The BAVS FAQQuestions about methods, pedagogy, repertoire, etc.
The meaning of "Suzuki" depends on context, and can be:
Students are told to listen to the tapes of the Suzuki repertoire (the book they are in, and the next book) repeatedly. Listening time is as important as practice time. Students play music through memorization, "by ear", before they are taught to read music, just as young children learn to speak their native tongue before they're taught to read it. However, students are normally taught to read music as soon as they're comfortable with the instrument, often within the first year of playing -- the desire is simply to avoid forcing the beginner to simultaneously struggle with the instrument and the cognitive task of reading notes. Students also perform a great deal, participate in group lessons (as a supplement to regular teaching, which is done one-on-one), and are generally encouraged to develop self-confidence and learn to cope with "stage fright". By watching more advanced students perform, they also develop ambition to advance themselves. Since all students share a common repertoire learned in the same order, students can look forward to music they'll be able to play in the future. This common repertoire also fosters group recitals. Students play not just the piece they're currently working on, but are constantly engaged in the process of reviewing pieces that they played earlier on. From the beginning, Suzuki students play "real music"; though the pieces are initially very simple, the students build up a playable repertoire from the very start. The performance approach stresses memorization (which in turn ensures that students know the pieces thoroughly), confident stage manners, excellent posture, good tone, and exact intonation. Many former Suzuki students are able to recall much of their old Suzuki repertoire note-perfect, decades later. The final hallmark of the Suzuki teaching of children is that parental participation is extremely important, and they are encouraged to try to learn the instrument a little, too. Parents are expected to come to their children's lessons, and to listen in on at least one other child's lesson as well. They are also expected to help the child with his practice sessions. Finally, parents are told to make sure that they provide the child with as much positive reinforcement as possible. The child is expected to practice on a daily basis, and to do so with seriousness and concentration. The Suzuki repertoire provides a foundation for violin study; it takes the student to about the intermediate level of skill. In practice, most violin students switch to non-Suzuki study after book 6 or book 7, and many teachers supplement the study of intermediate students with additional pieces, etudes, and exercises from outside the Suzuki repertoire. Assuming that the teacher is good (and there are good and bad Suzuki teachers, just like there are good and bad non-Suzuki teachers), Suzuki is just as good of a preparation for advanced study of the violin as non-Suzuki ("traditional") study. Many teachers who do not teach the Suzuki Method nonetheless teach beginning and intermediate students using the Suzuki books. This is what people are referring to when they say they're working on "Suzuki Book 2". There are ten repertoire books in the Suzuki violin method. Books 1 through 8 contain a selection of different pieces, beginning with folk tunes and quickly progressing to "real" music by composers such as Bach and Vivaldi. The books are relatively heavy on repertoire by Baroque composers. Some items of interest: Book 4 includes the Bach "Double" (the D minor concerto for two violins) as well as the Vivaldi A minor concerto, Book 6 includes Corelli's "La Folia" and Fiocco's "Allegro", and Book 7 includes the Bach A minor violin concerto. Book 9 consists solely of the fifth Mozart violin concerto (A major), and Book 10 consists solely of the fourth Mozart violin concerto (D major); there is a significant gap in difficulty between Books 8 and 9, and even students who continue on beyond that point generally learn the two Mozart concertos from more modern editions. The Method itself is not frequently used for adults, though there are some teachers who are very successful using it with adults. Also, adult beginners very commonly play the Suzuki repertoire, even if they are not learning via the Method. The Suzuki Association of the Americas provides information about the method, and has a teacher database. Also, they sponsor summer institutes for students and teachers, and adult students are welcome as auditors. [Last update: Sun Sep 16 02:10:52 2001.] The ABRSM -- the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music -- is an international organization based in the United Kingdom that provides a curriculum for the study of many instruments, complete with tests and diplomas. It is often referred to as the Royal Conservatory method. It is the standard way that students in the UK and many former British colonies, including Canada and Australia (where it's called AMEB), learn music. ABRSM examinations are also available in the United States. Adults as well as children can participate. The ABRSM curriculum for violin is divided into Grades; this is often what is meant when someone refers to "preparing for the Grade 2 exam". There are eight grades, spanning beginners to later-stage intermediate players. In order to receive a certificate for completing a particular grade, one must both pass a music theory exam, as well as play before an examiner. For the performance segment of the exam, the player must choose several pieces from a list of repertoire, as well as play scales in a certain prescribed fashion. The ABRSM publishes books that include the repertoire list for the year; the repertoire list does change somewhat from time to time. The examaminer grades the student numerically on his performance (this is what is meant when someone refers to having received certain "marks" on his ABRSM exam). [Last update: Sun Sep 16 18:14:38 2001.] ASTA -- the American String Teacher's Association -- maintains a repertoire list, that divides music as well as etudes and technical exercises into six Grades. Some music stores, notably Shar, note the ASTA grade level of music in their catalogs. The equivalencies between ASTA grades and Suzuki book numbers is approximately as follows: Suzuki Book 1 corresponds to ASTA Grade 1, Books 2 and 3 correspond to Grade 2, Books 4 and 5 correspond to Grade 3, Books 6 through 8 correspond to Grade 4, and Books 9 and 10 correspond to Grade 5. For reference, the Seitz and Vivaldi concertos in Book 4 are ASTA Grade 3; the Bach A minor, Viotti, Rode, and third Mozart (G major) concertos are Grade 4; the fourth and fifth Mozart (D and A major) and the first Bruch (G minor) concertos are Grade 5; and concertos at the difficulty of the Mendelssohn and above are Grade 6. ASTA grade levels can be useful in determining whether or not a music book you haven't seen is suitable for your current level of playing. It's handy if you want to pick up music to sight-read, for instance. Unlike the ABRSM curriculum, ASTA grades don't correspond to a recommended method of study. Instead, the repertoire list is simply a handy reference for teachers. [Last update: Sun Sep 16 03:01:19 2001.] What are some other common beginner methods? Other than the Suzuki and ABRSM methods, some other common ways to learn to play the violin include the following:
What is the Russian/Franco-Belgian/German/etc. 'school' of violin playing? Not yet written.
What different styles of fiddling are there? Not yet written.
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