An intro to lessons together
I am so glad we are about to begin our Suzuki violin journey together! Before we start, I ask that you read through this to understand what the Suzuki method is, and what music lessons will look like. Once you have finished this, contact me to set up a time to meet and discuss the contents, go over any questions you have, and talk about next steps.
1) It’s important that from the start we establish good habits. Practice every day.
In the beginning, it can be just one minute a day (aim for five, though!), but do it every day. Practicing becomes a habit. Your child won’t want to do it at first once the initial excitement wears off – but they also don’t want to brush their teeth and that doesn’t mean we get to skip that. I urge you to make it known (and I will as well) that practice happens every day. It’s best to do it at the same time every day. If that time is first thing in the morning, great. If it’s right after dinner, fine. Find the time that works best for you and have it be a routine. Practicing each day on the instrument will bring much better results. Of course, there may be days when you can practice longer and more in-depth than others. Some days your practice is going to be shorter because life happens and things come up that are out of your control. Having a plan to practice every single day, short or long, will bring the most long-term success. It’s not always easy, I know, but it is worth it - and, to be in my studio, it is expected. Five days a week minimum is required.
Notice what works best – what time of day, before or after a meal, before or after play time. Does it help to set a timer to remind your child that practice will be in ten minutes? What parts of practicing hold their attention best? What activities in practice are they happy to do, and which do they shy away from?
Routine is the number one thing that makes the Suzuki method work. Taking a day off is a bad idea – it makes you think you can just take another one off. Have an emergency practice plan – have a list of things you can do on the days you have time but no energy, i.e., just listen to YouTube, kid picks everything to do in the practice session, play a bingo music game, etc. – but NO SKIPS if you have time. Your child DOES want to play, but likely won’t want to practice.
I will be checking in with you about your practice schedule and how much your child is practicing. It should be every day, in the same spot, and usually it works best when it’s around the same time each day.
2) Daily listening is expected.
Listening to the Suzuki recording is crucial to learning. It is such a beautiful and easy way to help us learn, and it is essential to any Suzuki student's success. The Suzuki method is about immersing our children in music, not exposing them to it. We wouldn’t expect a child to become fluent in a language they were not hearing on a regular basis, and we can’t expect students to know how to make beautiful music on their instrument if they haven’t heard beautiful music on a regular basis, either. Listening to the Suzuki recordings means the difference between learning with ease and struggling through it.
Please download Suzuki Book 1 now:
https://www.amazon.com/Suzuki-Violin-School-Vol-1/dp/B00JMQ43P6/ref=nodl_
You can also stream it on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/gfU-O0JeFbY
Students who listen regularly advance about four times faster than students who don’t. They soak the music in. The music is their at-home teacher. When they play the song, whether it’s a piece they’re currently working on or it’s years later and finally they play the song they’ve always been listening to, they know the notes! They know whether the fingers they’re putting down are right or wrong, because they’ve listened.
Listening to music every day is important, especially listening to pieces in the Suzuki repertoire so the child knows them immediately. Facilitating daily listening is the number one thing you can do as a parent to make sure your child learns quickly and easily. Without listening, you’re not learning the Suzuki method. Listening to the Suzuki CD is one of the foundations of the Suzuki method.
I want my students to be able to hum every song before we learn it. I want them to have internalized it, in the same way we all can sing “Happy Birthday” or “Jingle Bells.” It will be so much easier for them to find the notes and truly feel the music melody if they know the song inside and out. We are learning violin the way we learn a language – this is a huge element of the Suzuki method. Immerse ourselves in it, hear it all the time, start to speak it. Children are a product of their environment – let that environment be professional recordings of the music they will recreate!
It is important (and encouraging) to remember that the Suzuki Book 1 CD is, at the most, 30 minutes long. Listen whenever possible and make it as accessible as possible. Put the CD on your cell phone and listen to it as you/your child move around the house, so it is always an option. Play it while driving in the car and eating breakfast! Always try stacking it with an activity – cleaning, eating, cooking, etc. Fill your little musician’s ears with the Suzuki CD on repeat and I promise you will see so much progress.
It has been proven that the more frequently the students listen to the recordings, the more easily they learn to play.
3) I ask that you do not purchase your child a violin before we begin.
And definitely don’t let them experiment on it. There’s a huge risk that your child will develop bad habits that are very difficult – and frustrating – to break. In that case, you’ve created serious difficulties before lessons have even begun. The other problem, of course, is that a child who has been allowed to experiment with the violin won’t understand it when the teacher, working to create success at each step of the journey, has the parent and child put the violin away. Or – as is often the case in these situations – when the teacher replaces the violin with a smaller or foam version of their original one. Either way, the child initially experiences a violin teacher as someone who takes things away, not someone who gives, thus upsetting and souring a relationship and process that has barely begun. Instead of taking away something, it will be much more beneficial for all of us if we work toward earning the real violin.
Most beginners start on a foam violin. It’s much easier to learn things on a foam violin, and part of the process with the Foamalin® is to learn how to take care of a violin with care (to not to drop it or throw it on the ground). Once your child is ready to move on to a real violin, it is a very exciting moment and one that they are so (rightly) proud of. It’s often my favorite moment in teaching – the day we get the real violin.
4) Don’t learn something unless I teach it – when it comes to new techniques.
By the time the child is maybe a few songs into Book 1, I get a little more lax about letting them start to learn the new songs on their own – but I like them to ask me if it’s OK first. Some songs have weird nuances that need to be learned, and if I don’t teach those to them first, it’s going to be much harder for them to learn how to play the song correctly when they have to unlearn the wrong way.
With new beginners, sometimes I learn that they have figured out how to play “Twinkle,” have played the new rhythms on their violin, have taught themselves “I’m a little monkey,” or even started playing with different fingerings (using 4th finger, putting the 2nd in a low position instead of the regular high position). I am so happy they are excited to learn, but I ask that you please wait until I give the green light and I show them first. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised that the child is playing it correctly, but most times it will be more accurate if I can show it first. That way, if the first time they do something they miss a step or have something off, I can immediately swoop in and fix it, which will set them up for success when they keep practicing it the correct way.
It’s much harder to do something the wrong way several times and then have to relearn it the right way – like if a student plays something 20 times with incorrect bowing or finger shape, it will take 30+ times with the new, correct way to relearn it the right way. Whereas if we learn the right way from the start, it’s much smoother sailing – they might only have to play it three times before they have it!
I know it can be very hard to get your child to be patient at first, but it will lead to much less frustration down the line if I don’t have to keep rattling off things to fix that they (or you) could never have known to have looked for on your own. Remember, I am the teacher! I know what to look for, and I know how to set everything up correctly. I would never ever expect your child or you to know these things – so it’s best at first to let me show you. It’s so much more fun and pleasant if we learn the right way off the bat.
It also opens up a can of worms when you teach them something new or your child learns it on their own and then they show me so excitedly (bless them) and I have to tell them the things that need fixing. That puts me in a bad light as the negative figure in their life taking something away, whether it’s a new song or simply the joy they had when learning it, only to learn there are things they did incorrectly.
5) Required materials
Foamalin, file folder, notebook, pencil, marker, penny, “I Can Read Music” volume 1 by Joanne Martin, Suzuki violin volume 1 recording (on amazon mp3, Spotify playlist, or ready to stream on YouTube), and “Beyond the music lesson” by Christine Goodner.
Please purchase the foamalin here: https://www.young-musicians.com/Foamalin-TM-Pre-Twinkle-Violin-Trainer-Bow-p/fg2.htm
Ask me ahead of time what size is right for your child. While it’s handy to have the foamalin for lesson one, it’s not required- as long as you have it by lesson 2 or 3.
Recommended books: “Teaching from the balance point” by Edward Kreitman, “Building Violin Skills” by Edmund Sprunger, “Ability Development from Age Zero” by Shinichi Suzuki, “Helping parents practice” by Edmund Sprunger, and “How to get your child to practice” by Cynthia Richards.
6) We will be moving slowly through the required steps that allow us to be able to play the violin with ease
There is a lot of repetition, and a lot of the same assignments will be given week after week, month after month. Every child struggles with different aspects of the learning process, and I, as their teacher, will assign certain tasks that will help them achieve mastery. If we give the child too much to do, it is an overload, and it results in tantrums, tears, and a desire to give up. By giving them just little bite-size bits to work on, they are less intimidated and can see what they can achieve. I ask for your trust through the process, even if it feels like we are moving slow. Slow and steady wins the race. If we go too fast, we burn out. Every child moves at their own pace, but as long as we are doing quality work, they will get there. It’s important to know from the start that mastery is our goal. Otherwise, progress can feel slow and we might feel impatient to move on to something new too soon. My goal is to do little to no remedial teaching, but teach the correct method from the start. It’s much easier if we get things right to begin with than to have to fix things as we are learning harder songs and skills. Taking the time to set it up in the beginning is the best thing we can do if we want to achieve success. You can’t tug on a plant to make it grow.
The Suzuki method is about learning to learn. We do not just tell the child what finger to play; instead, we have them listen to the recording to figure it out. This is teaching them how to problem solve. Suzuki is a way to learn how to do anything. We aren’t just teaching violin. We are coaching learning skills. We don’t just say “it’s a C#”; instead, we say, “Let’s listen to the recording and see if we can figure it out.” With this method of learning, it of course takes longer to find that C# than if we were to just give the student the answer, but in the long run it makes them faster and more successful. Again, slow and steady wins the race.
Expect learning to move at a glacial pace; it takes time to set up a solid foundation. We may not always see results (especially with very young children), but we keep doing all the things that will produce results. Trust the process. It takes time.
Sometimes we as the grown-up think, oh my gosh, he’s not getting anything done, he’s not progressing, he’s not accomplishing new things, he’s going to get bored. Children will pick up on that if we act that way. However, if we act like the smallest things are a huge accomplishment, they will also feel that way! Celebrate the small successes. We are building character; we are building confidence. Children are easily overwhelmed and it’s hard for them to focus. If we make them feel successful every step of the way and move slowly but surely to make sure they can do each task correctly before piling on new skills, they will thrive.
The mother-tongue approach, the corner-stone of the Suzuki method, is based on the assumption that a child can learn to play a musical instrument following the same principles as learning a first language. This teaching theory implies that through repetitive listening and ear-playing, music learning can unfold in a most natural way. We do not learn to speak overnight - no, that takes years to speak well.
There's also the whole other aspect of Suzuki lessons where we take time to make sure we are helping raise noble citizens, to get them to learn things like patience, delayed gratification, politeness, sensitivity.. it's beyond just teaching the violin - there's a lot of life coaching too, so sometimes we may move slower but we are growing as a good human because we take the time to instill those things!
I urge you not to label their success on what song they are, but on how beautifully they play. And, for someone young, we are just cultivating an interest, curiosity and spark of music and inspiration.
7) We are never "done" with a piece - we will always review them. Review helps build character.
Once we are playing and working our way through the repertoire, we will also constantly be reviewing our songs. Review is an important aspect of the Suzuki Method. Through constant repetition of pieces, children strengthen old skills and gain new ones. Technique, musicianship and style are developed through the study and repetition of these pieces. Students can hear for themselves the progress they have made. Reviews help us refine a student's musical development, with purposeful review and ideas we polish it more and more.
Let your child repeatedly practice the pieces he can already play, emphasize the building of ability with familiar pieces. This fosters fine ability. There is no need to rush ahead. If a child practices the pieces he knows over and over again so as to play them better and better, ability grows, and remarkable progress is made. This is the Suzuki method.
When the student sees how much they can do, and how beautifully they can play their pieces, their confidence will empower them. It is a beautiful thing.
8) If you notice your child is resisting, throws tantrums, says “It’s too boring to do” or “I don’t want to” – they are resisting because it’s hard.
This is a good clue we need to slow it down a bit and find a new way to overcome the problem. They aren’t complaining because it’s too boring; they’re complaining because it’s hard, and they are afraid to fail. It could also be because they can’t focus for that long yet. A child wants to look good, especially in the eyes of their parents. We want to create a nurturing environment where we are always praising, always loving, always caring for, and always supporting our child. Set up conditions they thrive in. It is a test of patience at times, but saying “But it’s not that hard” or “Come on, you aren’t being reasonable” or any negative comment will further put stress on the child and make them clam up more. Let’s learn to respond with positive feedback: “I know this is hard. I see how frustrating it is. If I had a magic wand, I would make this easy for you. But sadly I don’t. I will help you practice it, though, and the more we practice it, the easier it will get in time.” By simply acknowledging the struggle, the child feels heard, and in a safe spot to try. They ultimately want to please us, and they worry that if they do something wrong, we could get mad, we might be disappointed, or even in drastic cases, they might think we will stop loving them. While of course that would never happen over doing a bow exercise wrong, they haven’t developed the ability to realize that yet.
During meltdowns: When you acknowledge an emotion and let your child be in that state, they move past it much quicker. Just be with them in their emotion, and we will get through it. Your child isn’t willfully misbehaving; she’s simply under too much stress. This could come out in tantrums, silliness, ignoring you, flat out refusing, giggling, etc. The child is having a hard time, not trying to give a parent a hard time.
The false belief that a child should get something right on the first attempt is a common one. Reassure your child that this is what practice is about: taking the things that are not easy right away and making them easier over time. If your child feels like practicing with you is going to be full of positive interactions (being understanding and supportive), you will have a much easier time getting them to do it.
Children have a deep wish for things to be instant and easy and are frustrated when they aren’t. A child’s strategies for getting out of the difficulty and struggle of work may include fussing in hopes that the parent will back down, ignoring in hopes that she will forget, and other similar types of unpleasant behavior. After time, the child usually discovers eventually life doesn’t work that way.
Beyond becoming proficient at a musical instrument, music teaches students discipline, hard work, and perseverance and develops who they are as people. Success in this method also includes sticking with something that doesn’t come easy. It includes learning how to deal with feelings of not being good at something on the first try and working through frustration. It includes striving to reach your potential and learning confidence through practice. It is learning to play the instrument with ease and also learning to be a person who is sensitive to the world around them.
Instead of attempting to block feelings - and since we can’t control feelings, attempting is the most any parent can do - You have several other options for acknowledging upset, all of them productive. You could just describe the feeling: “it looks like you’re really upset about having to repeat this passage” you could admit that the world isn’t magic, but it would be nice if it were: “wouldn’t it be great if you could magically just play this easily without practicing?” or you could ask a question to get your child to talk more about her feelings: “What don’t you like about repeating this passage?”
When we get involved in pretending that their darker feelings don’t exist, or attempting to make the feelings go away, we communicate to the child that those feelings are so bad, so terrible, so dangerous, and so awful that even an adult can’t stand to talk about them or to have them near.
We could say: “You’re whining and I can’t listen to that now. You can’t whine during practice. But at the end of practice you can tell me about what you don’t like, you can write me a note about what you don’t like, or you can draw me a picture about it. Or you can tell me before we start practice next time. I won’t listen to it right now” using this strategy, you haven’t said “don’t have that feeling” but you have helped the child to contain it. You are putting the child in a situation in which she can function effectively AND have the feeling.
9) This will be hard at times – I am here for you, and you have an automatic support system with my studio – AND it IS worth it!
There will be a honeymoon phase during the first few lessons. That will likely die down, and challenges do arise. Come to me when that does happen. There will be ups and downs. You are not alone in this – every Suzuki parent goes through these ups and downs (just ask my mom!). Along with me as a helper, there will be parent nights and parent talks with a network of other parents who are going through the exact same things. There are also many recommended books that I have shared with you – you will be better equipped to deal with the struggles if you read them. Everyone has practice struggles. It’s like parenting! There are zero families who do not struggle. Remember that not having motivation is not a character defect – we build it. It will happen over time.
10) Create a nurturing environment for learning.
As we all know, if something is not enjoyable, we won’t want to keep doing it. If someone yells at us, we may decide we don’t need to talk to them again. If something tastes bad, we won’t eat it again. If practice turns into yelling and tears, the child will very likely not want to practice. Create a space where they are happy. A nice bright room is ideal. If they like charts and stickers and games, have them at the ready. Keep the practice sessions SHORT and SWEET. Always end each practice session with them feeling accomplished and confident. As I mentioned, we move at a glacial speed to start. The first year or so, my main goal is to develop a good relationship between student and teacher, student and parent, and student and music. Allow them to enjoy learning. The other main goal is to establish the habits of daily practice and listening. They start off with five minutes, but after a few years, that will obviously grow to much longer sessions as they can handle more. However, daily practice won’t come naturally to them if it’s not established at the beginning. Do not end a practice session with something that they feel they have failed on or not totally gotten the hang of yet. Try to end practice before the child asks to end it. Praise effort. Celebrate how far you’ve come. Embrace mistakes as a way to learn.
11) Commit to the process.
This is not a try-it-on experience – if that’s what you think, you and your child will give up at the first challenge that arises. Kids don’t WANT to practice – but that doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with them. Motivation is built, not something we are born with. You, as the parent, have to be committed. Just like pretty much anything worth doing (homework, brushing your teeth, learning basic manners, exercise, eating), it can be hard to do, and kids especially will not want to do it at times. We don’t just quit math, reading, or brushing our teeth. We also don’t give up on music. I have many ways to make practice more fun and agreeable, and a ton of games to suggest. Practice can be a pleasant experience, with enormous results. We want our kids to succeed, to problem solve, to know how to learn, to believe in themselves. That’s what the Suzuki method is all about. Have a growth mindset. Praise the small accomplishments and they will feel your genuine pride in them.
12) Try not to label your child as successful based on what song they are on or how fast they are moving through the repertoire or exercises.
There is no right or wrong speed of moving through the repertoire. Labeling success by what song we are on is the wrong approach. We want our children to cultivate a love of music they will have forever. If you aren’t worried about it, generally they won’t be either. I, and other Suzuki teachers, label success as playing with beautiful tone and with ease, good intonation, musicality, and proper form. Successful families and students are the ones who focus on mastery and developing artistry rather than just getting to the next piece. Progress is not judged by what piece you play but what skills you have and how you play your instruments.
Please don’t ask me “When will she go on to …” in front of your student. They will interpret that as “Why is she moving so slow? Why hasn’t she learned this? I feel like she is a failure if she doesn’t get there.” Of course, that’s not what you are saying, but it is what they hear. I know when to move them to that piece. Trust the process.
In my early years of teaching, I always gave into pressure and went faster when the parent asked. It was always too fast for the child. Every single child became overwhelmed and quit. No exaggeration – every single one. We aren’t about making a child who can play Book 1 as fast as they can; it’s not a speed contest. We are about building a confident child, an able child, a child who has taken the time to set up the solid foundation and has a distinctive set of skills to move forward. The Suzuki method is a positive snowball effect – you learn one thing, and then in the next exercise or piece you learn another thing that complements that original skill, reuses it in a new way, and adds a new skill. It takes time to build, but over time we build and build and the student has a wealth of knowledge and skill sets.
13) It’s critical you don’t answer questions I ask your child.
Such as, “OK, what part of the violin is this called?” If we answer for them (even though we just want to help!), we are robbing them of the experience of coming to the answer on their own. We are also perhaps subconsciously giving them the idea we really don’t want them to get something wrong. I try to let the student know right off the bat that it’s totally OK to get things wrong or to say “I don’t know.” This is one of the life lessons we learn early on in the Suzuki method lessons. I like to create nourishing and fortifying situations in which the students face challenges that they can surmount if they take a moment to engage their brains and figure out the problem. But I don’t do the figuring out for them – that would be like me trying to give you the benefits of exercise by running on the treadmill for you. And just as you can’t hire someone to exercise for you, when parents answer a teacher’s questions for their children, they deprive their child of the very exercises that strengthen them.
14) You, as their parent, are a huge part of this process.
The Suzuki method uses what we call the “Parent-Teacher-Child” triangle. All three are of equal importance. You are expected to sit in on lessons, take notes, and be the at-home teacher, which will enable you to tell your child what to practice and offer suggestions on how to fix issues. Think of lessons as your class as well as your child’s, even though you both have very different roles. There’s much more parent involvement in the first few years of lessons, and eventually your child will take on more responsibility. But, at the beginning: sit in on lessons – be present in them – take notes. If you cannot be in a lesson, cancel the lesson.
If you are confused by a task – text me. I’m happy to help. But if you sit in on the lessons, you will likely be able to pick up on what needs to be done. The Suzuki method offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to strengthen the parent-child relationship. Your child will gain many skills as they strive for excellence in music and life. Suzuki teaches ownership, self-identity, creativity, concentration, perseverance, time management, brain development, and self-discipline. In Suzuki, you learn so much more than just music. If you are there with your child in practice time, you will see this.
15) The Suzuki method is character first, ability second.
As a Suzuki teacher, I’ve taken a pledge to not only teach your child violin, but to nurture your child, to develop sensitivity with them. For them to have a good heart. To gain confidence through their ability. To understand delayed gratification, to learn patience, to learn time management, and to learn kindness. There will be little doses of “life lessons” sprinkled in your child’s lessons throughout their music journey with me. Beyond becoming proficient at a musical instrument, music teaches students discipline, hard work, and perseverance, and develops who they are as people.
When asked what they learned from studying the Suzuki method, adult Suzuki students don’t usually answer with the names of pieces or by listing instrumental techniques. Instead, they list character traits: discipline, love for music, persistence, ability to break big problems into small pieces - if the whole song is too hard at first, we break it down to one line, and if the one line is too hard, we break it down to one measure, and if the one measure is too hard, we break it down to learning just one note or two notes. It’s not quantity, it’s quality.
Remember that with the Suzuki method, I am not just teaching your child violin, I am teaching critical thinking skills. I am not just teaching “Lightly Row,” I’m teaching them how to internalize something before figuring it out beyond what’s in their head. I’m not teaching them a bow hold; I’m teaching them how to take constructive criticism and grow from it. I am teaching patience, perseverance, problem-solving, and confidence.
I love the way a fellow Suzuki teacher phrased it: “We aren’t learning violin; we are learning how to learn.”
Success in this method also includes sticking with something that doesn’t come easy. It includes learning how to deal with feelings of not being good at something on the first try and working through frustration. It includes striving to reach your potential and learning confidence through practice. It is learning to play the instrument with ease and also learning to be a person who is sensitive to the world around us.
1) It’s important that from the start we establish good habits. Practice every day.
In the beginning, it can be just one minute a day (aim for five, though!), but do it every day. Practicing becomes a habit. Your child won’t want to do it at first once the initial excitement wears off – but they also don’t want to brush their teeth and that doesn’t mean we get to skip that. I urge you to make it known (and I will as well) that practice happens every day. It’s best to do it at the same time every day. If that time is first thing in the morning, great. If it’s right after dinner, fine. Find the time that works best for you and have it be a routine. Practicing each day on the instrument will bring much better results. Of course, there may be days when you can practice longer and more in-depth than others. Some days your practice is going to be shorter because life happens and things come up that are out of your control. Having a plan to practice every single day, short or long, will bring the most long-term success. It’s not always easy, I know, but it is worth it - and, to be in my studio, it is expected. Five days a week minimum is required.
Notice what works best – what time of day, before or after a meal, before or after play time. Does it help to set a timer to remind your child that practice will be in ten minutes? What parts of practicing hold their attention best? What activities in practice are they happy to do, and which do they shy away from?
Routine is the number one thing that makes the Suzuki method work. Taking a day off is a bad idea – it makes you think you can just take another one off. Have an emergency practice plan – have a list of things you can do on the days you have time but no energy, i.e., just listen to YouTube, kid picks everything to do in the practice session, play a bingo music game, etc. – but NO SKIPS if you have time. Your child DOES want to play, but likely won’t want to practice.
I will be checking in with you about your practice schedule and how much your child is practicing. It should be every day, in the same spot, and usually it works best when it’s around the same time each day.
2) Daily listening is expected.
Listening to the Suzuki recording is crucial to learning. It is such a beautiful and easy way to help us learn, and it is essential to any Suzuki student's success. The Suzuki method is about immersing our children in music, not exposing them to it. We wouldn’t expect a child to become fluent in a language they were not hearing on a regular basis, and we can’t expect students to know how to make beautiful music on their instrument if they haven’t heard beautiful music on a regular basis, either. Listening to the Suzuki recordings means the difference between learning with ease and struggling through it.
Please download Suzuki Book 1 now:
https://www.amazon.com/Suzuki-Violin-School-Vol-1/dp/B00JMQ43P6/ref=nodl_
You can also stream it on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/gfU-O0JeFbY
Students who listen regularly advance about four times faster than students who don’t. They soak the music in. The music is their at-home teacher. When they play the song, whether it’s a piece they’re currently working on or it’s years later and finally they play the song they’ve always been listening to, they know the notes! They know whether the fingers they’re putting down are right or wrong, because they’ve listened.
Listening to music every day is important, especially listening to pieces in the Suzuki repertoire so the child knows them immediately. Facilitating daily listening is the number one thing you can do as a parent to make sure your child learns quickly and easily. Without listening, you’re not learning the Suzuki method. Listening to the Suzuki CD is one of the foundations of the Suzuki method.
I want my students to be able to hum every song before we learn it. I want them to have internalized it, in the same way we all can sing “Happy Birthday” or “Jingle Bells.” It will be so much easier for them to find the notes and truly feel the music melody if they know the song inside and out. We are learning violin the way we learn a language – this is a huge element of the Suzuki method. Immerse ourselves in it, hear it all the time, start to speak it. Children are a product of their environment – let that environment be professional recordings of the music they will recreate!
It is important (and encouraging) to remember that the Suzuki Book 1 CD is, at the most, 30 minutes long. Listen whenever possible and make it as accessible as possible. Put the CD on your cell phone and listen to it as you/your child move around the house, so it is always an option. Play it while driving in the car and eating breakfast! Always try stacking it with an activity – cleaning, eating, cooking, etc. Fill your little musician’s ears with the Suzuki CD on repeat and I promise you will see so much progress.
It has been proven that the more frequently the students listen to the recordings, the more easily they learn to play.
3) I ask that you do not purchase your child a violin before we begin.
And definitely don’t let them experiment on it. There’s a huge risk that your child will develop bad habits that are very difficult – and frustrating – to break. In that case, you’ve created serious difficulties before lessons have even begun. The other problem, of course, is that a child who has been allowed to experiment with the violin won’t understand it when the teacher, working to create success at each step of the journey, has the parent and child put the violin away. Or – as is often the case in these situations – when the teacher replaces the violin with a smaller or foam version of their original one. Either way, the child initially experiences a violin teacher as someone who takes things away, not someone who gives, thus upsetting and souring a relationship and process that has barely begun. Instead of taking away something, it will be much more beneficial for all of us if we work toward earning the real violin.
Most beginners start on a foam violin. It’s much easier to learn things on a foam violin, and part of the process with the Foamalin® is to learn how to take care of a violin with care (to not to drop it or throw it on the ground). Once your child is ready to move on to a real violin, it is a very exciting moment and one that they are so (rightly) proud of. It’s often my favorite moment in teaching – the day we get the real violin.
4) Don’t learn something unless I teach it – when it comes to new techniques.
By the time the child is maybe a few songs into Book 1, I get a little more lax about letting them start to learn the new songs on their own – but I like them to ask me if it’s OK first. Some songs have weird nuances that need to be learned, and if I don’t teach those to them first, it’s going to be much harder for them to learn how to play the song correctly when they have to unlearn the wrong way.
With new beginners, sometimes I learn that they have figured out how to play “Twinkle,” have played the new rhythms on their violin, have taught themselves “I’m a little monkey,” or even started playing with different fingerings (using 4th finger, putting the 2nd in a low position instead of the regular high position). I am so happy they are excited to learn, but I ask that you please wait until I give the green light and I show them first. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised that the child is playing it correctly, but most times it will be more accurate if I can show it first. That way, if the first time they do something they miss a step or have something off, I can immediately swoop in and fix it, which will set them up for success when they keep practicing it the correct way.
It’s much harder to do something the wrong way several times and then have to relearn it the right way – like if a student plays something 20 times with incorrect bowing or finger shape, it will take 30+ times with the new, correct way to relearn it the right way. Whereas if we learn the right way from the start, it’s much smoother sailing – they might only have to play it three times before they have it!
I know it can be very hard to get your child to be patient at first, but it will lead to much less frustration down the line if I don’t have to keep rattling off things to fix that they (or you) could never have known to have looked for on your own. Remember, I am the teacher! I know what to look for, and I know how to set everything up correctly. I would never ever expect your child or you to know these things – so it’s best at first to let me show you. It’s so much more fun and pleasant if we learn the right way off the bat.
It also opens up a can of worms when you teach them something new or your child learns it on their own and then they show me so excitedly (bless them) and I have to tell them the things that need fixing. That puts me in a bad light as the negative figure in their life taking something away, whether it’s a new song or simply the joy they had when learning it, only to learn there are things they did incorrectly.
5) Required materials
Foamalin, file folder, notebook, pencil, marker, penny, “I Can Read Music” volume 1 by Joanne Martin, Suzuki violin volume 1 recording (on amazon mp3, Spotify playlist, or ready to stream on YouTube), and “Beyond the music lesson” by Christine Goodner.
Please purchase the foamalin here: https://www.young-musicians.com/Foamalin-TM-Pre-Twinkle-Violin-Trainer-Bow-p/fg2.htm
Ask me ahead of time what size is right for your child. While it’s handy to have the foamalin for lesson one, it’s not required- as long as you have it by lesson 2 or 3.
Recommended books: “Teaching from the balance point” by Edward Kreitman, “Building Violin Skills” by Edmund Sprunger, “Ability Development from Age Zero” by Shinichi Suzuki, “Helping parents practice” by Edmund Sprunger, and “How to get your child to practice” by Cynthia Richards.
6) We will be moving slowly through the required steps that allow us to be able to play the violin with ease
There is a lot of repetition, and a lot of the same assignments will be given week after week, month after month. Every child struggles with different aspects of the learning process, and I, as their teacher, will assign certain tasks that will help them achieve mastery. If we give the child too much to do, it is an overload, and it results in tantrums, tears, and a desire to give up. By giving them just little bite-size bits to work on, they are less intimidated and can see what they can achieve. I ask for your trust through the process, even if it feels like we are moving slow. Slow and steady wins the race. If we go too fast, we burn out. Every child moves at their own pace, but as long as we are doing quality work, they will get there. It’s important to know from the start that mastery is our goal. Otherwise, progress can feel slow and we might feel impatient to move on to something new too soon. My goal is to do little to no remedial teaching, but teach the correct method from the start. It’s much easier if we get things right to begin with than to have to fix things as we are learning harder songs and skills. Taking the time to set it up in the beginning is the best thing we can do if we want to achieve success. You can’t tug on a plant to make it grow.
The Suzuki method is about learning to learn. We do not just tell the child what finger to play; instead, we have them listen to the recording to figure it out. This is teaching them how to problem solve. Suzuki is a way to learn how to do anything. We aren’t just teaching violin. We are coaching learning skills. We don’t just say “it’s a C#”; instead, we say, “Let’s listen to the recording and see if we can figure it out.” With this method of learning, it of course takes longer to find that C# than if we were to just give the student the answer, but in the long run it makes them faster and more successful. Again, slow and steady wins the race.
Expect learning to move at a glacial pace; it takes time to set up a solid foundation. We may not always see results (especially with very young children), but we keep doing all the things that will produce results. Trust the process. It takes time.
Sometimes we as the grown-up think, oh my gosh, he’s not getting anything done, he’s not progressing, he’s not accomplishing new things, he’s going to get bored. Children will pick up on that if we act that way. However, if we act like the smallest things are a huge accomplishment, they will also feel that way! Celebrate the small successes. We are building character; we are building confidence. Children are easily overwhelmed and it’s hard for them to focus. If we make them feel successful every step of the way and move slowly but surely to make sure they can do each task correctly before piling on new skills, they will thrive.
The mother-tongue approach, the corner-stone of the Suzuki method, is based on the assumption that a child can learn to play a musical instrument following the same principles as learning a first language. This teaching theory implies that through repetitive listening and ear-playing, music learning can unfold in a most natural way. We do not learn to speak overnight - no, that takes years to speak well.
There's also the whole other aspect of Suzuki lessons where we take time to make sure we are helping raise noble citizens, to get them to learn things like patience, delayed gratification, politeness, sensitivity.. it's beyond just teaching the violin - there's a lot of life coaching too, so sometimes we may move slower but we are growing as a good human because we take the time to instill those things!
I urge you not to label their success on what song they are, but on how beautifully they play. And, for someone young, we are just cultivating an interest, curiosity and spark of music and inspiration.
7) We are never "done" with a piece - we will always review them. Review helps build character.
Once we are playing and working our way through the repertoire, we will also constantly be reviewing our songs. Review is an important aspect of the Suzuki Method. Through constant repetition of pieces, children strengthen old skills and gain new ones. Technique, musicianship and style are developed through the study and repetition of these pieces. Students can hear for themselves the progress they have made. Reviews help us refine a student's musical development, with purposeful review and ideas we polish it more and more.
Let your child repeatedly practice the pieces he can already play, emphasize the building of ability with familiar pieces. This fosters fine ability. There is no need to rush ahead. If a child practices the pieces he knows over and over again so as to play them better and better, ability grows, and remarkable progress is made. This is the Suzuki method.
When the student sees how much they can do, and how beautifully they can play their pieces, their confidence will empower them. It is a beautiful thing.
8) If you notice your child is resisting, throws tantrums, says “It’s too boring to do” or “I don’t want to” – they are resisting because it’s hard.
This is a good clue we need to slow it down a bit and find a new way to overcome the problem. They aren’t complaining because it’s too boring; they’re complaining because it’s hard, and they are afraid to fail. It could also be because they can’t focus for that long yet. A child wants to look good, especially in the eyes of their parents. We want to create a nurturing environment where we are always praising, always loving, always caring for, and always supporting our child. Set up conditions they thrive in. It is a test of patience at times, but saying “But it’s not that hard” or “Come on, you aren’t being reasonable” or any negative comment will further put stress on the child and make them clam up more. Let’s learn to respond with positive feedback: “I know this is hard. I see how frustrating it is. If I had a magic wand, I would make this easy for you. But sadly I don’t. I will help you practice it, though, and the more we practice it, the easier it will get in time.” By simply acknowledging the struggle, the child feels heard, and in a safe spot to try. They ultimately want to please us, and they worry that if they do something wrong, we could get mad, we might be disappointed, or even in drastic cases, they might think we will stop loving them. While of course that would never happen over doing a bow exercise wrong, they haven’t developed the ability to realize that yet.
During meltdowns: When you acknowledge an emotion and let your child be in that state, they move past it much quicker. Just be with them in their emotion, and we will get through it. Your child isn’t willfully misbehaving; she’s simply under too much stress. This could come out in tantrums, silliness, ignoring you, flat out refusing, giggling, etc. The child is having a hard time, not trying to give a parent a hard time.
The false belief that a child should get something right on the first attempt is a common one. Reassure your child that this is what practice is about: taking the things that are not easy right away and making them easier over time. If your child feels like practicing with you is going to be full of positive interactions (being understanding and supportive), you will have a much easier time getting them to do it.
Children have a deep wish for things to be instant and easy and are frustrated when they aren’t. A child’s strategies for getting out of the difficulty and struggle of work may include fussing in hopes that the parent will back down, ignoring in hopes that she will forget, and other similar types of unpleasant behavior. After time, the child usually discovers eventually life doesn’t work that way.
Beyond becoming proficient at a musical instrument, music teaches students discipline, hard work, and perseverance and develops who they are as people. Success in this method also includes sticking with something that doesn’t come easy. It includes learning how to deal with feelings of not being good at something on the first try and working through frustration. It includes striving to reach your potential and learning confidence through practice. It is learning to play the instrument with ease and also learning to be a person who is sensitive to the world around them.
Instead of attempting to block feelings - and since we can’t control feelings, attempting is the most any parent can do - You have several other options for acknowledging upset, all of them productive. You could just describe the feeling: “it looks like you’re really upset about having to repeat this passage” you could admit that the world isn’t magic, but it would be nice if it were: “wouldn’t it be great if you could magically just play this easily without practicing?” or you could ask a question to get your child to talk more about her feelings: “What don’t you like about repeating this passage?”
When we get involved in pretending that their darker feelings don’t exist, or attempting to make the feelings go away, we communicate to the child that those feelings are so bad, so terrible, so dangerous, and so awful that even an adult can’t stand to talk about them or to have them near.
We could say: “You’re whining and I can’t listen to that now. You can’t whine during practice. But at the end of practice you can tell me about what you don’t like, you can write me a note about what you don’t like, or you can draw me a picture about it. Or you can tell me before we start practice next time. I won’t listen to it right now” using this strategy, you haven’t said “don’t have that feeling” but you have helped the child to contain it. You are putting the child in a situation in which she can function effectively AND have the feeling.
9) This will be hard at times – I am here for you, and you have an automatic support system with my studio – AND it IS worth it!
There will be a honeymoon phase during the first few lessons. That will likely die down, and challenges do arise. Come to me when that does happen. There will be ups and downs. You are not alone in this – every Suzuki parent goes through these ups and downs (just ask my mom!). Along with me as a helper, there will be parent nights and parent talks with a network of other parents who are going through the exact same things. There are also many recommended books that I have shared with you – you will be better equipped to deal with the struggles if you read them. Everyone has practice struggles. It’s like parenting! There are zero families who do not struggle. Remember that not having motivation is not a character defect – we build it. It will happen over time.
10) Create a nurturing environment for learning.
As we all know, if something is not enjoyable, we won’t want to keep doing it. If someone yells at us, we may decide we don’t need to talk to them again. If something tastes bad, we won’t eat it again. If practice turns into yelling and tears, the child will very likely not want to practice. Create a space where they are happy. A nice bright room is ideal. If they like charts and stickers and games, have them at the ready. Keep the practice sessions SHORT and SWEET. Always end each practice session with them feeling accomplished and confident. As I mentioned, we move at a glacial speed to start. The first year or so, my main goal is to develop a good relationship between student and teacher, student and parent, and student and music. Allow them to enjoy learning. The other main goal is to establish the habits of daily practice and listening. They start off with five minutes, but after a few years, that will obviously grow to much longer sessions as they can handle more. However, daily practice won’t come naturally to them if it’s not established at the beginning. Do not end a practice session with something that they feel they have failed on or not totally gotten the hang of yet. Try to end practice before the child asks to end it. Praise effort. Celebrate how far you’ve come. Embrace mistakes as a way to learn.
11) Commit to the process.
This is not a try-it-on experience – if that’s what you think, you and your child will give up at the first challenge that arises. Kids don’t WANT to practice – but that doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with them. Motivation is built, not something we are born with. You, as the parent, have to be committed. Just like pretty much anything worth doing (homework, brushing your teeth, learning basic manners, exercise, eating), it can be hard to do, and kids especially will not want to do it at times. We don’t just quit math, reading, or brushing our teeth. We also don’t give up on music. I have many ways to make practice more fun and agreeable, and a ton of games to suggest. Practice can be a pleasant experience, with enormous results. We want our kids to succeed, to problem solve, to know how to learn, to believe in themselves. That’s what the Suzuki method is all about. Have a growth mindset. Praise the small accomplishments and they will feel your genuine pride in them.
12) Try not to label your child as successful based on what song they are on or how fast they are moving through the repertoire or exercises.
There is no right or wrong speed of moving through the repertoire. Labeling success by what song we are on is the wrong approach. We want our children to cultivate a love of music they will have forever. If you aren’t worried about it, generally they won’t be either. I, and other Suzuki teachers, label success as playing with beautiful tone and with ease, good intonation, musicality, and proper form. Successful families and students are the ones who focus on mastery and developing artistry rather than just getting to the next piece. Progress is not judged by what piece you play but what skills you have and how you play your instruments.
Please don’t ask me “When will she go on to …” in front of your student. They will interpret that as “Why is she moving so slow? Why hasn’t she learned this? I feel like she is a failure if she doesn’t get there.” Of course, that’s not what you are saying, but it is what they hear. I know when to move them to that piece. Trust the process.
In my early years of teaching, I always gave into pressure and went faster when the parent asked. It was always too fast for the child. Every single child became overwhelmed and quit. No exaggeration – every single one. We aren’t about making a child who can play Book 1 as fast as they can; it’s not a speed contest. We are about building a confident child, an able child, a child who has taken the time to set up the solid foundation and has a distinctive set of skills to move forward. The Suzuki method is a positive snowball effect – you learn one thing, and then in the next exercise or piece you learn another thing that complements that original skill, reuses it in a new way, and adds a new skill. It takes time to build, but over time we build and build and the student has a wealth of knowledge and skill sets.
13) It’s critical you don’t answer questions I ask your child.
Such as, “OK, what part of the violin is this called?” If we answer for them (even though we just want to help!), we are robbing them of the experience of coming to the answer on their own. We are also perhaps subconsciously giving them the idea we really don’t want them to get something wrong. I try to let the student know right off the bat that it’s totally OK to get things wrong or to say “I don’t know.” This is one of the life lessons we learn early on in the Suzuki method lessons. I like to create nourishing and fortifying situations in which the students face challenges that they can surmount if they take a moment to engage their brains and figure out the problem. But I don’t do the figuring out for them – that would be like me trying to give you the benefits of exercise by running on the treadmill for you. And just as you can’t hire someone to exercise for you, when parents answer a teacher’s questions for their children, they deprive their child of the very exercises that strengthen them.
14) You, as their parent, are a huge part of this process.
The Suzuki method uses what we call the “Parent-Teacher-Child” triangle. All three are of equal importance. You are expected to sit in on lessons, take notes, and be the at-home teacher, which will enable you to tell your child what to practice and offer suggestions on how to fix issues. Think of lessons as your class as well as your child’s, even though you both have very different roles. There’s much more parent involvement in the first few years of lessons, and eventually your child will take on more responsibility. But, at the beginning: sit in on lessons – be present in them – take notes. If you cannot be in a lesson, cancel the lesson.
If you are confused by a task – text me. I’m happy to help. But if you sit in on the lessons, you will likely be able to pick up on what needs to be done. The Suzuki method offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to strengthen the parent-child relationship. Your child will gain many skills as they strive for excellence in music and life. Suzuki teaches ownership, self-identity, creativity, concentration, perseverance, time management, brain development, and self-discipline. In Suzuki, you learn so much more than just music. If you are there with your child in practice time, you will see this.
15) The Suzuki method is character first, ability second.
As a Suzuki teacher, I’ve taken a pledge to not only teach your child violin, but to nurture your child, to develop sensitivity with them. For them to have a good heart. To gain confidence through their ability. To understand delayed gratification, to learn patience, to learn time management, and to learn kindness. There will be little doses of “life lessons” sprinkled in your child’s lessons throughout their music journey with me. Beyond becoming proficient at a musical instrument, music teaches students discipline, hard work, and perseverance, and develops who they are as people.
When asked what they learned from studying the Suzuki method, adult Suzuki students don’t usually answer with the names of pieces or by listing instrumental techniques. Instead, they list character traits: discipline, love for music, persistence, ability to break big problems into small pieces - if the whole song is too hard at first, we break it down to one line, and if the one line is too hard, we break it down to one measure, and if the one measure is too hard, we break it down to learning just one note or two notes. It’s not quantity, it’s quality.
Remember that with the Suzuki method, I am not just teaching your child violin, I am teaching critical thinking skills. I am not just teaching “Lightly Row,” I’m teaching them how to internalize something before figuring it out beyond what’s in their head. I’m not teaching them a bow hold; I’m teaching them how to take constructive criticism and grow from it. I am teaching patience, perseverance, problem-solving, and confidence.
I love the way a fellow Suzuki teacher phrased it: “We aren’t learning violin; we are learning how to learn.”
Success in this method also includes sticking with something that doesn’t come easy. It includes learning how to deal with feelings of not being good at something on the first try and working through frustration. It includes striving to reach your potential and learning confidence through practice. It is learning to play the instrument with ease and also learning to be a person who is sensitive to the world around us.
Philosophy
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Philosophy
Dr Suzuki has called his teaching method the Mother-Tongue Approach, inspired by the fact that children so effectively learn to speak their native tongue. Prompted and encouraged by the mother's love and the family enviroment, the child responds and develops this most difficult of skills, that of intelligible speech.
When a child learns to speak, the following factors are at work:
Listening - Memory - Motivation - Repitition - Parental Involvement - Step by Step Mastery - Love
In the Suzuki approach each of these principles is used in the learning of violin.
Suzuki Talent Education or the Suzuki method combines a music teaching method with a philosophy that embraces the total development of the child. Dr. Suzuki’s guiding principle was “Character first, ability second.”
The essence of his philosophy may be found in the following quotes from his many writings:
“Musical ability is not an inborn talent but an ability which can be developed. Any child who is properly trained can develop musical ability just as all children develop the ability to speak their mother tongue. The potential of every child is unlimited.”
“Teaching music is not my main purpose. I want to make good citizens, noble human beings. 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.”
Essentially, I am teaching your child a language. It takes time and commitment. Breathe in the language of music. Your child will be able to express themselves in a very healthy way at the end of this journey. We go slowly so as to not make mistakes or to form bad habits, as well as to drive each point home. Often we focus on one thing at a time. Ear training is necessary for them to learn this language, but it does not develop overnight. It takes time, and we can always grow.
This is an investment in your child. The investment is in them learning to grow into a patient, sensitive, respectful, noble, and kind person. The investment is in them learning to play an instrument like they learn their native language. It is an investment in building your relationship with your child. Thank you for taking this step, and I cannot wait to see the growth in your child.
If you're still asking: what is the Suzuki Method? Please visit these sites that briefly describe it:
https://suzukiassociation.org/about/suzuki-method/
https://internationalsuzuki.org/method
https://www.violinist.com/blog/laurie/20122/13212/
https://www.musicinst.org/suzuki-method
http://laura-nerenberg.squarespace.com/what-is-the-suzuki-method
If you are still asking: What is the Suzuki Method? Please ask me - it is imperative you understand it before enrolling your child in lessons with me.
Philosophy
Dr Suzuki has called his teaching method the Mother-Tongue Approach, inspired by the fact that children so effectively learn to speak their native tongue. Prompted and encouraged by the mother's love and the family enviroment, the child responds and develops this most difficult of skills, that of intelligible speech.
When a child learns to speak, the following factors are at work:
Listening - Memory - Motivation - Repitition - Parental Involvement - Step by Step Mastery - Love
In the Suzuki approach each of these principles is used in the learning of violin.
Suzuki Talent Education or the Suzuki method combines a music teaching method with a philosophy that embraces the total development of the child. Dr. Suzuki’s guiding principle was “Character first, ability second.”
The essence of his philosophy may be found in the following quotes from his many writings:
“Musical ability is not an inborn talent but an ability which can be developed. Any child who is properly trained can develop musical ability just as all children develop the ability to speak their mother tongue. The potential of every child is unlimited.”
“Teaching music is not my main purpose. I want to make good citizens, noble human beings. 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.”
Essentially, I am teaching your child a language. It takes time and commitment. Breathe in the language of music. Your child will be able to express themselves in a very healthy way at the end of this journey. We go slowly so as to not make mistakes or to form bad habits, as well as to drive each point home. Often we focus on one thing at a time. Ear training is necessary for them to learn this language, but it does not develop overnight. It takes time, and we can always grow.
This is an investment in your child. The investment is in them learning to grow into a patient, sensitive, respectful, noble, and kind person. The investment is in them learning to play an instrument like they learn their native language. It is an investment in building your relationship with your child. Thank you for taking this step, and I cannot wait to see the growth in your child.
If you're still asking: what is the Suzuki Method? Please visit these sites that briefly describe it:
https://suzukiassociation.org/about/suzuki-method/
https://internationalsuzuki.org/method
https://www.violinist.com/blog/laurie/20122/13212/
https://www.musicinst.org/suzuki-method
http://laura-nerenberg.squarespace.com/what-is-the-suzuki-method
If you are still asking: What is the Suzuki Method? Please ask me - it is imperative you understand it before enrolling your child in lessons with me.
What the first few months will look like
This is what the first few months will look like:
(and points to keep in mind as you begin the journey)
Month 1 of beginning lessons:
-Encouragement is essential.
-Make sure there is a good practice environment at home.
-Success breeds success.
-I will be sure you listen every day and ask if you have a dedicated practice room/space.
-Practice five minutes every day.
-Reminder: Stop the practice before your child asks to. Stop it in a positive way.
-Teach the parent a bow hold and how to hold the violin.
-Do you have all the materials you need? Notebook, Foamalin, practice toolkit, “I Can Read Music” Suzuki Violin Book 1, Suzuki recording, “Beyond the music lesson” by Christine Goodner, patience, foot chart, coin
-During our first lesson with your child, we will go through the beginners checklist and I will chat with the student about their interests. The beginners checklist is a list of games to help us achieve all the basic concepts we need to know in order to hold and play a violin comfortably. We learn a few things to practice over the week, and make them a foot chart.
Month 2:
-Set up conditions the student thrives in.
-Set realistic goals.
-Keep things positive – this takes work!
-Less talking, more action. Just learning how to work together.
-One point at a time.
-Try practicing two short times a day – is that better than one longer practice? Worse?
-Let the child decide what to practice (roll a die, pick a card).
-Listen, and practice every day.
-Plan out what you will practice – take notes during the lesson of things I say to practice.
-Keep practice positive and make notes of questions and struggles – come to me with hardships.
-Continue to work on beginners checklist and developing a bond with the student, keeping lessons VERY fun and upbeat.
Month 3:
-Only practice on the days you eat.
-Ability is knowledge plus 10,000 repetitions.
-When love is deep, much can be accomplished.
-Continue to listen and practice daily.
-Make a practice toolkit – pennies, finger puppets, dice, cards.
-Read chapters 1 and 2 of “Beyond the Music Lesson.”
-Continue to work on beginners checklist.
Month 4:
Priorities
-Love of music
-Posture and bow hold
- Tone
-Making things feel easy
-Pick one thing at a time to focus on. Even if it feels like nothing is happening, a lot really is! So many fine motor skills and brain connections are being made while we repeat and repeat. Remember: This goes so far beyond just learning violin – your child is learning skills they will carry with them through life.
-Continue to practice and listen daily.
-Continue work on beginners checklist.
-Read chapter 3 of “Beyond the music lesson.”
After Month 4:
-Continue to listen and practice daily.
-Continue to communicate with me what’s working and what’s not.
-Finish reading “Beyond the music lesson.”
(and points to keep in mind as you begin the journey)
Month 1 of beginning lessons:
-Encouragement is essential.
-Make sure there is a good practice environment at home.
-Success breeds success.
-I will be sure you listen every day and ask if you have a dedicated practice room/space.
-Practice five minutes every day.
-Reminder: Stop the practice before your child asks to. Stop it in a positive way.
-Teach the parent a bow hold and how to hold the violin.
-Do you have all the materials you need? Notebook, Foamalin, practice toolkit, “I Can Read Music” Suzuki Violin Book 1, Suzuki recording, “Beyond the music lesson” by Christine Goodner, patience, foot chart, coin
-During our first lesson with your child, we will go through the beginners checklist and I will chat with the student about their interests. The beginners checklist is a list of games to help us achieve all the basic concepts we need to know in order to hold and play a violin comfortably. We learn a few things to practice over the week, and make them a foot chart.
Month 2:
-Set up conditions the student thrives in.
-Set realistic goals.
-Keep things positive – this takes work!
-Less talking, more action. Just learning how to work together.
-One point at a time.
-Try practicing two short times a day – is that better than one longer practice? Worse?
-Let the child decide what to practice (roll a die, pick a card).
-Listen, and practice every day.
-Plan out what you will practice – take notes during the lesson of things I say to practice.
-Keep practice positive and make notes of questions and struggles – come to me with hardships.
-Continue to work on beginners checklist and developing a bond with the student, keeping lessons VERY fun and upbeat.
Month 3:
-Only practice on the days you eat.
-Ability is knowledge plus 10,000 repetitions.
-When love is deep, much can be accomplished.
-Continue to listen and practice daily.
-Make a practice toolkit – pennies, finger puppets, dice, cards.
-Read chapters 1 and 2 of “Beyond the Music Lesson.”
-Continue to work on beginners checklist.
Month 4:
Priorities
-Love of music
-Posture and bow hold
- Tone
-Making things feel easy
-Pick one thing at a time to focus on. Even if it feels like nothing is happening, a lot really is! So many fine motor skills and brain connections are being made while we repeat and repeat. Remember: This goes so far beyond just learning violin – your child is learning skills they will carry with them through life.
-Continue to practice and listen daily.
-Continue work on beginners checklist.
-Read chapter 3 of “Beyond the music lesson.”
After Month 4:
-Continue to listen and practice daily.
-Continue to communicate with me what’s working and what’s not.
-Finish reading “Beyond the music lesson.”
