Starting Suzuki piano at age 3-4

[Staceyshoe]

I am suspecting that my youngest may have an aptitude for music, and I've considered starting him in piano sometime in the next year or so. Any advice? Experience? Suggestions regarding finding the right teacher?

 

I was a little concerned that the Suzuki method would present a roadblock later in his ability to sightread music. When should reading music be introduced?

[catz]

I have a son that turned 11 that started Suzuki piano at age 5 1/2.

 

I would say ask any potential teacher what their sight reading philosophy is. Many times in our program (large Suzuki program, many instruments) the kids/parents are more bottlenecks to learn to sight read than the teachers. My kid sight reads ALL his music now Suzuki or no. He didn't start until age 5 1/2 and started in a reading book day 1. I would expect Suzuki teachers to start kids reading by ages 5-6 if a child started younger. And maybe even working on pre reading skills sooner. Many suzuki kids do not like to practice reading, so they don't. Our teacher is very much in favor of daily sight reading, but unless you add it to your practice agenda daily, you aren't going to improve at it. These families that just want to push through Suzuki repertoire full speed ahead drive him nuts.

 

Suzuki piano has been GREAT for us (my daughter does Suzuki violin). We have a great musical community. My 5th grader is learning things like Bach Inventions and early Sonatas right now (we are only doing about 1/3 of our repertoire out of Suzuki books right now). Our teacher is amazing. He has a very dedicated studio.

 

In looking for a teacher, I'd find someone who clicks with your child now. The teacher/child relationship for something one on one like this is huge. My kids have had several teacher switches and it pays to work to find a good fit that will last several years from the get go.

 

Good luck! :D

[Lisbeth]

We start Suzuki Piano and Violin at 5.

[redsquirrel]

My younger son started suzuki piano at 3. The teacher is a friend and she offered the class for free. My elder son started traditional lessons at 5.

 

Her 'twinkle' class consisted of clapping, singing, leaning the numbers of the fingers, correct finger position, learning 'C,D,G", and very little piano playing. It was great for a three year old. It was a group class (parents participated as well) with 5 min individual lesson before or after the group class. In an individual lesson the child might learn to find all the C's while saying "C." That can take a while for a 3 year old to learn, lol. You are also expected to listen to the Suzuki CD every day and sing the songs etc.

 

There were kids in the same group who were 5 and they had mastered playing "twinkle, twinkle."

 

My son is now almost 7 and is still taking piano lessons, but not suzuki. He is neither ahead or behind his brother at the same age in terms of playing. He is learning to read music etc like any other kid his age.

 

So, from my experience and from talking to my friend who is a Suzuki piano teacher, the lessons for the little ones are fun and nice for them, but it isn't necessarily going to give you a kid who is leaps and bounds ahead of any other 5 or 6 year old who is taking lessons.

[LMD]

My DD started suzuki violin at age 4.

 

The philosophy of suzuki is learning music is like learning a language - immersion. My DD's teacher recommends adding in note reading from about book 3 in the suzuki series - but this is different for each student, my DD does better visually than audibly so she is recommending this earlier for her than for other students. Talk with the teacher.

 

I'm also planning on teaching my kids piano with a suzuki-esque technique soon (I'm not a qualified piano teacher - yet) and found this book really great http://www.amazon.com/Studying-Suzuki-Piano-More-Music/dp/0874875862/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320880145&sr=8-1

HIGHLY recommended. :)

[Donna]

My dd started Suzuki violin at 3yo. Her teacher started beginning music reading skills as part of every group class from the beginning though dd didn't read well until she was in her first orchestra at 7yo. She now sight-reads at the level she plays and reads all her classical music.

 

I have heard that the prevailing idea that Suzuki kids do not learn to read music stems from the fact that children in the first Suzuki programs in Japan were taught music reading skills in school so the Suzuki program did not need to teach that skill.

 

The ear training skills children learn with Suzuki and the ability to play music from memory are wonderful skills to develop from an early age.

 

The teachers I am familiar with for Suzuki piano tend to start the children at 5yo.

[zaichiki]

A friend's son started Suzuki piano at 3 and it was a great choice for them.

 

I don't know if all Suzuki piano teachers take 3 year olds. I think 4-5 years old is more common. So, do check into that and look for one that takes 3 year olds if that's what you want to do.

 

I've been told that kids who start younger have more natural/comfortable musicality than those who start later. A professional musician once told me that other professional musicians can *easily* tell who started at 4 vs. who started at 9. I was surprised, but she was adamant. Now, for most people, that will never matter, but it was interesting to hear that there is *some* noticeable impact to starting young.

 

In our experience, the Suzuki method presents ZERO roadblock to learning to sightread. The Suzuki teachers/music schools we've been involved with have all included sightreading and scales (and then later more scales, etudes, and technique books). I have seen hundreds of Suzuki-trained kids play in orchestras and chamber groups. I'm sure there are *some* Suzuki-trained and *some* traditionally-trained kids who have difficulties with sightreading and/or quality of playing. There are many factors that contribute to this -- one of which could be a specific teacher or a specific attitude.