It's been mentioned here and there before but what do people think about the Suzuki method of learning for adults?
My years of trying to master the mandolin haven't yielded very much so I'd be willing to try something new. Then again, maybe I should just hang it up...
I'd pass on it personally. It would bore me out of my mind. How many times can you play twinkle twinkle and the dreaded Danny Boy ;)
I've been learning for a year with a great instructor (classically trained and suzuki-certified) who has me learning on simplified fiddle tunes, some folk, some classical, etc. I feel that I'm learning very quickly and still getting the proper technique. Sure...we still do scales and music theory and all that stuff, but the music I'm playing has made me fall in the love with the fiddle and want to play more.
For me the key has been staying interested. A few months ago she even taught me a blues progression and now I can improvise a little.
That said, it might be good to hear from an adult who learned throught he suzuki method.
Whatever keeps you interested and playing is probably the best way to go.
Well I grew up learning suzuki violin and here's my take.
Strengths: excellent method for learning to play by ear, will give you a FIRM foundation in technique, and will give you some experience with classical music, which can only improve your overall musicianship
Cons: is focused completely on technique for classical playing, most teachers have NO experience with any other styles of playing (with a few exceptions, see below), and there is very little room for "creativity" as you move up the ladder (doesn't matter as much for beginners but as you advance this might wear on you a bit)
There is at least one violin teacher, Jane MacMorran, who is located in Kingsport, TN (my old teacher) who won the national Scottish Fiddling championship - she was forced to do it on the sly as her Suzuki peers look down on fiddling. She now has a camp that runs in conjunction with the Virginia Suzuki Institute (held in june) that is focused on Scottish fiddling...that might be a place to start to delve into teachers who are familiar with both methods.
I've found that some of the techniques I learned as a Suzuki student had to be jettisoned in order to get proper fiddle technique (how you hold the bow is one example, and having the fingers "brush" the fingerboard rather than hammer it is another). But I had a very strong underpinning of overall technique from my suzuki days and have advanced much quicker than other folks who learned with other methods. (The Suzuki focus on ear training is a big piece of why I think it's a great method for fiddle - and it's the thing most criticized by the classical players).
I'm not sure how all of this translates to an adult learner. My dad is an adult learner and did better with suzuki (he had Jane as a teacher) than his current bluegrass teacher (who I think just isn't a good teacher - but follows his own strict method!)...so maybe I'd say focus on the quality of the teacher and how your personalities work together rather than the method per se...there are some amazing suzuki teachers out there who could probably be amazing with any method they used...and i'm sure there are amazing teachers who use other methods or a blend of methods. Word of mouth is the best way to find them....
And don't be afraid to give a teacher a "trial run" and dump them if you aren't progressing. The best teachers I've had always give me one of those "aha" moments in my lessons - they can quickly diagnose what I'm struggling with and offer suggestions for improvement. That's the real key. If they are able to really help you advance or not....and challenge you.
I just wanted to put in a plug for the "alternative" Suzuki book my daughter is using. It's the Family String Method by David Tasgal and comes with a CD of all the lesson songs that makes it feel like you're playing with an ensemble. All of the songs are original so you can completely avoid Lightly Row and all those other old "favorites." http://www.familystringmethod.com/ it's written for kids, with a good sense of humor, but I'm learning right along with my daughter and if you don't mind a book geared for kids I'm finding it to be an enjoyable approach.
Learning music is a wonderful thing... learning irish music is another...
Are you folks listening to Irish music that someday you hope to be able to play? Who are you listening too? How did those you are listening to learn? These may be important questions to answer when considering an approach....
I started lessons with a Suzuki teacher 18 months ago, and endorse almost all what Thejigisup says. The exception to the "almost all" is that I have a Suzuki teacher who not only learned from the great man himself when she lived in Japan as a young girl but for the last 15 years or so has been the fiddle player in the band Spiro (formerly The Famous Five), for which she also writes and arranges the music. Jane (is she the same "Jane" as Thejigisup's Dad's teacher? - but then I don't know where he is located) teaches classical, folk, jazz and improvisation - although I'm working more on the classical side at the moment.
The first lesson was a detailed deconstruction and reconstruction of my bow hold, which convinced me so well that the same evening I applied it to my cello bow hold at an orchestral rehearsal. The effect was immediate and progressive, both in fiddle and cello playing; I've not looked back since.
Jane has that extraordinary gift of spotting problems before the pupil is aware of them, and, what is more, of having an answer that solves the problem. She places a lot of emphasis on quality of tone, bow control, and listening to one's own playing. She suggests the pupil (adult, presumably) should aim for a standard of playing they'd be happy to hear coming over the radio, even if it's only a few bars to start with.
The Suzuki approach
The Suzuki approach
It's been mentioned here and there before but what do people think about the Suzuki method of learning for adults?
My years of trying to master the mandolin haven't yielded very much so I'd be willing to try something new. Then again, maybe I should just hang it up...
# Posted on March 2nd 2009 by amhrán
Re: The Suzuki approach
One result from a quick Google search ....
http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=101&id=1329&desc=Suzuki%20drivers%20adopt%20cautious%20approach
But of course, I shouldn't be flippant.
No doubt some sensible answers will be posted soon ...
# Posted on March 2nd 2009 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: The Suzuki approach
I'd pass on it personally. It would bore me out of my mind. How many times can you play twinkle twinkle and the dreaded Danny Boy ;)
I've been learning for a year with a great instructor (classically trained and suzuki-certified) who has me learning on simplified fiddle tunes, some folk, some classical, etc. I feel that I'm learning very quickly and still getting the proper technique. Sure...we still do scales and music theory and all that stuff, but the music I'm playing has made me fall in the love with the fiddle and want to play more.
For me the key has been staying interested. A few months ago she even taught me a blues progression and now I can improvise a little.
That said, it might be good to hear from an adult who learned throught he suzuki method.
Whatever keeps you interested and playing is probably the best way to go.
# Posted on March 2nd 2009 by Odee
Re: The Suzuki approach
Well I grew up learning suzuki violin and here's my take.
Strengths: excellent method for learning to play by ear, will give you a FIRM foundation in technique, and will give you some experience with classical music, which can only improve your overall musicianship
Cons: is focused completely on technique for classical playing, most teachers have NO experience with any other styles of playing (with a few exceptions, see below), and there is very little room for "creativity" as you move up the ladder (doesn't matter as much for beginners but as you advance this might wear on you a bit)
There is at least one violin teacher, Jane MacMorran, who is located in Kingsport, TN (my old teacher) who won the national Scottish Fiddling championship - she was forced to do it on the sly as her Suzuki peers look down on fiddling. She now has a camp that runs in conjunction with the Virginia Suzuki Institute (held in june) that is focused on Scottish fiddling...that might be a place to start to delve into teachers who are familiar with both methods.
I've found that some of the techniques I learned as a Suzuki student had to be jettisoned in order to get proper fiddle technique (how you hold the bow is one example, and having the fingers "brush" the fingerboard rather than hammer it is another). But I had a very strong underpinning of overall technique from my suzuki days and have advanced much quicker than other folks who learned with other methods. (The Suzuki focus on ear training is a big piece of why I think it's a great method for fiddle - and it's the thing most criticized by the classical players).
I'm not sure how all of this translates to an adult learner. My dad is an adult learner and did better with suzuki (he had Jane as a teacher) than his current bluegrass teacher (who I think just isn't a good teacher - but follows his own strict method!)...so maybe I'd say focus on the quality of the teacher and how your personalities work together rather than the method per se...there are some amazing suzuki teachers out there who could probably be amazing with any method they used...and i'm sure there are amazing teachers who use other methods or a blend of methods. Word of mouth is the best way to find them....
And don't be afraid to give a teacher a "trial run" and dump them if you aren't progressing. The best teachers I've had always give me one of those "aha" moments in my lessons - they can quickly diagnose what I'm struggling with and offer suggestions for improvement. That's the real key. If they are able to really help you advance or not....and challenge you.
hth
# Posted on March 2nd 2009 by thejigisup
Re: The Suzuki approach
I just wanted to put in a plug for the "alternative" Suzuki book my daughter is using. It's the Family String Method by David Tasgal and comes with a CD of all the lesson songs that makes it feel like you're playing with an ensemble. All of the songs are original so you can completely avoid Lightly Row and all those other old "favorites." http://www.familystringmethod.com/ it's written for kids, with a good sense of humor, but I'm learning right along with my daughter and if you don't mind a book geared for kids I'm finding it to be an enjoyable approach.
# Posted on March 2nd 2009 by amyamanda
Re: The Suzuki approach
Learning music is a wonderful thing... learning irish music is another...
Are you folks listening to Irish music that someday you hope to be able to play? Who are you listening too? How did those you are listening to learn? These may be important questions to answer when considering an approach....
# Posted on March 2nd 2009 by McCracken
Re: The Suzuki approach
I started lessons with a Suzuki teacher 18 months ago, and endorse almost all what Thejigisup says. The exception to the "almost all" is that I have a Suzuki teacher who not only learned from the great man himself when she lived in Japan as a young girl but for the last 15 years or so has been the fiddle player in the band Spiro (formerly The Famous Five), for which she also writes and arranges the music. Jane (is she the same "Jane" as Thejigisup's Dad's teacher? - but then I don't know where he is located) teaches classical, folk, jazz and improvisation - although I'm working more on the classical side at the moment.
The first lesson was a detailed deconstruction and reconstruction of my bow hold, which convinced me so well that the same evening I applied it to my cello bow hold at an orchestral rehearsal. The effect was immediate and progressive, both in fiddle and cello playing; I've not looked back since.
Jane has that extraordinary gift of spotting problems before the pupil is aware of them, and, what is more, of having an answer that solves the problem. She places a lot of emphasis on quality of tone, bow control, and listening to one's own playing. She suggests the pupil (adult, presumably) should aim for a standard of playing they'd be happy to hear coming over the radio, even if it's only a few bars to start with.
# Posted on March 3rd 2009 by lazyhound
Re: The Suzuki approach
I'm fairly certain that Todd Ehle's approach to violin teaching in his YouTube tutorials is solidly Suzuki-based.
# Posted on March 3rd 2009 by lazyhound
Re: The Suzuki approach
Thanks to everyone for the detailed replies. You've given me courage to look for a new teacher and maybe investigate Suzuki.
# Posted on March 5th 2009 by amhrán