Are anyone's children leaning Suzuki method piano?

[tinuviel_k]

I was hoping to see if anyone's children are taking Suzuki method piano lessons.
My daughter started them at age 6.5, and we've been learning for one year. I am taking the lessons along with my daughter. My daughter is nearing the end of book 1, and I am partway in to book 2.

I'd love to hear about other's experiences taking Suzuki piano. I don't have many friends and children taking lessons, and I'm really curious to see what others are thinking and feeling.

[pianojazzgirl]

I'll be watching this thread.  My 6yo dd takes Suzuki violin lessons (since the beginning of last school year).  I think it's a great method.  I'm a pianist and I used to teach children piano lessons back before I had my own kids.  I've been thinking of getting back to teaching, and I'm considering getting some training to teach the Suzuki method.  I recently picked up the first piano book just to check it out.  I don't know anyone IRL who studies Suzuki piano (plenty of kids taking violin - but no piano), so I'd love to hear about others' experiences of it.

[ArchanaBala]

Hi,

My son has been taking the Suzuki Piano lessons for the last 6 months. I am amazed at how quickly he learns. There is some people who say that the kid never learns to do sight reading. I think this is a myth. Our teacher has started teaching him note names and will be teaching him reading along with him playing. You should definitely give it a try. I love being involved in my son's lessons.

Thanks

Archana

[Red Pajama]

my boys (6 years) are taking their first piano lessons, but it's not suzuki.  It's completely different than the way I learned, though, and seems to be enjoyable for them.

The book started off using only black keys, and now (about 6 weeks in for us) has progressed to C position.  They're working out of three companion books-- a lesson, a performance, and a theory book.  They have not yet progressed to learning the names of notes, or the notes' position on the staff, although it's beginning to be introduced.

[pianojazzgirl]

Originally Posted by Red Pajama 

my boys (6 years) are taking their first piano lessons, but it's not suzuki.  It's completely different than the way I learned, though, and seems to be enjoyable for them.

The book started off using only black keys, and now (about 6 weeks in for us) has progressed to C position.  They're working out of three companion books-- a lesson, a performance, and a theory book.  They have not yet progressed to learning the names of notes, or the notes' position on the staff, although it's beginning to be introduced.

It sounds like they might be in the Faber "Piano Adventure" method - am I right?  Since last posting on this thread I actually have started teaching again.  I did some more research into Suzuki, but have decided not to pursue it further right now.  I've gone back to using the method I used when I stopped teaching - the aforementioned "Piano Adventure" series - and I'm so happy with my choice.  I also have a younger beginner (5yo) who I just started teaching a couple of weeks ago and I'm using "My First Piano Adventures" (books in the same series but for younger beginners) and it is WONDERFUL!  I love it even more than the regular method.  Mostly the way it supports a great foundation in technique.  So for now it looks like I'll be sticking with that.  But still happy with Suzuki violin for my dd!  (And curious to hear more feedback about Suzuki for piano)
 

[das114]

We enrolled our 6 year old son in Suzuki summer camp for piano. He is doing well & it is only a two week camp but lessons seem a little slow to me. Interested in hearing about progression with actual continuing lessons before I decide whether to continue with method or not.

[transylvania_mom]

Ds is in his second year of Suzuki guitar. We have had a very positive experience with this, but I think a lot depends on the teacher as well. Ds is going to a Suzuki summer camp for a week this summer.

[HidaShara]

I'm at the other end of things - I took violin starting with the Suzuki method when I was 5 y.o. :)  We stuck with Suzuki teachers until I was a pre-teen, when I got in with a very serious private teacher.

My experience with the system was totally positive.  I might not have had as much "theory" behind my playing (until it was all taught to me as a teenager) but I certainly could sight read very well.  I just couldn't tell you, say, what key a piece was in.  I was also able to easily pick up additional instruments as I got older.  By the time I was 15 I was playing two different instruments in three orchestras and a string quartet.  I wound up a fairly accomplished musician, I think, and the Suzuki school was a very good first step along that path.  When my DD is old enough, we'll hopefully use Suzuki for whatever instrument she decides to play!

[Mizelenius]

Not in Suzuki but I learned something new about it.

I was a music major in college.  One of my friends there was taught via the Suzuki method and had a hard time reading music.  This made me a bit nervous about the method, since some people say they delay reading music too long.  So, obviously my friend got pretty far, but this did hold her back.  (She dropped out.)

I spoke with a Suzuki teacher recently.  She said that in the old days, this was true-- reading music was delayed.  Why?  When Americans observed in Japan, they did not see music reading being taught during lessons.  This was TRUE.  HOWEVER, the missed a big piece of the puzzle-- children in Japan were/are being taught how to read music during the regular school day, so they did not include this in lessons.  We don't have a standard curriculum like they do in the US, obviously, so not all children will have this exposure.  Teacher said that now children are transitioned quickly into reading music.  It made me feel better!

[Juuulie]

Originally Posted by Mizelenius 

I spoke with a Suzuki teacher recently.  She said that in the old days, this was true-- reading music was delayed.  Why?  When Americans observed in Japan, they did not see music reading being taught during lessons.  This was TRUE.  HOWEVER, the missed a big piece of the puzzle -- children in Japan were/are being taught how to read music during the regular school day, so they did not include this in lessons.  We don't have a standard curriculum like they do in the US, obviously, so not all children will have this exposure.  Teacher said that now children are transitioned quickly into reading music.  It made me feel better!

Two of my kids do Suzuki violin and it has been fantastic for them. Both are great sight readers, even my 8yo who is only in his second year of lessons. I have to confess, before we started I was extremely skeptical and worried about the music reading thing. But what I didn't realize about the violin (since I don't play myself) is that posture and bowhold are SO important. Until those things are solid it can be really detrimental to the learning process if you are focusing on reading music at the same time. Suzuki actually assumed two things: 1) kids would learn to read music in school, and 2) they would have started violin lessons at age 3 so that by the time they GOT to school their set-up was already well established. I don't know how this translates to the piano though...

[Mizelenius]

Yes, just learning how to hold the violin and bow are critical! (I used to play as well.)  The music teacher I was speaking with has children start with boxes-- no violins-- for awhile, just to get them use to the proper positioning. 

Interesting about starting at the age of 3!

Originally Posted by Juuulie 

Two of my kids do Suzuki violin and it has been fantastic for them. Both are great sight readers, even my 8yo who is only in his second year of lessons. I have to confess, before we started I was extremely skeptical and worried about the music reading thing. But what I didn't realize about the violin (since I don't play myself) is that posture and bowhold are SO important. Until those things are solid it can be really detrimental to the learning process if you are focusing on reading music at the same time. Suzuki actually assumed two things: 1) kids would learn to read music in school, and 2) they would have started violin lessons at age 3 so that by the time they GOT to school their set-up was already well established. I don't know how this translates to the piano though...

[pianojazzgirl]

Originally Posted by Juuulie 

Two of my kids do Suzuki violin and it has been fantastic for them. Both are great sight readers, even my 8yo who is only in his second year of lessons. I have to confess, before we started I was extremely skeptical and worried about the music reading thing. But what I didn't realize about the violin (since I don't play myself) is that posture and bowhold are SO important. Until those things are solid it can be really detrimental to the learning process if you are focusing on reading music at the same time. Suzuki actually assumed two things: 1) kids would learn to read music in school, and 2) they would have started violin lessons at age 3 so that by the time they GOT to school their set-up was already well established. I don't know how this translates to the piano though...

(bolding mine)

As I mentioned upthread I'm a piano teacher.  I absolutely think the same thing applies to piano (proper posture, hand shape, technique).  Thus my interest in Suzuki.  The method I currently use starts with very simple "off-staff" songs for many weeks (sometimes months) before introducing "on-staff" music.  It's like a fast(er) track idea similar to Suzuki (where Suzuki kids might not start learning to read for years instead of months).  The focus is on getting the students to play with proper technique without them having to worry about reading notes at the same time.  The younger the kids the longer we stay on "off-staff" songs.  I think the whole thing makes a lot of sense, and I've seen it play out very well with my dd's Suzuki lessons.  I've also had a lot of success teaching non-Suzuki, so I'm not convinced that it's the *only* good route to take.  Certainly interesting though.