The Truth About Piano Lessons

Dear Piano Parents:

You're probably getting mailings right now about fall activities for your kids. The soccer coach wants to know if you're doing traveling team, the Little League coach is scheduling practices, the dance teacher is putting her classes together. And you're wondering about piano lessons for little Johnny or Suzie.

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Practice Games

These are designed to help parents discover new ways to encourage practice and make it fun!

1. Connect the Dot: Buy a connect-the-dot book to be used only for practice. For each correct repetition, the child gets to connect one dot.

2. Macaroni for Lunch: Put one piece of elbow macaroni in a jar for each correct repetition. At the end of the week, have a celebration meal and cook it for lunch.

3. Roll the Dice Roll the dice for how many repetitions are required for that practice or that week of practice. "Ooo" and "Ahh" for high numbers since that will improve the practice point faster than low numbers will. Use only one die for longer, more time-consuming repetitions.

4. String Cherrios, Fruit Loops, or macaroni on a piece of string or yarn (for each correct repetition) to make a necklace or bracelet.

5. Gather your child's favorite stuffed animals/dolls and give each a private concert or demonstration of a specific skill.

6. M&M Game: The parent gets five M&Ms. The child does 5 repetitions of a specific skill with a specific goal. If the child does not attain the goal, mom gets to eat one M&M. At the end of the five repetitions, the child gets to eat the M&Ms that are left. This works well with older students too.

7. String a kernel of popcorn or one cranberry for each repetition into a garland for your Christmas tree.

8. Pick a card out of the deck to decide how many times to repeat a passage or skill. Parents "stack the deck" so that the number of repetitions is appropriate for the age and ability of the child. Also, you can cover the each of the diamonds, clubs etc. with markers as the child completes each repetition.

9. Go "on tour" or "caroling", performing a piece or a repetition in each room of the house. Bathrooms' acoustics are the most fun.

10. Smartest Chair: Have your child play their preview spot or piece on each chair in the room to see which one is the smartest.

11. How many correct repetitions can you play correctly before a birthday candle burns down?

12. For each repetition, put a piece in a picture puzzle.

13. Graph Your Progress: Decide on a specific goal and how many attempts will be made for each day. Using a piece of graph paper, start in the lower left hand corer. After each performance of the objective, the student marks a dot charting successful or unsuccessful attempts.

14. Hang the Clothes Pin: Hang a clothespin on the child's shirt for each successful repetition. See how many are hanging at the end of the practice. Keep score for each day.

15. Read a Page: Decide on a storybook that will be read only as a result of practice. For each correct repetition, one page is read to or by the student.

16. Chip Game: The parent and child each receive 5 chips (buttons, pennies, M&Ms, peanuts, etc). The task is defined in objective and measurable terms by the child. Example: Playing one note, measure or phrases with a straight wrist. If the child is successful in completing the task, he or she receives one of the parent's chips. If the child is unsuccessful, the parent takes a chip from the child's stock. It is most valuable when the child is the judge of who receives the chip. If the child and parent disagree about who gets the point, the child must do the task again.

17. Happy faces: A series of circles can be drawn on a blank sheet of paper. The child then plays a piece or designated passage. When the child is finished, the parent and child choose the face that best describes their success.

18. Silly Repetitions: After the child has successfully completed the task one or two times, add some fun to the remaining repetitions by asking the child to play with their eyes closed, looking at the ceiling, standing on one leg, looking at you, etc.

Remember: perfect practice makes perfect!

The Million-Dollar Lesson

      The million-dollar lesson is designed to help young students learn what is and is not appropriate lesson behavior.  In my experience teaching, I have found that most young children eventually decide to “test the water” of lesson behavior to see exactly what they can get away with.  When this happens, the parent and teacher have the opportunity to teach the child that it is all right to manipulate the lesson, wasting everyone’s valuable time, and the parent’s money, or we can teach the child that inappropriate lesson behavior is unacceptable.

        First let’s define inappropriate lesson behavior.  Hiding under a desk, in a corner or under the piano is inappropriate lesson behavior.  Clinging to mother’s skirt with a thumb stuck in the mouth is inappropriate lesson behavior.  Acting bratty, and refusing to cooperate with the teacher is inappropriate lesson behavior.  Talking while the teacher is trying to talk or disturbing another’s lesson is inappropriate lesson behavior.  Having an all out temper tantrum in the middle of the studio because you don’t want to play "Lightly Row" is inappropriate lesson behavior.

        If we allow this type of activity to go on in our studios, the child will learn that s/he is able to control the lesson.  I have had several who whined for 25 minutes until the next student showed up, then threw a temper tantrum because it was time to go and they couldn’t have a lesson.  This type of thing never happens in my studio anymore.  Years ago, I learned from my mentor, Jeanne Luedke, that we need to address this situation even before it happens.

        With every new parent that enters my studio, part of the parent education is to discuss exactly how we will handle any situation dealing with inappropriate lesson behavior.  Our goal is to train the child, as quickly and easily as possible, to have a productive lesson.  I tell the parent that eventually, the child will come to the lesson and be tired, or fussy, or just decide that today is the day to test the perimeters of my patience, and pull something that is inappropriate.  When that happens, the parent and I have a plan.  First the parent is asked to take the child outside of the studio and have a talk.  See if perhaps they need a drink, bathroom break, or whatever to try to get it together.  If this does not work, we agree that the parent will remove the child from the studio immediately, with no discussion.  I usually say something like, “looks like today is the day” with a smile.  The effectiveness of this lesson is lost if there is discussion or delay.  The child needs to experience that hiding under a desk this minute produces the result of being in the car on the way home the next minute.  The important part about having this plan set up in advance with the parent is that there is no anger on the part of the teacher, and no embarrassment on the part of the parent.  We are simply going through the motions together of a necessary routine, which will bring about a very positive change in the child’s behavior.

        I would say that almost every child I have taught has had the million-dollar lesson once.  A few have had it twice, and if a child needs to have it a third time, I usually suggest to the parent that the child is not quite ready for the formal instruction, and perhaps a break period of 3 to 6 months might be advised.

        Incidentally, I call this the million-dollar lesson, because one time as the mother was taking her screaming child out the door, she asked over her shoulder if there would be a makeup, or a refund for the lesson.  Without thinking, I replied, “Oh no, you are definitely getting you money’s worth this week.  This is the MILLION DOLLAR LESSON.”  And you know what?  That girl played the Bruch Concerto on the solo recital last Sunday. 

Ed Kreitman

Bidness Hours

            Jeremy taught me about business hours.  Jeremy began violin lessons at age three, and it soon became apparent that he had a mild case of what the experts now call "attention deficit disorder." To me he was just Jeremy, not much different from the rambunctious boys Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn and I had been in our Missouri boyhoods.

            Jeremy's ADD generally manifested itself in sudden outbursts of questions. Often in the middle of a musical phrase I'd hear things such as: "Guess what my dog did this afternoon!"  These distractions sometimes brought his mother to the verge. But she understood when I signaled to relax and let me handle the situation. 

            Any good teacher knows this kind of behavior cannot be redirected by scolding, punishment, or promises or reward; only by patient and persistent encouragement to focus on the job at hand and leave other concerns for their appropriate time.  Such redirection may take years to develop, but is worth the effort.  Jeremy is one of those "hyper" kids who is extremely intelligent. His brain just races far ahead of him.

            Partly because of Jeremy, I developed a policy of “business hours” for all my students. Business hours, I explain to new students and parents, is the time between the opening bow of respect and the closing bow of respect.  Before opening bows or after closing bows we can joke, chat, laugh, whatever. Between bows, however, serious work about learning how to play the violin must be done. This doesn't mean we can't have fun during business hours, but our attention must be violin-oriented.  Business hours might last a minute or an hour, depending on the age and level of  the student. Closing time is always up to me, and if I am quick and sensitive enough, that comes before the student is ready for it!

            My studio, at the back of my house, has a sliding screen door that opens onto the patio at right angles to another screen door into my dining room. While teaching I cannot see what is happening on the patio, but my students can. One fine spring day Jeremy, then twelve, came for his lesson. We chatted awhile, had our opening bow, tonalized and settled down to "bidniss." Midway through his lesson, at an uncharacteristically convenient stopping point, Jeremy asked, "Mr. McSpadden, can I ask you something after the lesson?" I was thrilled! Jeremy was finally learning to focus his attention on business hours. Delighted, I said, "Of course," and made a mental note to ask him about his question after the lesson.  

            Immediately after our last bow I said, "Now Jeremy, what was it you wanted to ask me?"

            "Mr. McSpadden," he replied," why did your cat run into the house a while ago with a lizard in its mouth?"

            'Nuf said about bidniss??

Joseph McSpadden

Suzuki Steps to Music Reading

            It seems that one of the most voiced criticisms of the ‘Suzuki Method’ is the oft-heard question, (with raised eyebrows): “Yes, but can he read music?”  It’s almost annoying how often we hear it, isn’t it?

           Once, after hearing a gorgeous violin solo in church, I asked the soloist to come and play in our community chamber orchestra.  She demurred, so I insisted: “Oh, we’re pretty good; you’d really like it,” to which she replied, “I couldn’t. I can’t read music.”  It made me physically sick!  To be able to play so beautifully, but not be able to enjoy the pleasures of reading through a chamber orchestra piece, seemed to me to be a horrifying handicap.

           Incredibly, even outside the Suzuki method, drop-outs many times occur because of the lack of music literacy.  Children, even talented ones, can seldom read as well as they play.

           Along the same lines, while teaching school orchestra, I was appalled with the ‘Suzuki’ students who had to ‘hear it first’ before they could ‘read’ orchestra music.  I determined that my children and students would be prepared to be able to enjoy orchestra and chamber music reading as well as playing.  I didn’t want to ‘handicap’ my students with ‘Suzuki Illiteracy’ (my apologies to those who may be offended).  Many teachers have asked about my ‘method’ of teaching students to read.  Much comes from watching a gifted teacher do it (Dr. Irene Peery-Fox, from Provo, Utah), and the rest is a result of adaptation and trial and error.  It seemed to work, so I offer this to whomever might be interested.

           First and foremost, I am loyal to the Suzuki concept that children must learn about tone, intonation, posture, etc. apart from the printed music with the Suzuki repertoire or with any other familiar tunes.  I find that the acute ears of Suzuki students can pick up music almost instantaneously without reading it.

           I also start my students to read much earlier than most.  I have learned that if I keep reading and repertoire separate, the detrimental factors that usually surface with early reading, don’t appear.  So, when a student can play all of the Twinkles perfectly, with clear strong tone, impeccable intonation, steady rhythm, and flawless position, I feel safe in starting.  When a child can already read words at school, (age 5-7) I feel it essential to begin reading notes!

           After a child is learning Lightly Row (or French Folk Song), I have the parent purchase the I Love to Read Music Primer and Flashcards. They are available for violin, viola, cello, and bass.

           I start with open D on the note flashcards.  You can start with A as Ronda Cole did.  I just find D is more central for the three stringed instruments.  I set his bow aside and seat the child at the piano. so the body is centered, in line with the “Yamaha”, “Kawai”, or whatever.  This is the piano’s Name and we line up our tummy with his Name.  Even a very young student can see the black and white keys.  It’s a snap to show how the black keys are in groups of twos and threes.  I have the child play various “twins and “triplets.”  Then I show him the middle twins (C# and D#, just to the right of Middle C) and I say, “These black keys have a name.  They are called: ‘The Doghouse.’  Can you play the Doghouse?”  He plays, then I say, “And guess who lives in the Doghouse?... ‘DOGGIE D!’”

           He plays Doggie D.  I have him take his hand off the keyboard and look out of the window, and then play it again so I can make sure he can find it with the help of the doghouse black keys.  Then I hand him his violin to put under his chin, and show him the D flashcard and tell him that this is D, (I sing D, in tune, in the correct octave).  Then I have him pluck the D string on his violin, showing him pizzicato position.  I explain the routine of “sing, pluck and play”, (that is, sing the note, pluck it on the violin, and then play it on the piano,) and have him do it several times, directing his mother to do this 30 second practice every single day at home.  If they don’t have a piano, (and they occasionally don’t), I recommend one of those keyboards you can buy for $35.  In a pinch, I loan the family our $10 Casio Tone miniature keyboard for a couple of weeks, until they can get a keyboard of their own.

           By the next week, when I flash him the D, he will be able to sing “D”, pluck the open D string, and play the D on the piano with his index finger of his right hand, whereupon, I introduce A.  First I show the child where the Big House is on the piano, i.e., the set of three black keys above the doghouse.  He can play the big house easily, so I say, “Guess who lives in the big house?  Two brothers: ‘Georgy G and Andy A.’” If the child’s name is Anthony, of course the note is named ‘Anthony A.”  Or if his sibling is Arthur or Anna, it would be “Arthur A, or Anna A.”  Open A is the target note.  Follow the same procedure of singing the name, plucking the string, and playing the piano key, sing, pluck play, sing pluck, play, and never leave Doggie D to get forgotten.

           Incidentally, it is easy to incorporate Ronda Cole’s method of teaching perfect pitch right along with this method.  I’ve tried it since I heard her lecture at the violin teacher’s workshop, and the children comeback to lessons after just one week, able to sing an A right out of the air!  The mothers are ecstatic!! So am I!

           Each week or two I add another note of open strings: “Georgy G” (from the other big house an octave lower), “Edith E” (the little sister who takes care of the high doggy).  They can get the concept of different octaves because it is so visible on the piano keyboard, and, of course, they can hear the higher or lower notes.

           After all four open strings are learned and well-established, (Big, Low Cindy C” would work for violas and celli), we start on first fingers. “New E” is the sister that takes care of the old family’s dog, Doggie D.  (Elizabeth E?  Eddy E?  It helps if you can use their name). B, first finger on A, I call the “Back Door B” of the big house.   (F, low second on D will eventually be the “Front Door F”, when we get to second fingers.  See (fig. 1).   “New A” is down on the G string, and for the E string first finger, I do “Old Odd-ball F” with a low first finger.  It’s a cinch to explain F# with the keyboard in front of them, and here is a chance to visibly see F natural, and hear and play it, long before “The Two Granadiers”.  You see that I keep this note learning in the diatonic key of C.  Music theory is a snap at the keyboard, which is why I make such a point to use a piano.  (fig. 1)

           Third fingers are easy: New Georgy G. new Doggy D, yet a third A, (I call him “High A”) and MIDDLE C, (I want them to know this one by this name.)

           With second fingers, we have B on the G string, (another Back Door), F natural (low 2^nd on D: the Front Door), Baby Cindy C, natural on A string, and G natural on E.

           Last of all is the high B, 4^th on E string.  By this time, the children are old pros at the rest of the notes, because I test him on all previous notes every week.  The whole process takes AT LEAST seventeen weeks.  Moving slowly and carefully, we add each note, week by week , always waiting to add until he can do all of the previous cards readily.  It’s no big deal if he takes an extra week on a hard note, or if we have to take a week to ‘work’ on all of the second and third fingers that are a little fuzzy.

           If the child, with a pencil and manuscript paper, writes his notes every day, all the ones he knows, the routine becomes MUCH better learned and is retained so much more easily.  They can really get the concept of up and down and higher and lower, and the notes become old friends quickly.

           One short note for cello players: I have the cellist sit on the SIDE of the piano stool with his cello in position.  He can still pluck the strings and play the piano.  I also do third and second finger notes separately, i.e., on A string he learns B, D (4^th f.), C, AND C# (second and third).  Same with the F and F# on the D string, and natural and flat B and E on the G and C strings.  He will have four extra cards in his deck.  Violists can follow the violin lead, staying entirely in diatonic C Major.

           Off the subject a little: whenever I teach scales to students, (Book One and on up), I always have the student say the note names out loud as he plays them.  There is something about doing this that helps him to read music.  I haven’t figured it out, but I know it works.  This goes for all keys.  I even have them say, before they start playing the scale, “E Major; three flats; Bb, Eb, Ab.”  Then the student plays up the two octave scale saying, “Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D, Eb,” etc.

           For those teachers who teach note reading only at group class, (or, heaven forbid, don’t teach it at all), this whole process may seem a little tedious or time consuming.  On the contrary, the children LOVE it, and you never lose more than 3 minutes a lesson, except for the first lesson.  As for private lesson rather than group, I opt for private lesson, because I can make dead sure that the student knows his notes, absolutely.  By the way, be sure to shuffle the deck each week, and have the parent shuffle is at home.  Is is uncanny how quickly a Suzuki student can memorize the order of flash cards.

           After all seventeen notes are learned, I get out my stop watch.  The student is fascinated.  I explain that I will see how long it takes to do all his cards.  I tell him not to be worried and not to hurry.  As soon as he sings the first note, I start the timer.  When he finishes the last note, I hit the stop button.  Whatever the time, the mother writes it in her lesson notes.  It will be something like 2:50, 4:10, whatever.  I then explain that the child next week will “beat” this time.  Next week, if practiced faithfully at home, the process will take some seconds less time, which we write in the notebook.  Then, I explain that it will keep getting faster and faster, and when he can clear one minute, that is, he can do all seventeen cards in less than a minute, I will present him with a dollar.  Hokey?  You bet, but they love it.  Each week it gets better, and I continually talk about “...when you earn your dollar,” and “when you pass off your flash cards”, and eventually he wins it.  If he doesn’t beat his time from the previous week, it is because you’ve gone too fast learning them or the parent isn’t making sure he is doing the routine every single day.  In this case, I do “charting”.  I make a chart which they must “check-off” each day they practice the flashcards, two times a day for a week, three times a day if he still can’t beat his time the next lesson.  Parents usually get the message.  Just doing it twice a day for a week will improve his time, if he understands the concepts.  (fig.2)

           The long-awaited day arrives when he clears one minute and you hand over the crisp dollar bill, accompanied by applause and cheers.

           Is it over?  Not by a long shot, but this is a process even a five-year-old can do, creating a foundation upon which to build.

           The next step is begun about week eight, way back when the student has learned two or three first fingers notes.  I open up the “I Can Read Music” book and set it on the lowered music stand, just like the big kids.  The graphics in this book are superb, with child-friendly notes which are BIG for young eyes, and rhythms which are learned separately from the pitches.  I point out the first note (A, or D for viola and cello).  He will recognize it, so I have him sing it.  Then, having the child point to the notes with the index finger, have him sing the first line with you: “A, A, A, A, B, B, B, B, etc.”  Guide his finger.  This must be on the right pitch and in an EXACTLY steady rhythm.  The process is followed for the other four lines, either at the lesson or at home, always with pointing and singing rather than playing.  Laud and cheers.  He is reading music!!  Make sure the child’s eyes stay on the notes.  This is crucial.  The next week, if he can perform the whole page successfully, we “pluck” the whole page, still singing the notes out loud.  The third week he actually plays with the bow and sings the note names.  I have the mother “check off” with a pencil on the line number when the child reads and plays the line perfectly, (no mistakes or pauses).  Also, I have them write how many times it took to play it perfectly.  So the goal, of course, is to have a check with a numeral one by it.  If there is a five of six, I know that was a hard one!  This greatly improves the ability to SIGHT READ, in addition to being able to read music, making it a fun little challenge to get it right the first time.  (If they practice diligently, excellent students with superb ears can glance through the line and HEAR it in their heads before they ever play it.)

           They do one line each day at home for five days, and then play through the whole page, all five lines on the sixth practice day of the week.  I spot check them (on line three or four) every lesson.  It only takes one minute.  Then 2^nd  week, we pluck it.  We continue, one lesson per week, to finish the book.  It takes over one year.  But, never fear, JoAnn Martin told me last summer that Book Two is on the press.

           On the third week, when he starts playing with the bow on Lesson One, I also start him on the facing rhythm page.  The print has giant, black quarter notes.  We point and count aloud, at first, but it doesn’t take nearly as long as the notes.  As soon as he ges the hang of it, we clap (or play, for older ones) and COUNT OUT LOUD.  This is absolutely essential.

           So the child does one page of “pitch” and one page of rhythms each week, which together equal one lesson.  Of course, I check it every single lesson.  I actually start every post-Twinkle lesson with flashcards and music reading, regardless of age or level.  It takes less than five minutes.  In the middle of Book Two, when the child goes to forty-five minute lessons, I use ten minutes for music reading.  By Book Three or Four, we read fifteen minutes every week.

           Where do we go after the flashcard dollar?  Right on with the key signature cards.  It’s so easy to teach the key signatures by rote.  After those are learned (it takes months to get them automatic), we go back and learn the relative minors.  How many music majors do you know who can look at six sharps and say, “F# Major and D# minor”, in an instance?  I couldn’t before, but all of my students AND I can now.  We go on and learn the intervals after that, singing them, on the correct pitches, of course.  I have songs that go with each interval (‘Here Comes the Bride’ for the fourth, ‘Twinkle’ for the fifth, ‘My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean’ for the Major 6^th, etc.)

           After those come the musical terms and signs.  Children can learn anything, little bites at a time.  I have students work their way trough the two All for Strings theory books also.

           Where do we go after the I Love to Read Music Primer? On to the sequel, Sight Reading for Strings. At the very beginning of every lesson, I play one line with the sightreading child, and on the repeat, I play the teacher’s harmony part.  This is fabulous for sightreading, and when I play MY part, the child must be stable enough to "hold his own” on his part. I put his initials in my book, on the sightreading selection he just passed off, and the next week we do the following one. It takes two minutes. If he can’t get it the first week, we do the same one the next lesson. 

            Incidentally. I don’t use String Builder, or Muller Rusch or any other modern string method, because I don’t want to have the child reading familiar tunes. These Wohlfahrt etudes are musical, but they are not familiar.

            The same week that the student finishes the Primer and starts in the sight-reading book, I have the parent get him two or three other books for music reading:  Phil Perkins" The Logical Approach to Rhythmic Notation. (Logical Publications), Books 1 & 2; Wohlfahrt's Foundation Studies. Book I and, if he is in Suzuki Book Three or Four, Foundation Studies Book 2.  In the Rhythm Book, we continue on with the routine of playing and counting (out loud) rhythms every single day and lesson, but we add the metronome to work with. Then, I give him about one fourth of the first Etude in the Wohlfahrt. By this time, he can figure out the note reading pretty easily. He prepares at home, and plays with me at the lesson each week part of an etude in Wohlfahrt. Alwin Schroeder, 170 Foundation Studies for Violoncello works well for cello. The Wohlfahrt Books are available for viola. He adds a couple of lines each week until he can play the whole thing. He must do this with less than two mistakes, or he takes it another week (I'm more lenient than with his Suzuki literature, where pieces have to be perfect.)  If he has started third position, he also works in Foundation Studies Bk 2. which will help him to read in positions. I use etudes for music reading only, and not for sight reading, but rather as "prepared at home" reading. Sight-reading is done in the Op. 38, explained above.

           Note that none of this music reading work is done on the Suzuki Repertoire.  The students continue to learn, by rote and ear, their Suzuki pieces. By Book three or four, following the routine above, the students are able to read their Suzuki music with ease, but other than using it to point out work parts in the lesson or practice parts at home, we do not use the Suzuki pieces for reading practice.  If students do enough listening, at least eight hours a day or night, they are not truly READING Suzuki pieces anyway, because the music was memorized in their ear long ago.

            Another advantage some students have for sigh-treading is being able to play in an orchestra early. Unfortunately, young Suzuki students especially seldom get to read in a group at early stages. I have found orchestra and chamber music absolutely INVALUABLE in any student’s music studies, because there is the added benefit of  “peer encouragement"  (read: peer- pressure), to read from the music. Being able to play independently on a part while other harmonic and rhythmical things are happening creates musical genius, whichever way you took at it. Plus that, the students, if allowed to play classical greats, get 'hooked’ on classical music. They love the social part of the whole thing, too. Growing up playing in a first class orchestra is a fabulous experience in life, I think.

            By the intermediate Suzuki books, 4-6, the student who follows the above regime will be perfectly literate. In the musical sense, able to hold his own in any orchestra.  Suzuki students have the added gift of terrific ears and marvelous memories.  Early on, they can learn subtle techniques to help them in their sight-reading: by-ear key signatures that signal diatonic tones, sequences that make Western music sensible and even predictable, a sense of phrasing and dynamics that can be “caught” the first time through the music, fingers that are “hooked on” to their ears, mature musicality, and other non-obvious benefits.  The absolute pitch that is developed makes reading very easy.  (I have an eleven-year-old student who can look at an inner page of an orchestra score, and without seeing the title, can tell what it is, never having played a note of it.)  Another advantage of music literacy is the independence the student will be able to exert when he hits those “trouble” years, i.e., when he is trying to break away from mother, but is tied to her because he can’t decipher the music on his own.  Probably the first and foremost benefit of having a Suzuki background would be that of hearing and playing IN TUNE, with solid technique and, of course, a beautiful, warm tone.

            Music reading can open a whole new world of beauty for our Suzuki students.  I equate playing beautifully (but not being able to read music), with being able to recite lovely poetry, or tell a great story, but never being able to curl up and read a fantastic novel.  What would life be like if, as a teen, we couldn’t sit down and read through a piece on our own without mother, or play through a string quartet with friends, or if we could only play our Suzuki piece in group or solo, but never be able to play a Mozart Divertimento, a Handel Concerto Grosso, a Bach Brandenburg Concerto, or a Beethoven or Mahler Symphony in the orchestra?  Mighty dull!  Let’s start now to help our children enjoy a lifetime of music, by teaching them to be musically literate and fluent.

Summation:
     Book One: After Twinklers are superb, start note flashcards on violin and piano. After 8 weeks, start I Love to Read Music. When note flashcards are completely learned, start key signature flashcards. Middle or end of Book One start All For Strings Theory Book 1. One to three minutes a day.
     Book Two and Three: After I Love to Read Music is finished, start sight reading at the lessons with Sight Reading for Strings, along with the rhythm book and Wohlfahrt Foundation Studies Book 1 etude book for music reading at home and at the lesson. After Rhythm Book 1, replace with Rhythm Book 2. Ten to fifteen minutes a day.
     Book Four: Add Wohlfahrt Foundation Studies Book 2. Continue Rhythm Book 2. Add theory book2. Continue Sight Reading for Strings and etudes from Foundation Studies Book 1. Fifteen minutes a day.
     A Suzuki student well-trained with this reading method can be perfectly music-literate by or near Book Five.

Denise Willey

Great Review: Introducing the “Book Recital”

            Aside from the "lottery" review system where Dr. Suzuki has children draw review pieces out of a hat to play, I have never read in the journals suggestions on how to assign students review pieces. Therefore, I have developed an organized way of my own to have students review repertoire where the pieces become so well-learned that they "stick" virtually forever. I share these ideas with those who might be looking for a similar program.

            First and foremost, every piece must be absolutely perfect before it can go on the review list. I call this "passing it off" for want of a better term. The piece must be, of course, note perfect, impeccably in tune, all bowings correct, played with a fine tone, and in flawless posture and position. All five conditions must be met. I start the process with “Tukka, Tukka, Stop, Stop." With the littlest ones, “Tukka" can take over a year to perfect, but I prepare the parents and students for my finicky ways with this piece, however tedious it may seem to parents who are not 'Suzuki-oriented." I never hurry students along through the Twinkles, because I want the families to understand the standards of excellence I expect.

            When the student is finally able to play "Tukka" with all of the above criteria, I announce to all in the studio (and in my house) in a loud voice: "Perfect! He passed it off!" Cheers and applause! The student and parents have seen this happen many times with other students and the anticipation has been high from several weeks before. I hand the student a "Review Trail" which I think I got from Jeanne Grover many years ago (see fig. 1).  I date and initial the Tukka box, and the child colors it in.  I explain to the family that when the student "passes off" a piece, that is when we can really start polishing it and learning from it. You learn it, and then you learn from it. The student, for review, must play each piece on his "Review Trail" twice perfectly (absolutely perfectly) every day. We add a new piece to his review list or trail every so often, always with great exuberance, whenever he passes it off.  Each time he gets to color in another box on the trail. Depending on his age and adeptness, (and how much the family listens to the tape, and how motivated the child and parent are, etc.), he passes off a piece every week or month or so; it doesn’t really matter how fast. 

            By the time he gets to "Allegro," he is doing many, many minutes of perfect review practice every day, and I announce that he will only review the Twinkles once daily.  When he arrives at the Minuets, the folk songs also go down to just once a day. At the last piece in the book, he should be reviewing every piece in the book once perfectly every day. 

            By this time, if he has been diligent, he can play the entire book perfectly in one standing.   It takes at least 20 minutes of concentrated effort. When he passes off Gossec Gavotte, (or Minuet 2 for celli), I announce that next week he must qualify for his recital. The family has observed other children do this at lessons, and the anticipation is high, as is the stress level. The child must play the entire book with at least 73% of the pieces perfect. The number isn't magic. It's just the percentage Dr. Irene Peery-Fox used with Book 1. That is, 17 out of 23 in the first book must be played perfectly. (I count each Twinkle, & both Perpetual Motion and the Doubles, and Etude and Doubles each as one.)  It's eight out of thirteen pieces in Book Two. If the child has been reviewing diligently, he can pass off the book in about 25 minutes. It takes weeks of relearning and reviewing if the parent hasn't been insisting on a perfect review DAILY.  

            When the child can pass off the book, he has "qualified" for his recital.  I let the parent plan when and where the recital will be held, (usually at their own home or church) and invite grandparents, school friends, primary teachers, and group classmates (especially) to come. The child makes announcements and programs, which I post on my bulletin board.

            Mother puts an article and his picture in the local newspaper, which I clip and post, along with the student's completed and colored-in review trail. The trail becomes a relic.  I wouldn't throw-away my own children's for any price.  It represents such a lot of hard work. 

            The child gets all dolled up for the important debut on the big night, the family has a welcome and a prayer, and then he proceeds to play the entire book of perfect, polished pieces, with confidence and flair, as Dad or big brother video-tapes it for further study. 

            Playing the recital is actually no big deal, because the child has been doing it for months. He is the man of the hour, and wonderful congratulations are heard from the other parents and violin friends, as well as from his family. It is SO marvelous. I can’t tell you how much this boosts self-confidence and poise. He can only succeed, not fail, because he is so well-prepared.

            Most music students might do a solo recital as a requirement for a performance degree at a University, but our students can perform a half dozen or more solo recitals before they are even  teenagers.  Sometimes siblings play on the recital,or the child does a piano number or whatever for variety. The mama serves refreshments after, the children socialize, the parents talk with each other and get ideas and motivation. The other students look on with a supportive, non-jealous attitude, and realize, "Hey, I can do this. Hey, I want to do this." I require all my students to attend because of the motivating nature of the recital; they don't all come, but many do and are well-rewarded, and become close friends and a tight support group.

            In addition, I present the student with a small trophy that reads: "Name, Suzuki Violin Book I, and the date".  I attend them all, especially to have my own children hear the fine work played.                                      
            Incidentally, I charge ten dollars for the recital, (about twice what the trophy costs), but another teacher I know charges the price of two lessons for it.  I found I had to charge, just to keep up. Nowadays, we have about two recitals a month in my studio. Incredibly, my children and students LOVE the trophies. I don’t know why. Probably a small bust of a composer, a classical CD, or the like might work better; you decide what you like best. I always use the last lesson before the recital for a practice with the accompanist. The accompanist must come to the lesson. This is a crucial skill to be developed; that of working and rehearsing with a pianist. I save five minutes at the end of that lesson to give a preview for the first piece in Book Two, an incredibly exciting event.

            Working his way through Book Two, each time the student passes off a piece, I take two Book One pieces off his review list, so that gradually, about three-quarters of the way through Book Two, he is reviewing only Book Two, plus an occasional old piece. After having done a year of concentrated review practice on those old pieces, they will come back almost instantaneously.  I have a Book Seven student who can play any piece in the books, any time, because of good review work through the years.

            Soon the student is playing all of Book Two every day, and by and by, passes off his book and qualifies for his next recital. 

            When I started this system many years ago, I really sweated playing six concerto movements in Book Four.  Could it be done? But to my surprise and pleasure, all of my upper book students have played a Book Four recital, all six concerti movements.  You should hear a Book Six recital. Fabulous!   It is a marvelous and satisfying way to do business. 

            By the way, I do a form of specialized review in addition to this general review, that of Technique Builders, i.e., small excerpts of technical material from pieces which the student must practice daily. At each lesson I hear as much review as possible, especially from students who are inclined not to review.   

            Some parents think progress should be gauged by what piece the student is studying, rather than how well the old pieces are played. These are the ones that must be educated and helped to change their attitude. For example, if a student is learning May Song, at every lesson I will hear every single piece from Tukka on before I listen to May Song. If he is on Etude, he will start at Allegro at the lesson. At Gossec Gavotte, I will hear all of the Minuets and Happy Farmer. In Book Two, I try to hear the last two or three "passed off" pieces before we ever get to the new piece, every lesson! 

            Likewise, in the upper books, I always listen to the most recently "passed-off" piece first. At small group classes, I like to hear about 1/4 to ½ book from each student. By the way, I have drawn up "review trails" to the first four books, but after that the students make their own, sometimes on the computer, coming up with some ingenious inventions. I always insist on their passing off each piece; however, in the upper books, with older students, they can pass off certain pieces using the music; e.g., some sonata movements in Book Six and Seven are used as “reader” pieces. They can still perform these at their recital if they want, using the music, but it isn’t necessary. 

            I have the student keep the trail in a plastic slipcover in his notebook so I can see it at each lesson. At a glance, I can tell where he is, what previews he has worked on, etc. It can bring back what happened at the last lesson, even for a bad memory like mine. 

            You need to know that learning pieces this well takes a little longer, and students may not progress through the books as fast as some. But this review process, along with monthly performance classes prepare students so that anything they play sounds great, and they are ready at the drop of a hat to play forty-five minutes of prepared, polished, memorized, solo pieces, anytime, anywhere.

            Graduation recitals are nothing to prepare for, because he has been playing the graduation piece perfectly, daily, for months.  Students can play for church, ASTA festivals, rest homes, my own student recitals, auditions, etc., with very little  preparation. They always sound great and prepared. People think they are geniuses.  They have success experiences constantly because they are well prepared. This is also the reason that there is never any anxiety or fear before a recital or performance. 

            No student can just breeze through this process, but all children can do it. It took one little girl over three years to do her Book One recital, but she got a new dress, and her mother had her portrait done up with her violin, and a neighbor sent flowers and wrote a lovely note. All of her friends and family came and listened to a well-prepared recital. The next morning she announced that she wished she could play a recital every day. My own little boy took nearly five years to play Book One, but then did Two, Three, and Piano Book One within one year. It doesn’t matter how long, as long as it boosts self-esteem, excellence, motivation, and good will. 

            After a student plays a Book Recital, he is SO excited to “plow through” the next book.  And, of course, the first pieces in the new books are always a little easier than the final piece in the previous book, so they are going eighty miles an hour right away. It's very exhilarating and so rewarding! It takes real effort and determination on the part of parents, teachers, and students, in order for children to be trained this well. It is so much easier to work at the new piece only and push ahead into new literature. This system gives parents an organized way to assign review and follow-up with their children. Older children can do review on their own, and even little children can do the review routine with the CD while mother is working with another child, if s/he has been trained to do it regularly.  But of course, it works better if mother can perform“quality control”. 

            I heard at an Institute once that mindless review is worse than no review at all, but I don’t believe it.  Naturally, we want children to be thinking and striving to play perfectly and musically, but just the time involved and the playing of the pieces themselves does wonderful things for the memory, fluidity of playing, and the making of pieces “automatic”. I think that some review is definitely better than no review at all, and lots of review is infinitely better than just some, and an organized manner of practicing lots of review can work miracles.  

            I’m a believer! Happy reviewing!

Denise Willey