Suzuki Fundamentals

The teacher and parents together create experiences that provide continued encouragement and motivation for the child.

Listening

This is the heart of the Suzuki method and the key to your child’s success!

The purpose of listening is not to memorize the music, but to internalize it. The songs become internalized through immersion listening, which is how babies and young children learn language: they are constantly immersed in the sounds of people speaking and are able to mimic what they hear.

The more your child hears the songs on the Suzuki CD, the faster they will learn to play them. Students easily learn the songs in Suzuki Book 1 if the songs are constantly playing softly in the background throughout the day. Most students progress well if they are hearing the recording for 5-6 hours per day. 

One of the benefits of doing sufficient listening is the student can self-correct when figuring out the notes to a new song. They will know if what they just played is correct because they will hear the correct version in their head. They won’t always be dependent on the teacher or parent to tell them if they are playing the right notes. This is a simple but excellent way to empower your child, boost their confidence in their own ability, and maintain their interest and motivation!

Observation

Observation is an integral part of lessons in the studio and will constitute part of your child's beginning stages of piano study.

The learning that takes place for you and your child while observing other students' lessons can accelerate your child’s progress, strengthen your skills as your child’s home practice coach, and contribute to your child’s overall success.

Your child is not expected to actively “watch” the other lessons, but only needs to be quiet. Your child will absorb an enormous amount of information just by being in the studio environment. Students can read, draw, or do homework during their observation time.

Repetition and Mastery

Even without any help from a parent or teacher, children will instinctively use repetition to improve a skill they are trying to learn on their own. With piano lessons, learning to coordinate fingers and hands involves muscle learning, and the body requires lots of repetitions for this kind of skill development (even though the brain might “get it” really quickly). This process of skill development through repetition is what we refer to as “practice,” and it’s how students acquire the ability to play musically at a high level. What we generally define as “talent” is really the mastery of many skills through careful repetition (practice) over a period of many years.

Consistent daily practice which closely follows the teacher’s instructions will lead to increased levels of ability, which in turn will provide motivation to continue practicing!

Learning With Other Children

Having a peer group enhances learning at all ages, and becomes one of the top motivating factors for sticking with piano once students become teenagers. Group classes provide opportunities for learning and reviewing theory and musicianship concepts in ways that cannot be accomplished during a student’s individual lesson time. The group class setting is perfect for strengthening skills like sight-reading, ensemble playing, and performance. In terms of motivation, confidence building, and pure enjoyment, there is no substitute for making music together with piano friends!