Suzuki method

The Suzuki method is a way of teaching most often used in learning to play music. The name is also sometimes used to refer solely to the sheet music books and/or audio recordings which have been published as part of the method. It was invented in the mid-20th century by Dr. Shin'ichi Suzuki. Dr. Suzuki noticed that all children pick up their native language very quickly, and even dialects which adults consider "difficult" to learn are spoken with ease by people of 5 or 6 years old. He reasoned that if a person has the skill to aquire their mother tongue, then they have the necessary ability to become proficient on a musical instrument. He modelled his method, which he called "Talent Education," after the process of natural language acquisition. Dr Suzuki believed that every child, if properly taught, was capable of a high level of musical achievement. He also made it clear that the goal of such musical education was to create a generation of children with "noble hearts" (as opposed to creating famous musical prodigies).

Philosophy

Essential components of the method include:

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• Saturation in the musical community, including attendance at local concerts, exposure to & friendship with other young music students, and listening to music in the home every day.
• Emphasis on playing from a very young age, sometimes beginning instruction between the ages of 3 and 5 years old. Scaled down instrument sizes are used for children studying stringed instruments in order to facilitate this.
• In the beginning, learning music by ear is emphasized over reading musical notation. This parallels language aquisition, where a child learns to speak before learning to read. Related to this, memorization of all solo repertoire is expected, even after a student begins to use sheet music as a tool to learn new pieces.
• The method also encourages, in addition to individual playing, regular playing in groups (including playing in unison),
• Retaining and Reviewing every piece of music ever learned on a regular basis, in order to raise technical and musical ability. Review pieces, along with "Preview" parts of music a student is yet to learn, are often used in creative ways to take the place of the more traditional etude books.
• Frequent public performance, so that playing is so far as possible natural and enjoyable.

The method discourages competitive attitudes between players, and advocates collaboration and mutual encouragement for those of every ability and at every level.

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Another important feature of the method is that the parent of the young student is expected to supervise instrument practice every day (instead of leaving the child to practise alone between lessons) and to attend every lesson so as to be able to supervise the practice effectively. It is not necessary for the parent to be able to play as well as the child (or at all); only that the parent knows from the lessons what the child should be doing and how the child should be doing it. This element of the method is so prominent that a newspaper article once dubbed it "The Mom-Centric Method" (Constance Meyer, LA Times, Sept 7, 2003).

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Criticism & Response

The most common criticisms of the Suzuki method from more traditional music teachers are that group playing, extensive listening to & copying of recordings, and early focus on memorization lead to:

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• Compromised sight reading skills
• A tendancy towards rote learning & 'robotic' group performance at the expense of individual musicianship (although a high degree of early technical ability is thereby produced)

Many Suzuki teachers have addressed these concerns by introducing sight reading exercises earlier and more often than was practiced when the method was first introduced in the West. Some also defend their emphasis on unity of musical expression in group performance by pointing out that this is a necessary skill "just like ... in the string section of any professional symphony", and add that although group performance plays an important motivating and ensemble role, and is a highly visible part of the Suzuki method, solo expression can also be encouraged, and individually tailored lessons are at the heart of the method (Barber, 1991).

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Criticism has also sprung up from within the Suzuki movement:

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• Students may progress too rapidly and find themselves in repertoire for which they are not yet emotionally ready
• There is too much Baroque music in the Suzuki literature, so students may lack the skills & experience necessary to perform music from other time periods & genres
• "Older students can become overly dependant" on the support structure of recordings, parental note-taking & tutoring at home, & teaching styles appropriate for younger students (Barber, 1991).
• Very young students, such as those aged 3-5, are often not ready for formal instruction, and too much emphasis on practicing hard at this age may be counterproductive (American Suzuki Journal, 2005).

See also: Music lesson

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