NZ Suzuki Journal Summer 1999 – The Suzuki Method by Felicity Lipman
Fifty years ago, Professor Shinichi Suzuki noted with amazement that children all over the world can speak their mother tongue with ease, however complicated the pronunciation and structure of the language may be. They do this by listening to and imitating their parents. The more the parents help the child by offering loving encouragement and by constant and patient repetition of the words and sounds, the faster the child develops and enjoys his/her newfound skill.
The Suzuki (or “mother tongue”) method can be applied to all forms of education, but it is best known for its remarkable success in teaching very small children to play the violin, cello, piano, and flute. Professor Suzuki found that any child can be taught from a very early age to play an instrument extremely well and to enjoy making music. Through studying, the child’s memory, coordination, and concentration are developed, and even more important, the child develops a deep awareness of his/her own life forces.
Success depends on a triple partnership of the child, the parent, and the teacher, who requires specialized skills in teaching both the child and the parent. The parent must be prepared to spend the time and effort in encouraging and helping the child and, of course, have access to a teacher properly trained in Professor Suzuki’s methods. Neither the child nor the parent needs any previous musical expertise or experience.
The Suzuki method offers the opportunity for the children in every family to reach a high level of musical skill, which will be of lasting benefit to them throughout their lives, and this will be achieved only through strengthening those bonds of family relationships that are fundamental to the survival of any family.
Professor Suzuki’s method of teaching very young children to produce a pure and resonant tone from the violin is based on slow and extremely attentive teaching. By constantly listening to recordings of the repertoire and repeatedly practicing and reviewing pieces already learned, the child can respond to and imitate expressive phrasing and clear articulation. The pieces of music chosen for study have been carefully selected, each one introducing or consolidating a certain technical point, which has to be mastered before the subsequent piece is studied.
There are several important features of the Suzuki method:
- The Bow: Each child begins their lessons and practice sessions by bowing to their teacher. This is an expression of mutual respect and also signifies that work will now start and continue until the child bows again to mark the end of a session.
- Position of Feet: To help the child’s posture, the required playing position for their feet is drawn on a piece of cardboard, on which he or she stands.
- Holding the Violin: The teacher first trains the child’s neck muscles to hold something between the chin and shoulder. Later on, the child is allowed to find a balance between chin, shoulder, and left hand in order to support the violin.
- The Bow Hold: The thumb is placed underneath the frog to encourage a relaxed bow hold. Later on, the thumb is placed in the traditional position.
- Preparation: In the early stages, the child is taught to stop the bow, prepare a change of string, and place the left-hand fingers before continuing to bow.
- Bowing: To start with, children play with short bows in the square of the arm. Tapes are placed on the bow stick to indicate how much bow should be used. Children are encouraged to make a firm sound with a clear beginning and end to each note. The child is then taught to slow the bow down at the end of phrases, for expression, and to use longer bows to play loudly and shorter bows for quiet notes. At a later stage, the child is taught to lighten the bow stroke.
Children imitate their parents with considerable accuracy, and so it is easier for the child to learn an instrument if the parent is also learning. Therefore, the parent will need to participate by:
- Learning the basic techniques of violin playing. The parent will be shown the fundamental principles by being taught to play certain carefully chosen material.
- Attending each lesson and observing other children’s lessons.
- Practicing daily at home with love, patience, and encouragement, following the points raised in the lesson.
- Playing daily the recording of the music to be learned.
- Reading Suzuki literature.
- Not becoming over-ambitious and thus thwarting the progress of the child.
Suzuki has said that the mother tongue method “leads the child, by repeated stimulation, to develop an ability and make it their own.” Tuition may consist of two lessons a week for each child: one individual lesson and one group lesson, where the pupil’s general musicianship is developed through music and memory games requiring speedy reactions and responses, and through making music together.
Just as a child learns to speak before he or she learns to read, so a child of three learns to listen and imitate when they first take up the violin. When their aural and digital skills are established, they will be taught to read music as part of their musicianship class, usually at the same time as they learn to read their native language.
(Adapted from The Strad magazine Vol. 90 No. 1073, 1979)
