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In a word: Yes!
I get this question quite a bit on the blog, in email, and in person:
Can adults learn to play violin with the Suzuki violin method?
I know why adults ask me this. It’s because they see videos all over the internet of apparent child violin prodigies playing a memorized Mendelssohn concerto at the age of 10, or they hear their friends’ children play. And adults think that there is some magical ingredient in kids that makes the Suzuki violin method work well for them.
Let me tell you a little secret. These kids can play like that not because they’re kids, and not because they have some unusual genius. (Well, okay, sometimes they do.) It’s because the Suzuki violin method can help anyone learn to play the violin. Even adults. Even busy adults with stubborn fingers. Even older adults!
Why and How Suzuki Violin Works
You see, you don’t have to be a prodigy. All you need is a desire and an instrument, and you can learn to play the violin with the Suzuki method. Here are its special, secret ingredients:
- Ear training: The Suzuki method trains the ears in what is called “the mother-tongue” approach. Students learn new pieces of music just like a child learns to speak her native language. Suzuki students are encouraged to listen to their repertoire multiple times daily, so that when the time comes to learn a new tune, they already know it.
- The luxury to focus solely on technique without the added task of reading music. This simplifies the incredibly complex task of learning to play the violin, allowing students to truly focus on the numerous skills needed to play a simple beautiful tone.
- Genius arrangement of repertoire to introduce new skills. In the Suzuki repertoire, new skills rely upon and in fact require the use of old skills. This is part of the genius of Shinichi Suzuki. He has carefully laid out his repertoire so that each new tune uses skills learned in previous tunes, whilst also preparing skills needed for upcoming tunes. This means that old skills are constantly being re-learned and reinforced, while new skills are blazing a trail for more advanced and complicated pieces.
- Strict adherence to repetition and review. There is an adage familiar to most Suzuki students: “Don’t practice until you can get it right, practice until you cannot get it wrong.” This philosophy requires more repetition than others, but it instills great discipline and a higher standard in students. Once again, this gives the student a chance to revisit and reinforce skills learned.
Four special things about adult violin beginners
It’s true: kids’ fingers are less arthritic than ours. They have fewer demands on their time. They can get their tiny hands around the fingerboard. But adults have some very important things going for them when it comes to learning to play the violin.
- Longer attention spans. Adults can simply stay on task longer than children can, which pays off big time in complicated endeavors such as learning to play violin.
- Greater attention to detail. I am constantly amazed at the details my adult students notice compared to my younger students. Adults follow instructions extremely well, whereas children more or less learn to “mimic” what is shown to them. This attention to detail means that an adult can tackle a complicated task by following instructions and noticing small details while problem solving.
- Discipline. Often, children do not choose to learn violin. They may cooperate, but the majority are doing it because their parents want them to. Adult violin beginners have often had to set aside their passion and desire for the violin until such a time as they could afford it, or until circumstance would allow such a pursuit. Adult violin students mean business.
- A mature concept of beautiful sound. This is more important than many people realize. The adult violin student is passionate about violin, and has spent many hours listening to the masters play, longing to learn to make the same beautiful sound. If a student is only exposed to other students, that student will forever sound like a student. We must internalize and model after professional masters of violin if we are ever to ascend to those heights.
How do I know?
Because I’ve been teaching adults now for 15 years. I know about their lives and the struggles they have. I know how to work around stiff joints and small practice windows. I’ve made it easy to learn at your own pace with my online lessons. When you sign up, you can consume the lessons in your own home, as your time permits, without pressure, taking as long as you need. Dr. Suzuki is quoted as saying, “Every Child Can.” Thanks to his kind heart and penetrating genius, the Suzuki violin method makes it possible not only for every child, but for every adult as well.
Hi Lora,
I’m very encouraged by your videos and the way you seem to have your formal lessons set up. Can you please tell me if you offer lessons beyond book 1? I play piano and read music, but am ready to fulfill a life long dream of learning violin. I plan to study for years to come and hope that you offer lessons that will take me beyond the first 7 months of book 1.
Sincerely,
Lisa
Hi Lisa
You will be a welcome addition to my studio! Suzuki will be perfect for you, because you will be able to focus on technique and playing the instrument, and not get distracted by note reading. (But make sure you do the ear training exercises…..many times, people who can read music need the ear training more than ever)
YES, I currently have SUzuki Books 1-3 available, and I will start filming Suzuki Book 4 In March! Yikes!
Here is the link were you can see what I currently have available: http://www.RedDesertViolin.com
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi! I am 63 & my violin just arrived today. It came with a book & video options, but I like the comments on your teaching method. I have been away from reading music for awhile & I definitely need ear training.
Is this how I join your practice tips newsletter & get an email to download your practice guide?
Hi Pamela
Sorry I didn’t get your comments sooner than this!
I am a one-woman band…..and I’m afraid I fall behind sometimes.(rest assured, once you sign up for lessons with me, you get the the front of the line)
Anyway, so yes, I have quite a few nice free offerings.
1) practice tips newslettersign up by visiting my home page https://www.reddesertviolin.com/At the top, find the tab called “email goodies”, and follow the instructions.Signing up for this series will also get you the “Ultimate Practice Guide” in the first email. Be sure to download that.
2) free membership: this is a collection of most of my free resources, all organized under a membership which is free. Get that here: https://www.reddesertviolin.com/free-membership/
3) Pleasant Diversions (this is free tune kits prepared by me to help people with cabin fever as we all try to stay home and stay safe)Get that here: https://aw669da.aweb.page/p/d034083e-e340-4a67-a8cd-c850d2687bf5
Enjoy these great resources!
Pamela,
I have a whole MODULE on ear training under my “FREE MEMBERSHIP”. (I gave you instructions how to sign up for that in your other comment)
In addition, every one of my Suzuki courses includes lots of lessons and drills for ear training.
A person can definitely train their ears by themself once they know how and what to do.
If you are a total beginner, you will need lots of help. I highly suggest finding a teacher locally, or signing up for my Suzuki Violin Book 1 class.
You can do that here: https://www.reddesertviolin.com/onlineviolinlessons/
Enter code “HOMESTRETCH60” to get your discount before January 2.
My Suzuki Book 1 class is for total beginners. It will teach you how to rosin, how to tune, how to put tapes on, what type of shoulder rest to get, it leaves no stone unturned. AND it has lots of ear training lessons.
If you are lucky enough to get a private teacher, I would suggest getting a SUZUKI teacher using the “find a teacher” tool on the Suzuki website: https://suzukiassociation.org/find-a-suzuki-teacher/
My online lessons will fit private lessons LIKE A GLOVE, because Suzuki teaching is so uniform. Research each teacher, maybe phone interview them, and ask them how they like teaching adults. Some love it, others don’t.
Let me know if you have other questions. (check your email….I emailed you)
Lora, how do I get your online lessons? I play the piano in a small chamber orchestra but would like to learn violin. I an a young 69 years old woman. I bought anew inexpensive violin to begin with.
Hi Marcia!
Your piano experience will give you a big advantage when learning violin. YOur ears will be somewhat developed, and your musical vocabulary and understanding will be advanced, plus hand coordination!
To get to my beginning violin class, click here.
Hope to see you in the studio soon!
I have been taking violin for years, without progress. The weekly lessons were just too brief and not wrapping around my brain. Since I have started with Lora, things are finally making sense. Her attention and detail has me craving for more. I pray she will carry on to help us all achieve the impossible. Thanks Lora, your beyond words and a hero in my book.
Sonia–
I am SO happy to hear that my approach is working for you! I am amazed at the number of people lately who are telling me things like what you said….private lessons were ineffective for their learning style, or their teachers were skipping around, it was confusing, inconsistent, etc….
Stay committed, and I will too! I have big plans!
Thanks, and keep in touch! –L
As an adult learner we have many challenges to overcome. Lora, makes these challenges less of an impact. Personally i love the lessons. I can watch and re-watch them as many times as i need to, in order to understand. But, the lessons are just part of it. In a normal lesson situation you would not have the option of watching over and over again, in a normal setting you would not have the option of all the students being in a forum helping each other. Not only that but we as students can email Lora with a specific question and get a fast response back. I never thought my dream of playing a violin would ever happen as i live in a rural area where the nearest violin teacher is about 60 miles one way away. Too far to go and too long to leave my children alone for. I love how Lora teaches. I understand it. And it goes in baby steps which is what i need. Not only for the learning part, but the small video clips are easier fit into my life schedule. I don’t have to plan around my lessons. But, my lessons fit around my life. Lora you are a wonderful teacher. I love my lessons. I love my violin….Keep up the wonderful lessons.
Thanks for the comment, Pam. You have perfectly described the reasons I created Red Desert Violin’s online lessons! Life is busy, lessons are expensive, those living in rural locations are barred from lessons due to obvious complications….
So you are the poster child for Red Desert! Keep up the good work. Great things are accomplished in baby steps.
I am here with Lora for more then two years now. Suzuki method seems to be great to learn violin. Author really knows what he has to put in the book. And Lora as teacher is wonderfull. When the Loras course was first introduced, I can not imagine, how it will be like to learn from videos. But now I know, and I can not imagine better way. It is hard to imagine that there can be better teacher than Lora is. It is not only videos, it is also active communication. If you do not have money or time to have live lessons, this is next best way to go, and sometimes maybe even better. Absolutely best will be to have option to go on Loras live lessons. I am about 7000 km away so video lessons is best option for me. For about eight years it was my dream to start learning to play on violin. Thanks to Lora dream becomes true.
Dalibor–
Thank you for that nice comment! This method really does work! (Suzuki AND online learning)
But you get most of the credit for being a student who works hard, pays attention to detail, and practices! You have come SOOOO far since the first time I heard you play! I’m so proud of you! Keep it up!
If you’re looking for excellent violin lessons you’ve come to the right place. I hummed and hawed about taking lessons on the internet and was concerned about being ripped off. After researching it for a while and viewing many of Lora’s videos on Youtube (as well as many others) I decided to take the plunge. I’ve had absolutely no worries with Lora!!!
I’ve been taking lessons with Lora for about 3 months and she explains things very well.
Like the analogy of how to eat an elephant, she’s feeding us one bite at at time and making it easy for us.
The great thing about these lessons is that I can watch them over and over again, unlike going to a teacher once a week. Lora is also very sweet, encouraging and doesn’t get impatient.
At 60 years of age my memory seems to be on permanent vacation, nevertheless, I’m learning how to play. I’m LOVING my lessons here and plan on doing book 2 and hopefully there’ll be a book 3 and 4 coming along too.
Hi Marie!
I should put you on camera and make a commercial! Thank you for the awesome vote of confidence and kind words.
I am SO thrilled by the success of my online students!
My colleagues are amazed (and a bit jealous) of how good my students are sounding.
Keep up the great work, Marie! –L
Right on, Lora! This long-time pianist and music teacher is finally learning and UNDERSTANDING the basics of playing the violin, which my scanty 2 – 3 months of String Method I at college could not hope to supply. String Method II was off to the cello, and I have been gazing backward longingly ever since… thank you so much for this excellent course.
Dana
Oh, Dana…..I know how those classes go! The just move you through SO quickly, I don’t see how anyone learns anything, let alone be able to TEACH someone else how to play!
I’m glad you found me!
Lora