The Suzuki Method

The Suzuki piano teaching method was developed by Shinichi Suzuki in Japan shortly after WWII. Its focus is the use of music education to enrich the lives and character of its students.

The Suzuki method arose out of a music pedagogy resting on the double premise that

• all children can be well educated in music


• learning to play music at a high level involves learning certain character traits or virtues which make a person's soul more beautiful

Musical Immersion

For Suzuki, the primary method for achieving this centers around creating the same environment for learning music that a person has for learning their native language. This 'ideal' environment includes love, high-quality examples, praise, and, where possible, complete immersion in a musical culture.

While the Suzuki Method is quite popular internationally, within Japan its influence is less significant than the Yamaha Method, founded by Genichi Kawakami in association with the Yamaha Music Foundation.