Twinkle, Twinkle Little Stars ~ Suzuki Violin School Volume 1
Written: Mar 12 '08 (Updated Jan 27 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Music_education can begin at a very young age ~ this book is the perfect start!
Cons: Parents must get involved--you can't just pick-up and drop-off with Suzuki method.
The Bottom Line: I treasure this book as a reminder of how far my daughter and I have come with our violin playing. It's beat-up and dog-eared, but will always inspire us.
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| jenniferkateab's Full Review: Suzuki Violin School Volume 1 - Book |
When my daughter was five years old, she finally got her wish. A brand new 1/10 size violin and the chance to start lessons with "Miss Melissa", our beloved first violin teacher. I vividly remember her first lesson with Melissa. Her teacher explained that Suzuki method is different from traditional instrument studies. With the Suzuki method, I would need to be personally involved with my daughter's learning step by step, lesson by lesson. My job ~ to take careful notes, help her learn the correct playing posture and hold the violin and bow right, and even to help her finger the notes on her tiny fingerboard correctly! All this from me, a Mom who loves Classical music but played a different instrument as a child (the flute).
Fast forward five years. Now, I love to joke that what I was really thinking at the time was, Sure, whatever. I'll just drop her off and pick her up... you'll never know the difference! But, I didn't want to sell my daughter short, so I did pay attention at lessons. I even tried to play a few songs on her tiny violin, and eventually I got hooked. I started playing her tiny violin while she was at school, and finally, my exasperated little girl said, "Mom, get your own Violin!" The rest is history...
Out of my sheer love of playing the violin and helping my daughter learn and play, too, I have decided to review the Suzuki Violin School method books starting with Volume 1. Since I am currently studying Volume 6, I'll review each book I have learned so far from the perspective of both a parent and student. There are 10 method books in all, but I'll only review the last 3 books when we have gone through them!
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Suzuki Violin School, Volume 1, Violin Part (Summy Birchard)
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All Suzuki method books are written and translated in five languages: English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese (The founder of the method, Dr. Shinichi Suzuki was Japanese). This volume begins with an introduction describing the method's main points. Listening to the reference recordings (CD purchased separately) is key because it helps students internalize the rhythm, tone and playing style of each piece. That way, children learn music at first by ear, like they would learn a language. Gradually, they are able to imitate pieces they hear on their violin, and after playing for awhile, they finally start recognizing notes and reading music. Also, proper positioning of the instrument, bow and body are essential to playing the violin beautifully and without fatigue or injury. Suzuki believed that all children, if taught with love and with the correct method, can develop beautiful playing skills and an ear for music. Suzuki's method is also known as The Mother Tongue method, because it emulates the way parents teach their native language to their children.
Next, you will see photos showing correct bow hold, posture and left hand. From my daughter's experience, she spent many weeks practicing these basic elements of playing--before she even played her first piece! Our teacher used games and sweet smiles to make this part fun for my daughter. I remember when we both tried to bow our first notes--they barely were audible, and we both thought "Wow, this is way harder than it looks!"
Pre-Twinkle: This is the phase of learning before the child learns their first real "song", Twinkle. Often, Suzuki teachers teach their own crazy little songs to teach the first four notes on the left hand: open A, B, C and D. These little nonsense lyrics made learning first notes and rhythms fun. For example, "Pea-nut But-ter Sand-wich" represents four sixteenth notes followed by two eighth notes.
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star: The flagship song of the Suzuki method. Can you imagine: a whole stadium full of young musicians playing this song in unison? Dr. Suzuki loved to gather crowds of kids to play this simple song with feeling and beautiful tone. Twinkle is presented in four variations: "Peanut butter sandwich", "Ice Cream Cone", "I practice each morning", and "Fuzzy Yellow Catterpillar". These variations are not titled that way in the book, but those word patterns helped Melissa's students learn each rhythm. Finally, the familiar, legato "Twinkle" theme is played, and it still gives me chills when I'm playing it with a group!
Folk Songs ~ A series of folk songs follows, each getting slightly more complex. Lightly Row, Song of the Wind (introduces the bridge, which keeps one finger down on the E string while playing a note on the A string), Go Tell Aunt Rhody and O Come, Little Children (first song which starts on an up-bow).
May Song continues with a slightly harder syncopated rhythm of dotted quarters followed by an eighth note. Then, T.H. Bayly's Long, Long Ago is a charming, legato piece that students will return to again and again in their studies to practice vibrato and phrasing.
Now, a few etudes written by Suzuki himself, which help students learn accurate string crossings (from E to A for example), and some phrasing with a ritard (slow down) and a tempo. In Allegro, students learn bow circles, which allows the player to make two "down bows" in a row. Perpetual Motion is a scale-based exercise that has a devilish variation--turn every eighth note into a sixteenth note for double trouble! Finally, Allegretto is another exercise which introduces the lowest notes of all on the G string.
Andantino and Etude which follow are two plateau pieces which focus on improving technique, string crossings, left elbow moving as the left hand plays different strings, and stopping the bow after each note.
Now, you ready for real classical music! We start with three Minuets by J.S. Bach, a favorite composer of mine. What a sense of accomplishment my daughter and I felt when we got to these songs-- we're playing REAL music now! Each Minuet reinforces all the techniques learned so far. Reviewing past pieces cannot be underestimated when learning an instrument. Sometimes, you don't need to keep learning new things, but to transfer good techniques you have learned from short term memory to long term. Teachers sometimes call this physical memory, in which your muscles internalize a way of playing. Learning the violin requires developing many good habits, especially the ability to hear the correct pitch, some of which have a ringing or bell tone, and to locate the correct pitch on the string with your finger. So, these three Minuets are songs the student should review again and again, even when he or she is much more advanced. They are great for practicing new techniques and should never be forgotten!
The Happy Farmer by R. Schumann is the penultimate song in Volume 1. Its main teaching point is a new bowing pattern of "down, down" and "up, up". Doesn't sound hard, but it takes some practice when you first learn it!
Can you believe it-- we're on the last song in Book 1. Depending on how fast your child learns, it could take more than a year to reach this point. Gossec Gavotte is a darling song that seems very difficult when you first try it! It introduces students to grace notes and slurred sixteenths. Plus, it reinforces everything they have learned to that point and is a dynamic performance piece. Many Suzuki teachers reward students for finishing Book 1 with their own special recital. My daughter played her Book 1 graduation at a Nursing Home, where her friends and residents were invited to hear her play. What a grand memory-- she was so proud and her friends were amazed, too.
In conclusion, I hope this taste of Suzuki Violin School, Volume 1 has inspired you to investigate the Suzuki method for your son or daughter. It has been such an enriching experience for us, and I hope it is for your family too!
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*** New & Improved!! ***
For my critical analysis of the new, 2007 revised edition of Volume 1, please see my review of the:
New & Improved Suzuki Violin School
Many revisions, new photographs, diagrams and instructional tidbits have been added, and I weigh-in on whether I think the revised edition is really an improvement over the previous one.
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PS ~ Look for more Suzuki reviews to follow. I will reference the introductory material in this review so it won't need to be repeated :)
Related Reviews and Essays:
Suzuki Violin School Volume 2
A Mother-Daughter Suzuki Experience: Two Violins, One Concerto, and a Loving Bond
Note Reading for Beginners: I Can Read Music by Joanne Martin
SmartMusic Practicing/Piano Accompaniment Software by MakeMusic!
Recommended:
Yes
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jenniferkateab
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Member: Jennifer
Location: Rocky Mtns.
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