The following seven factors are incorporated into weekly lessons and daily practice:
1. Listening
2. Motivation
3. Repetition
4. Step-by-Step Mastery
5. Memory
6. Parental Involvement
7. Love
♥Listening♥
Children learn to speak by listening and imitating the spoken language they hear around them. In Suzuki, much emphasis is placed on daily listening to recordings of the Suzuki repertoire. The more frequently the students listen to the recordings, the more easily they learn to play. Constant listening to music performed with beautiful tone provides children with a rold model for their playing. In the lessons, the production of fine tone and sensitive playing is stressed from the very beginning.
♥Parental Involvement, Motivation, and Love♥
A positive, nurturing environment is created in the lesson and also at home. Children learn enthusiastically when they are supported with sincere praise and encouragement. The parent's role includes attending lessons with the student and then guiding them through their practice at home. The parents role may become less "hands-on" as the student matures, but the parent will always be a source of praise and encouragement. Parents need to play the recordings daily for their child.
♥Repetition♥
Dr. Suzuki closely follows the parallel with language learning and recommends that music should become an important part of the child's environment and daily routine. Constant repetition is essential in learning to play the piano. Children do not learn a word or piece of music and then discard it. They add it to their repertoire, gradually using it in new and more sophisticated ways.
♥Step by Step Mastery♥
One of Suzuki's major contributions to music education is the unique order of the repertoire. Each carefully chosen peice becomes a building block for future learning. Technique, musicianship, and style are developed through study, repetition, and step by step mastery of these peices. The piano series provides familiarity and hence excellent motivation to progress. Through the common repertoire, children have a bond with Suzuki students worldwide and in their immediate musical community.
♥Memory♥
In traditional methods of piano teaching, students will learn to read music from the very beginning. In the Suzuki method, students will learn the music by listening to it. This does not mean that reading is ignored. After a student can play well enough, reading is introduced. Memorizing a piece by listening to it is a method very much like the way a child first learns language. We start at the most fundamental level of learning. Sight and sound are both very basic, but sight requires prior knowledge and practice in terms of playing music. Sound requires no prior knowledge and practice in terms of playing music. Requiring no prior knowledge or skills, sound therefore qualifies as an easier path on which to begin the process of learning the piano. The reason why a child learns a language in a seemingly effortless manner is that she is born in an environment which facilitates the process. A child is not coerced into learning to speak. He learns naturally by listening to the speech of those in the environment and imitating it. Learning to play the piano can be much the same. A child's own curiosity can be the initial spark and the gratification of approval from parents can be the fuel that feeds the fire.