1. SUZUKI VIOLIN TEACHING POINTS: INTRODUCTION

2. ????"TOP SECRET" TEACHING POINTS????

3. DON'T ACCEPT (L) IMITATIONS

4. GETTING THE WORD OUT

5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Throughout his life, Suzuki gave teachers Suzuki violin teaching points - specific instructions that are essential to the Suzuki Violin Method. Each of these focuses on a single aspect of violin study. Suzuki's violin teaching points are truly remarkable contributions to classical violin pedagogy, and reflect his ingenious approach to the mastery of, what are after all, highly demanding skills.

Why are these teaching points called "top secret"? Suzuki did not intend for these to be secret at all. Quite the contrary. He made a great effort to make his teaching points known. Ironically, while he made it a point to instruct Suzuki violin teachers to master these and to teach them to their students, critical teaching points are virtually "top secret", in the sense that they are rarely taught or espoused by Suzuki violin teachers.

Few Suzuki violin teachers even know of the most important of these! As a consequence, "Suzuki violin" and the "Suzuki Violin Method", as Suzuki himself defined and practiced it, is taught without the benefit of technical points that are key to his teachings. These teaching points form the basis of the technical innovations that he applied to the study of the violin, with astonishing results.

Suzuki did not exclude the teaching ideas of others. During his lifetime, he encouraged teachers to contribute ideas. Ms. Mori, Mr. Takahashi, Dr. Denda and Dr. Kataoka are among those who made significant contributions to the Suzuki method. But Suzuki was clearly less than satisfied with those Suzuki violin teachers who "adapted" or "modified" his approach in a superficial way, without due consideration of violin teaching points. Suzuki expressed this concern to me, from the time when I began work with him in the 1960's.

Because so few Suzuki violin teachers have learned and applied the techniques found in the teaching points, there have been unfortunate consequences. The Suzuki Method has, too often, been poorly represented, his powerful ideas about violin training have remained unexamined, and there has been much unwarranted criticism of Suzuki's very special approach to the violin. But even more importantly, students have been routinely deprived of an important aspect of the superior training that the Suzuki Method can provide.

Suzuki's standards were very high. He expected Suzuki violin students and Suzuki violin teachers to diligently apply the violin teaching points. When showing me his violin teaching points, Suzuki would add, "Please master what I am showing you. Please teach these to other teachers. Please teach these to your students".

Suzuki's teaching points and his instructions to "get the word out" about his teaching points were on my mind, when I founded the Suzuki Music Academy, over a decade ago. The Academy program has trained hundreds of teachers and students to gain a deeper, more meaningful understanding of Suzuki's approach and of his teaching points.

To view the teaching point currently featured, click on the **TOP SECRET** TEACHING POINT - #43. Master Suzuki violin teaching points. Teach these to your students. Your students have put their trust in you. They deserve the very best instruction you can provide. With Suzuki's passing, in early 1998, "getting the word" out takes on new meaning.

I wish to acknowledge help and inspiration I have received from Cathy Hargrave Williams, Bruce Anderson, Jay Gilbertson, and Carol Sykes. They are superb and dedicated Suzuki Method teachers whose work has helped me to maintain my connection with Suzuki. Also, my indebtedness to Yuko Mori, Mitsumasa Denda, Haruko Kataoka, Toshio Takahashi, and other teachers based at the authoritative Talent Education Institute, in Matsumoto, Japan. I have learned much from these teachers. I admire their work with students. This seems to show the highest standards for Suzuki Method Teachers.

Rhonda Harrison Shimano, an outstanding Suzuki Method teacher, knew and worked closely with Suzuki for years, is also on the list of superb and dedicated teachers who have carried out Suzuki's work. She deserves a special acknowledgment for her generosity and for her valuable guidance.

This site is dedicated to the teachers mentioned above. The work of Shinichi Suzuki, Haruko Kataoka, Toshio Takahashi, and their colleagues, dramatically raised the standard of classical music education.