The Suzuki Method
Shinichi Suzuki
The
Suzuki Method was developed by Shinichi Suzuki in the 1920's. In its simplest form the Suzuki method believes that every child
has the ability to succeed musically, that teaching can begin at any
age, and most importantly that music is adopted in the brain in much the
same way in language. The Suzuki Method was originally developed for
the violin, but quickly spread to the guitar and other stringed
instruments. In recent years in has been further expanded to include all
variety of instruments.
Language and Music
A child can speak long before they can read or write. A child understands intuitively, when a sentence makes sense or not long before they learn the grammatical 'why' of this correctness. Similarly the Suzuki Method stresses beginning early and focusing on the ear. Suzuki students listen for rhythms, mimic the sounds their teacher makes, and generally learn to play by ear first. The reading of music is developed more naturally over time, only after written music has an auditory context to thrive in.
Suzuki Association of the Americas
In order to better understand the techniques and goals of the Suzuki Method I encourage all prospective parents to watch the short video entitled The Sounds of Success, located at the bottom of the Suzuki Association of America's homepage. This website is also a great source of information on the past and present of Suzuki teaching.
