Suzuki Strings
of Orange County
What is the Suzuki Method
The Suzuki method of music education is based on the principle that every child has talent and can learn to play an instrument well. Dr. Suzuki’s method is called the mother-tongue approach because he applied the basic principles of language acquisition to the learning of music. The idea of parent responsibility, loving encouragement and constant repetition are some of the important concepts of this method.
Key Concepts of the Suzuki Method
Every Child Can Learn: More than fifty years ago, Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki realized that children the world over learn to speak their native language with ease. He began to apply the basic principles of language acquisition to the learning of music, and called his method the mother-tongue approach. Here are the most important features of the Suzuki approach and philosophy.
How the Suzuki Method is Different from Traditional Violin, Viola and Cello Methods
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Suzuki teachers believe that musical ability can be developed in all children.
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Students begin at young ages.
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Parents play an active role in the learning process.
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Children become comfortable with the instrument before learning to read music.
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Technique is taught in the context of pieces rather than through dry technical exercises.
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Pieces are refined through constant review.
Why the Suzuki Method is Called
“The Mother Tongue Approach”
Here is a chart comparing learning a language to learning a musical skill.