The Suzuki Method
The Suzuki Method is an internationally known music curriculum and teaching philosophy developed by Shinichi Suzuki.
People refer to it as the "mother tongue" method because it aims to create an environment for learning music which parallels the linguistic environment of acquiring a native language.
Shinichi believed learning music this way would go beyond making good musicians, and foster good moral character.
I want to make good citizens. If a child hears fine music from the day of his birth and learns to play it himself, he develops sensitivity, discipline and endurance. He gets a beautiful heart.
— Shinichi Suzuki
Where did this idea come from?
When Suzuki was trying to learn to speak German as a young man, he noticed that children pick up their own native language quickly, and even dialects that adults consider "difficult" to learn are spoken with ease by children at the age of five or six.
He reasoned that if children have the skill to acquire their native language this way, then they also have the ability to become proficient on a musical instrument.
He pioneered the idea that preschool age children could learn to play the violin if the learning steps were small enough and the instrument was scaled down to fit their body.
He modeled his method, which he called "Talent Education" / 才能教育, sainou kyouiku / after his theories of natural language acquisition.
Some tenets of Suzuki method include:
Saturation in the musical community. Attending local classical music concerts, developing friendships with other music students, listening to recordings of professional musicians in the home every day, starting before birth if possible.
Deliberate avoidance of musical aptitude tests or auditions to begin music study. Suzuki believed that teachers who test for musical aptitude before taking students, or who look only for "talented" students, are limiting themselves to people who have already started their music education.
Emphasis on playing from a very young age, typically starting formal instruction between the ages of three and five years old.
Using well-trained teachers. Suzuki believed in training musicians not only to be better musicians but also to be better teachers. Suzuki Associations worldwide offer ongoing teacher-training programs to prospective and continuing Suzuki teachers.
In the beginning, learning music by ear is emphasized over reading written musical notation. Suzuki observed that children speak before learning to read, and thought that children should also be able to play music before learning to read.
Memorization of solo repertoire is expected. The focus on memorization continues even after a student begins to use sheet music to learn new pieces.
Music theory and note reading are left to the teacher. The Suzuki method does not include a formal plan or prescribe specific materials for introducing music theory and reading.
Retaining and reviewing every piece of music ever learned is also strongly encouraged. This is intended to raise technical and musical ability.
Frequent public performance makes performing feel like a natural and enjoyable part of being a musician.
The Suzuki repertoire covers a range of instruments including piano, violin, cello, viola, bass, flute, recorder, guitar, harp, and organ.
In The Rittenhouse House, the cello repertoire is the one we are most familiar with.
There are eight volumes, with works by Vivaldi, Saint-Saëns, Popper, Breval, Goltermann, Squire, Bach, Paradis, Eccles, Fauré, von Goens, Sammartini, Haydn, and Boccherini.
If our experience is representative, then Suzuki-sensei's theory is correct. Our shared interest in music has brought us closer to many good, talented people from around the world , and made us better people.
