Suzuki students learn music the same way they learn to speak a language: by listening and imitating. Every day, students listen to a recording of the music they're learning to play on the violin. This means that, when they're actually practicing, they know exactly how the notes should go. Students will learn to read music as well, but learning by ear always comes first.

Learning an instrument is all about forming good habits. Students in the Salem Suzuki Violin Studio practice every day with the help of a home "practice partner," so they can build solid foundational skills on the violin. Repetition and consistency are the keys to success! Making time to practice at the same time every day, for the same amount of time, is the best thing you can do for your young violinist.

Suzuki students all learn the same set of music, found in the Suzuki Books. These pieces were carefully selected by the master teacher Shinichi Suzuki, so that the student learns just one or two new skills in each song. This way, your young violinist will be constantly progressing, but won't become overwhelmed by too many new challenges all at once. 

Before beginning the Suzuki books, my students work their way through Kaleidoscopes for Violin, a method for beginning violinists designed to develop strong foundational skills in technique and listening.

Suzuki is all about building relationships between the student, parent, and teacher. We call this the "Suzuki triangle." Because many students start learning violin when they are very young, they always need the support of an adult while they're practicing. In the lesson, the teacher performs this role. At home, the parent becomes a "practice partner" and helps the child through their daily practice routine. It's amazing to see how much closeness and connection these practice habits can foster.

In addition to weekly private lessons, students enrolled at SSVS participate in group classes every other week. Students are grouped according to their age and level. In group classes, young violinists learn how to play along with other musicians, participate in games and activities, and, most importantly, build a community of "violin friends" that share their musical experiences. Many students report that group classes are their favorite part of learning the violin!