What is the Suzuki Method? How is it different from other, more traditional, methods?
The Suzuki Method, or “Mother Tongue” method of talent education is based in the way a child acquires his or her native language and dialect. Suzuki reasoned that all children have intelligence and can learn because all children acquire the ability to speak and communicate without “formal” training in their own language. It is for this reason that the Suzuki method is a bit different than traditional music instruction. Some of the differences include early beginning(ages 3-7), daily parental involvement, daily listening to pieces being studied, repetition and games, encouragement, learning with other children, strong emphasis on beautiful tone, and delayed reading. Suzuki Children play on classical guitars, nylon stringed instruments. They learn the classical literature. However, at my studio I also enhance this with a larger chord vocabulary and some instruction in improvisation to make for a more fully equipped musician.
