Violin and Suzuki method

[spokette]

My DTS are 4yo and 8 months. DH and I would like them to learn a musical instrument and are considering enrolling them with a music teacher who uses the Suzuki method.

If you have had experience of this method for your child, what are your views in terms of ease of learning, relevance to learning about music, value for money etc.

The teacher I have found charges £14 for 30 minutes so is that the going rate these days? I am also going to find out if she is prepared to teach the boys at the same time with a discount.

TIA

the suzuki teacher we tried put ds1 off violin for life. 5 weeks of learning how to stand and hold the stupid bow rather than being allowed to experiment and make a noise.
He never went back.
He learned the piano recently with a very laid back teacher £13 for one hour and is doing fanatstically.

I didn't learn with the suzuki method but my teacher was pretty scathing about it - she said it didn't foster real musicality

I would start ordinary non-suzuki when they are older. DS1 started cello in year 2 (aged nearly 7) and DS2 has just started violin at same age. They also play piano and both started after they were 6. We do 5-10 mins practice of each and not every day. DS 1 has done Grade 1 piano and will do Grade 1 cello in a few weeks. They learn piano privately and strings through school.

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I began to learn violin at 8yo. Am still playing and enjoying it at 38yo. My husband is a pro orchestral musician. We are persuading our very eager brood to wait til they are at least 8 or 9, success and enjoyment rates are so much better
DS1 has only 8 weeks to go
ds2 is less impressed cos he is only 5!!
DD just enjoys music for playing with and dancing to at this stage, which is what I think they should be doing.

children at that age should be allowed to play with the instrument and experement with making sounds out of it.
The suzuki teacher wouldn't allow any of this. Really put poor ds1 off and he'd been so enthusiastic.

Dd2 goes to junior Guildhall (not through talent, lol, you just have to put their names down early) and they do Kodaly and rhythmics with them (half an hour of each). The idea is to develop musicality as a preparation to starting proper instrumental lessons.

They start instrumental proper in Y2, so for YR and Y1 they specifically ask you not to do instrumental lessons with them as they think it's counterproductive.

Thanks for the feedback.

Considering the costs involved, I am going to wait until they are about 6 or 7yo because I don't want them to be turned off if they do not take to it.

I considered Suzuki for dd1 whom we were told from a young age was musical. She observed a couple of classes and was quite attentive to what the children were doing. In the end we did not go for it bcos it requires parent attendance with the child so that the parent can practise with the child - as you'd expect at such a young age the child learns through repetition.

We chose a Kodaly based class for her instead so that she could develop aurally and learn to use her voice which is a great instrument. She's just started violin and is doing well.

I started off by asking violin teacher if she would have a go with dd bcos she had been banging on about playing. I told her that if she did not think dd was ready I would defer classes. But it soon became clear that she was very able and teacher and student obviously enjoy the lessons.

You will know your child and know when to go for it.

How about singing at this age (choir?). It would be a great preparation for violin which requires a good ear.

How about singing at this age - choir? It's good preparation for violin which requires a good ear.

Would heartily second waiting until age 8 for most instruments- by then they can appreciate that it won't be fun every day but that it's still worth carrying on, and they also improve faster.

I'm a violin teacher & I never use Suzuki! A good teacher will start them at any age, just be prepared for progress to be slower if they start earlier.
My main criticism is that it doesn't teach them how to read music which means even wit a good teacher, that's all they're doing is learning by copy cat playing.
My whole reason for teaching music is to teach responsibility & independance so Suzuki really doesn't cut it for me I'm afraid.
Can't recommend Kodaly & eurhythmics highly enough though! DD did it & was developing relative pitch at the age of 2