Principles & Applications of the Suzuki method
1. Every Child Can Learn
Dear parents, your child learned to speak because you provided them the opportunity. Young ears are extremely sensitive and open to all sounds in the environment. If a child is surrounded by musical sounds & stimulation, and encouraged to actively participate in music, even the smallest successes are rewarded with praise and enjoyment, then pleasure in music, self-confidence, and a zest for learning will be the result.
2. The Early Beginning
According to scientific research, no other age is a child capable of learning so fast, so intensely, and so broadly as when of pre-school age. The collected experiences in this developmental phase will influence for the rest of their life. 'The Mother-Tongue Method' is tailored exactly to the learning psychology of small children. For this reason, it is possible to begin lessons at age 3 or 4. Thr very young have not learned to fear failure: they will fall down repeatedly while learning to walk. They dont "drop out" of walking experience simply because success isn't immediate!
3. Parental Support
You, as parents, are the best specialists and home teacher for child-appropriate learning. To create a successful talent education, it's the paren'ts responsibility to build a nurturing environment.
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Practice with your child every day. If possible, practice should always occur at the same time of day and should fit well into the daily routine.
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Your child learns at their own pace, exactly like learning to walk and talk.
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Allocate enough time for practice and avoid distractions from telephone calls, neighbors, and other family members. Your child will be glad to have your full attention and will come to treasure this time that belongs fully to them.
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The ability to concentrate on one single point at a time is the 1st and most important step that your child must learn. Difficult tasks can only be mastered when one fully strives to do so. Even when several different things need to be improved, we should avoid trying to fix everything at once. All young beginners will be overwhelmed and become quickly frustrated if they are expected to concentrate on posture, intonation, bow angle, tone, and expression, all at the same time.
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A harmonic musical development requires consequence paired with encouragement. You should follow your intention to open the world of music for your child with the same persistence as you do in other areas, such as cleanliness or adherence to regular meal- and bedtimes. It is a part of life that things do not always run smoothly. But do not give up! It is important to be persistent when pursuing long-term goals.
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Please acknowledge your child's hard work.Praise them when they do as much as they can. Their incentive will be stronger.
4. Listening & Learning by Ear
From the begining, your child should listen to the CD every day to develop an awareness for beautiful tone, clear rhythm, proper intonation, and musical expressiveness. One cannot learn a language if they haven't heard what it sounds like. An important characteristic of the Mother-Tongue Method is learning without written music during the beginning phase. From the very beginning, your child experiences music as a living whole, not as something to be mastered analytically. This strategy can also be observed in the natural learning of speech: first talk, then read. And just as with language, your child need not always listen attentively. The CD may be played in the background during: play time, bath, eating, or rides in the car.
5. Observation & Imitation
Pre-school children possess a remarkable ability to imitate much of what they see and hear. They rapidly grasp simple songs and can learn the necessary movements for instrumental playing very easily. Young children thrive on imitation and repetition, seemingly never tiring of repeating single words, phrases, actions, and sounds.
6. Encouragement
Don’t be stingy with praise, since anyone who has tried to coax beautiful sounds from a violin knows how difficult this is. Dr. Suzuki always complimented his students after they played. He explained that, at first, it is the effort that counts and only later the result. His standard sentence was: “Very good, can you... (this or that) even better?” He always stressed that parents should be relaxed and calm while working with their children, since tranquillity and cheerful concentration will be reflected in them. Constructive work can only unfold in an atmosphere that is warm and friendly.
7. Review & Internalize
In the beginning, your child should regularly repeat all previously learned pieces and exercises. Just as in learning to speak, the entire vocabulary and grammar are used, not just the most recently learned words. This way, your child gradually expands his concentration, memory, performance abilities, and learning is proceeding simultaneously on 3 different levels:
1. Solidifying and deepening of skills through repetition & review. (e.g. play a grade 1 piece with a grade 3 skill)
2. Expanding skills through work on the new piece.
3. Preparatory work for upcoming challenges via small exercises and listening to future pieces on the CD.
The repertoire is not only being constantly expanded, it is also being refined and internalized. The consequent improvement of previously learned pieces, paired with preparation for the next musical steps, drives the natural learning processes steadily and automatically forwards.
8. The Stimulating Environment
Dear parents, your own relationship to music has a substantial impact on how your child will learn. Can your child sense a sincere interest and enthusiasm for music in you? The creation of a stimulating musical environment will not only benefit your child, it will maximize the learning process.
♦ Play music of high quality for your child regularly.
♦ Take your child to observe other children often.
♦ Accompany your child to student recitals, workshops and concerts.
♦ Improvise small home concerts for relatives &friends, or for the other parent who cannot regularly attend lessons.
Your active support is absolutely necessary if you want your child to experience the world of music at an early age. Music will not only enrich your child’s life, it will awaken a sense for order, harmony and beauty to everyone involved.
9. Group Lessons
Children learn from each other through mutual support and mutual observation. As older students become role models, younger students would want to imitate. Group lessons provide them with a sense of responsibility, contributing to self-esteem. Younger students learn by example from older, more skillful players--sometimes more efficiently than they learn from the teacher!
Weekly group lessons provide a supportive environment for performance practices, ensemble skills, performance poise, social skills, and positive memories. The weekly review of familiar repertoire and preview of more advanced pieces in group lessons are strong support for home-practice motivation.
