What is Suzuki Piano Method?

The Suzuki method is not just a method for musical education, it’s also a musical philosophy. It was originally developed for violin by Shinichi Suzuki, but was later applied to piano as well. Here are some important points in Suzuki’s teaching method, provided by the Suzuki Association of the Americas:

EARLY START

        Beginning students are encouraged to start at a young age, though there is no age cutoff should older children wish to learn.

LISTENING

        For young students, learning to play by ear is taught before learning to read. This is based on what Suzuki refers to as the “mother-tongue” approach. Just as a child first learns language orally before learning to read, he or she develops a musical ear first before learning to read music. Over time, the child’s musical reading level is brought up to the same level as the student’s technical proficiency.

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

        Parent involvement is important part of a child’s musical development. Parents can serve as “home teachers” during the week as the child practices at home. One parent often learns to play before the child, so that s/he understands what the child is expected to do. Parents work with the teacher to create an enjoyable learning environment. Parents do not necessarily have any musical experience.

ENCOURAGEMENT

        Encouragement gives a child the confidence to try new tasks, and provides a nurturing and positive learning environment.

STEP-BY-STEP REPERTOIRE

        Core repertoire is carefully presented to help the child learn new techniques in a step-by-step fashion. In Suzuki, there is no testing or auditions. Children are presented new tasks within the context of the music, instead of through dry material. A child will never be asked to work on a new task that has not been presented in the lesson.

PERIODIC REVIEW

        Reviewing and retaining previous pieces is important in retaining previous skills and developing a musical memory. Once a piece is learned, students continue to play through pieces too.

PERFORMANCE

        Frequent public performance, so that performance becomes a natural and pleasant experience for the child.

Extending Suzuki Principles

As a Suzuki teacher, I firmly believe in offering a musical education to any child who possesses motivation to learn the piano. A musical education is beneficial to all children and can help improve brain function and fine motor coordination. Also, under nurturing instruction, learning to play an instrument can instill a great sense of pride and accomplishment in a child. In agreeing to piano lessons, I require my students to:

1. Be on time. Being on time helps your child make the most out of his or her lesson. Time lost from the lesson will not be made up.
   

2. Practice at home. Practice is at the heart of learning the piano (parents please see section on home practice). It is important that your child is committed to practicing before beginning lessons. With that said, your child will need an instrument (a keyboard or piano) to practice on at home.
   

3. Listen to the CD. The accompanying CD of the Suzuki material is a powerful learning tool for your child (please see the section above on listening). It gives your child an idea of the piece should sound like as they learn it, so they know how to practice. From the CD, a child not only learns to the notes or a piece, but can pick up important features through imitation, such as dynamics and articulation.
   

4. Complete theory homework. Each week, I send my students home with a theory assignment. Learning how to read is essential to a strong musical education. I currently use Nancy Tabor’s “Piano Adventures” series.
   

5. Perform and attend recitals. All students will regularly perform recitals which will be held at my home.
   

A Few Notes For Parents

1. Parent involvement is required for young beginning students. When learning anything new, especially at a young age, it is important for the students to have help from their parents, especially when practicing at home. This extends the nurturing and supportive environment from studio to home. Therefore, it is just as important for the parent to attend lessons so that they know what the student needs to work on after each lesson.
   

2. Let your child go at his or her own pace. Pushing a child too much often leaves a child feeling frustrated and may have an undesired outcome of turning them away from the learning the instrument.