Group classes

The group classes are very important element of Suzuki Method. It is a great motivation for children and their parents. It helps improving the play in team by using rules and techniques which exist only in group. The group classes take place twice a month, each for 45 minutes.

The orchestra

At the classes of orchestra the most important is sound and its shaping.There is used ability of reading notes which helps to know the new compositions in fast time.There is taught a listening of few voices in the same time; name sounds and recognize interval.

On every classes students should take all notes they have in home.

The third group (book 1-3)

At third group classes children take up compositions from Perpetum Motion to the end of book. Achieving the consolidated sound in group is the main problem. We focus our attention on the fact that everybody is responsible for the result. Because automatic reflex it's a base of playing, there starts to add next tasks which improve connection between the left and right hemisphere. One of the tasks it's dividing a composition according to some criteria. Thanks that it is possible to change a structure and sound of it and as a consequence condensing the intellectual structures of children which are responsible for imagining the composition.

The forth group (twinkle)

At the forth group classes are taken up first steps to play compositions using fingers. There is taught how to control moves to make the sound be better. There are lots of opportunities to control posture all the time. It is very important because to achieve a nice sound every detail can be both helpful or disturb. There is also taught that sound can first appear in imagination even before the bow touch a string. It is possible to check if the sound is the right one only if we know what we want to hear. We motivate each other by a presence. Parents take their experiences turns.

group fifth and sixth (pre-twinkle)

The classes with the youngest pupils are the biggest challenge. It is because of the concentration of two or three-years-old children. The first job for them is making together a task in the same time. If all pupils could clap their hands or turn around or just to stamp together it is a big success. If children can do together something easy, they start moving that skill to playing a violin. Easy to notice even for the youngest children is the beginning and the end of playing together.

What to do to not start too early or too late? It is a next aim for group classes of small children. Other important part not only for beginners is playing solo. At the beginning child clap their hands simple rhythm to get accustomed to feeling that audience look at and solist has to do something.

Later, during playing a concert parents shouldn't ask about stage fright and develop the subject even if it comes to admiration in presence of all family e.g. : were/weren't you afraid ? That question could suggest that something wrong could happened if child made a mistake, but it's not true. Everybody can make a mistake!!!

Another aim of group classes is to calm down parents. If they look at their child, at the others they could notice that everyone struggles with similar problems. Children can learn from each other very fast and mostly they exactly know what they cannot do. The best way to do it is not to pay attention to them and let children time and space for natural learning.