer! A great method of developing a child's intelligence and personality is by offering him music lessons. There are the classical instrument lessons but nowadays one of the newest and very appreciated worldwide is the Suzuki method.
It started a while ago with its Japanese inventor Shinichi Suzuki (1898-1998) who studied music in Germany back in 1920. He was a violinist therefore he started by teaching violin in 1930 in his country of origin; this proved to be a great way to help children learn playing the violin. Once the war was over, he developed his style and viewpoint regarding his method and nowadays it is applied not only in violin teaching but for other instruments as well. Unlike the classical method that requires other skills developed by the time the youngsters get to actually play an instrument, the Suzuki method is applied to children as young as 3-4 years old. Dr. Shinichi Suzuki considered that the abilities children have to learn their mother tongue at such young age can be successfully used in playing an instrument as well, that's why he called this learning process "the mother tongue learning method" while referring to the entire pedagogy system as "Talent education".
What actually happens is that the children are building their "hands on experience" right from the start. These are the main points of the Suzuki method:
1. Start by listening
They are exposed to passive music listening and a certain piece is played over and over while the child learns it by heart and also learns how to play that part on his violin. Listening the music is a very important part of the process since the notes are learned later, not in the beginning as the classical method requires.
2. Parents' involvement
Because this method doesn't require other musical skills other than listening to music (in the beginning that is), the parents' involvement can be done in a natural way in helping his child with the learning process. In a way, the child has the chance to "teach" his parent how to play violin: how to correctly hold the instrument in the right position - the violin as well as the bow - and this way, they actively participate together in the learning process. This is very helpful for the child and of course, it offers exceptionally precious moments to rememorize the lessons as well as priceless insights of his growing process which in itself is an unforgettable experience.
3. Encouraging and positive learning environment
Obviously, there are ways to motivate the children who learn using this method and one of them is to play together with other children of the same age. This motivates the young violinists to learn and challenges them to do better. If you are a parent, you know the "worst thing" you can do is to interrupt the play time with other children! That's why, for a child, this is a part of the fun; also the games they play during the learning sessions are building not only the musician inside your child but also his whole personality. This social interaction offers a great means of communication with people all over the world using this valuable channel: the language of music.
Although the Suzuki method has brought forth the high standard musician hidden in many children who indeed became greatly esteemed professional musicians, the goal of this method doesn't stop here, in fact, the education of the child as whole trough music represents the main goal. Dr. Suzuki himself affirmed: "I want - if I can - to get education changed from mere instruction to education in the real sense of the word - education that inculcates, brings out, develops the human potential, based on the growing life of the child. That is why I am devoting my efforts to furthering talent education: what a child becomes depends entirely on how he is educated. My prayer is that all children on this globe may become fine human beings, happy people of superior ability, and I am devoting all my energies to making this come about, for I am convinced that all children are born with this potential."
A method that brings great results from a young age, yes, investing in your child is a blessing and a great privilege!
It started a while ago with its Japanese inventor Shinichi Suzuki (1898-1998) who studied music in Germany back in 1920. He was a violinist therefore he started by teaching violin in 1930 in his country of origin; this proved to be a great way to help children learn playing the violin. Once the war was over, he developed his style and viewpoint regarding his method and nowadays it is applied not only in violin teaching but for other instruments as well. Unlike the classical method that requires other skills developed by the time the youngsters get to actually play an instrument, the Suzuki method is applied to children as young as 3-4 years old. Dr. Shinichi Suzuki considered that the abilities children have to learn their mother tongue at such young age can be successfully used in playing an instrument as well, that's why he called this learning process "the mother tongue learning method" while referring to the entire pedagogy system as "Talent education".
What actually happens is that the children are building their "hands on experience" right from the start. These are the main points of the Suzuki method:
1. Start by listening
They are exposed to passive music listening and a certain piece is played over and over while the child learns it by heart and also learns how to play that part on his violin. Listening the music is a very important part of the process since the notes are learned later, not in the beginning as the classical method requires.
2. Parents' involvement
Because this method doesn't require other musical skills other than listening to music (in the beginning that is), the parents' involvement can be done in a natural way in helping his child with the learning process. In a way, the child has the chance to "teach" his parent how to play violin: how to correctly hold the instrument in the right position - the violin as well as the bow - and this way, they actively participate together in the learning process. This is very helpful for the child and of course, it offers exceptionally precious moments to rememorize the lessons as well as priceless insights of his growing process which in itself is an unforgettable experience.
3. Encouraging and positive learning environment
Obviously, there are ways to motivate the children who learn using this method and one of them is to play together with other children of the same age. This motivates the young violinists to learn and challenges them to do better. If you are a parent, you know the "worst thing" you can do is to interrupt the play time with other children! That's why, for a child, this is a part of the fun; also the games they play during the learning sessions are building not only the musician inside your child but also his whole personality. This social interaction offers a great means of communication with people all over the world using this valuable channel: the language of music.
Although the Suzuki method has brought forth the high standard musician hidden in many children who indeed became greatly esteemed professional musicians, the goal of this method doesn't stop here, in fact, the education of the child as whole trough music represents the main goal. Dr. Suzuki himself affirmed: "I want - if I can - to get education changed from mere instruction to education in the real sense of the word - education that inculcates, brings out, develops the human potential, based on the growing life of the child. That is why I am devoting my efforts to furthering talent education: what a child becomes depends entirely on how he is educated. My prayer is that all children on this globe may become fine human beings, happy people of superior ability, and I am devoting all my energies to making this come about, for I am convinced that all children are born with this potential."
A method that brings great results from a young age, yes, investing in your child is a blessing and a great privilege!
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