How Do I Find the Right Violin Teacher?

There are different methods of teaching the violin, so this is something to be aware of when choosing a teacher.

The very popular "Suzuki Method" is a system that works well for young children. It is based on the idea that all children learn their own language, so it is possible for them to learn a musical instrument in the same way: by filling the environment with music (listening to CDs of what they will play), having parental reinforcement (parents attend private lessons and help with practicing), peer reinforcement (group lessons in addition to private lessons). The idea here is that everyone can cultivate musical talent if they start early and persist in it, just as everyone is fairly expert in speaking his/her own language.

There are 10 Suzuki books of advancing difficulty, and teachers can be "certified" in each book, meaning that the teacher took a teacher training course in the book. It is worthwhile to see if a teacher has done any of this training, particularly if your child is very young. Suzuki training does not make a bad violinist into a good teacher. But it can help make a good violinist into someone who is patient with kids. Shinichi Suzuki summed up his philosophy in a book called, "Nurtured by Love." The title of the book sums things up well, but if you are interested in the Suzuki Method for your child, this is mandatory reading.

The big knock on Suzuki is that children start learning by rote, and this can hinder their ability to later read music. The answer to that is: children learn language by rote and later learn to read. Most enlightened Suzuki teachers begin their students on a reading program from quite early, but don't hesitate to ask a potential teacher about learning to read music. Children are capable of reading music as soon as they are capable of reading words, and once they have achieved a solid violin posture, positioning of fingers and bow and sense of pitch, reading should not be delayed.

Suppose your child is older, maybe nine? The Suzuki Method is fine for the older child, but a traditional method also has a lot of appeal. The older child does not need quite as much parental oversight and is ready to handle more concepts at once. Traditional teachers tend to start reading music right away, using method books, scales and other pieces to help the child learn.

To find a teacher, you can look at the Suzuki Association of America's referral service or you can browse our Violinist.com Musician Directory.

You also can look at your local university; if the violin teacher can't teach you (or your child), that teacher may have some good recommendations. Also, you can try your local symphony orchestra, or music stores.

The interactions of the student and the teacher are a very important part of learning to play the violin. Whether you know what you're looking for or you only have questions, try talking to the teacher and looking at the teacher's website before committing. You may want to talk to more than one teacher. Many teachers will give you one trial lesson for free. This is a good way to tell whether you, your child (if applicable), and the teacher have the right chemistry for success.

On my website I have an article,which compliments the thoughtful considerations above. Go to http://rkviolin.com and click on "writings".