Teaching from the Balance Point (Edward Kreitman)

 [p1-2] I have titled this work Teaching from the Balance Point because I believe that balance is central to both playing the violin and teaching. Therefore, a book about teaching the violin requires the word balance in the title. You will notice that at times the word balance will pertain to physical balance regarding posture and the position of the body, violin, or bow. At other times, the word balance will refer to finding the right combination of positive reinforcement and constructive criticism. At times the balance will be obvious, at other times elusive, and sometime almost mystical; however, balance is always there, underlying every aspect of teaching and playing. As you read this manual, look for the balance point or the allusion to it in every chapter, and you will find your way of deeper understanding.

[p2] For those who want to know the whole story of Dr. Suzuki and his work, we have the film Nurtured by Love available on videotape. It tells an incredible story of a Japanese man who studied Western music in Germany, then returned to a war-torn country and wanted to give something back to the children of Japan and the rest of the world. Suzuki's goal was never to create musical prodigies, but to help all children to develop their potential to have "a beautiful heart." I recommend viewing this video to all parents and students of the Suzuki Method.

[p3] The most important message is simply this:

All Children Have Talent.

We can support that statement with these ideas:

1. The environment, rather than genetic background, will determine the success or failure of the student.
2. Every child learns his or her native tongue in the first few years of life by listening to and imitating the mother's voice. Dr. Suzuki calls this the "mother tongue" approach to learning. We now know that the same process can be used to teach music.
3. We are most successful when we break each new skill into the smallest possible steps, affirming and supporting each attempt with possible reinforcement.

[p3] If it is true that "everything in music is preparation" (Gerhart Zimmermann), then the genius of Suzuki is truly expressed in the scope and sequencing of the music in his carefully planned method. Suzuki gave much thought to the introduction and subsequent repetition of each technique to be studied. The brilliance of the method is that all of this technique is disguised in musical selections that are charming, compelling, interesting, delightful, and attractive to children and their families. Much of the motivation for learning comes from the desire to learn new pieces in the repertoire.

[p4] One of the most important techniques employed by Suzuki teachers is that of learning to play the instrument by ear. This approach allows the child and parent to focus on how they are playing rather than on what they are playing. In other words, the goal of a Suzuki student is to focus on how well you can do something rather than on what you are able to do. Playing by ear frees the eyes to observe fingers and bow arm. This observant approach helps us to evaluate how we are doing, rather than having eyes glued to a page of music telling us what to play next.

[p9] My goals for teaching are these:

1. To help all of the children I work with to become more noble human beings through their positive experiences with music.
2. To help parents understand that it is the process, not the product of the educational experience, that is important.
3. For me, to enjoy the opportunity to be a central part of the lives of these wonderful human beings, my students, who come to share their accomplishments with me each week.

Now-What are my priorities for teaching?

1. Teaching balanced posture of the body, including violin and bow hold.
2. Teaching balanced tone production or "tonalization".
3. Teaching perfect intonation.
4. Teaching skills for developing artistic musicianship in performance.
5. Teaching notes and bowings to new pieces.

[p26] For each four- or five-year-old who stands before me ready to learn the basics of Twinkle, I have a vision. I see this child at age twelve playing a Mozart violin concerto. In my vision, the student performs brilliantly with beautiful form, tone, intonation, and music phrasing. If you are new to Suzuki, or have recently started a program and most of your students are in Book 1, it is easy to lose sight of that picture. It is so important for teachers, parents, and students to attend institutes, workshops, and concerts; this is where we can see children playing beautifully at a very high level. I remember so clearly in the earliest days of our program when I would insist that new parents must visit the "advanced class" to see children playing Bach's Minuet 1. Of course, it wasn't until after those first students started to attend the summer institute at Stevens Point, where they had the opportunity to hear advanced players, that their eyes and ears were opened to the true potential of the method. Who wouldn't be excited about playing the violin in this environment?

[p36] There are two skills, actually, in producing a good beginning bow hold. The first is the ability to create the bow hold, and the second is the ability to continue holding. Holding the bow needs to be done firmly but gently.

[p39] What is tonalization anyway? Alice Joy Lewis calls it “tone based on the resonance of the instrument.” I think that is a fine description.

[p41] In first position, there are nine ringing or resonating notes:

• Third fingers create octaves with the open strings below.
• Fourth fingers create unisons with the open strings above.
• First finger on G or D creates an octave with the open A or E.
• Low second finger on the E string creates a double octave with the open G.

[p50] The first step in learning to play in tune requires getting students to play slowly enough so that they can actually hear what they are doing. I find this to be one of the biggest challenges in my studio.

[p50] We need to give the ear a chance to listen to each note a little longer so that we can hear whether it is in tune.

[p53] However, I must point out that there is no magic pill to give a student that will make him play in tune. Clearly, knowing what to listen for is the first step toward developing fine intonation, but the sad truth is that there is no substitute for slow, careful practice. Because there are no frets, keys, or valves on the violin, viola, cello, or bass, our instruments are unquestionably difficult to play in tune. Therefore, the relentless pursuit of fine intonation is every string player's perpetual conundrum!

[p55] Developing musical playing in my students is the part of teaching I enjoy most. It is the fourth priority, but the primary goal, for it is through the development of musical skills that we begin to approach the level of artistry in our music making. We can develop the noble character of our students only by allowing them to be in the presence of artistry. Artistry in their environment will lead to artistry in their own playing.

The other priorities are higher, but only because they are necessary to allow for the development of musicianship.

[p58-59] Often, when I hear elementary-level violin students perform their pieces, I have the feeling that concentrate on playing the notes with the fingers of the left hand and that the use of the bow is limited to checking to see whether the notes are right. If we consider the elements of music as they relate to an early Book 1 student, we can form the following list:

• Tone: The quality of sound
• Pitch: The high or low character of the sound
• Dynamics: The quantity of sound
• Rhythm: The duration of the notes and rests
• Articulations: The style-separated or connected sounds
• Phrasing: Slurred versus separately bowed notes

If we go through the list and ask the student which hand is responsible for creating each element of music, we will discover these answers:

• Tone: The quality of sound (Bow hand)
• Pitch: The high or low character of the sound (Left hand)
• Dynamics: The quantity of sound (Bow hand)
• Rhythm: The duration of the notes and rests (Bow hand)
• Articulations: The style-separated or connected sounds (Bow hand)
• Phrasing: Slurred versus separately bowed notes (Bow hand)

As you can see from the list, the bow hand plays a much more important role in performing on the violin than the left hand, which at this level, has only one very important job, playing the right notes in tune. But it is the bow hand that has the responsibility for creating the quality and the quantity of sound maintaining the rhythmic integrity of the playing. In addition, the bow hand sets the style of the piece by controlling the articulations and phrasing.

Although it is certainly critical for us to approach the setup of both hands carefully, it is important that we start from the beginning with the feeling in the bow hand that its function or purpose is to lead, to direct the playing, to create the sound. I call this approach bow-directed playing.

[p60] My explanation of music direction really reduces music theory to the most basic level. I describe each note in music as being either a travel note or a destination note. Every note in the piece is taking you somewhere or is the note to which you are being taken. When we think of pieces this way, we learn to create small phrases or groups of notes that begin and end according to the harmonic structure of the piece. In music, this is what we call "creating a line."

[p63] My first rule in making music is never to play the same note or group of notes the same way twice. "Variety is the spice of life" is certainly true in music. When repetition occurs in music, it is our job as musicians to find a way to put this rule to work. Many tools are useful for making a change in the way we play a repeated phrase. We can vary the dynamics, change the articulations, alter the bowings, or stress a different note in the group. We can also change the "color" of the notes by playing them in a different position on a different string, increase or decrease the tempo to add or take away motion, or vary the speed or intensity of the vibrato to create or release tension in the music.

Second, we generally make notes in a phrase become louder as the pitch goes up and softer as the pitch goes down. Sometimes, for a special effect, we will do just the opposite. Creating a diminuendo on an ascending line at the end of a phrase can be a great way to end a piece.

Third, one of the tendencies that all musicians must fight is to slow down as we get softer and speed up as we get louder. One good exercise for combatting this tendency is to have the student practice an etude or study with the metronome and put subtle or drastic dynamic changes in the music. See how difficult it is to remain true to the metronome while following the dynamic markings.

[p63-64] Be cautious of "selective" vibrato, which means vibrating only on longer notes or favorite fingers. In general, depending on the tempo, vibrato should be used consistently on every note in the phrase, usually for eighth notes or longer. I notice a few other tendencies in student playing. Be careful to vibrate the short note after a long note. The notes before and after a shift often are neglected, and we must make a conscious decision to vibrate them. Fourth fingers are famous for not vibrating, and we must keep after them until it is a habit for the fourth finger to vibrate like all the others. In elementary and intermediate playing, the emphasis is to keep the vibrato even and consistent. Later, in more advanced performing, the vibrato will be used as one of the most important tools for shading, shaping, and coloring the sound to help make a more musical performance.

[p72] There are many levels of listening to a piece. I think of them in this order.

1. Just get the notes and rhythm of the piece.
2. Listen for the bowings (slurred notes versus separate bows).
3. Listen for the simple articulations (staccato versus legato).
4. Listen for the musical line and direction of notes.
5. Listen for the form of the piece.
6. Listen for the dynamic contrasts.
7. Listen for fingerings (positions, portamento, and vibrato).
8. Listen for advanced bowings (on or off the string, spiccato, etc.).
9. Listen for ornamentation.
10. Listen for advanced interpretation (compare different artists' musical ideas).

[p84-85] I tell these three stories to illuminate the profound difference between a student who uses the technique of review of build skill and one who does not. The first student has been studying in what we call a traditional method. His primary focus in lessons and practice has been on reading music and preparing a certain piece for a performance. After that performance of the piece, the music is collected, and he gets new music to work on. Earlier pieces are never seen or heard again. In this case, review is not even a thought on the practice agenda.

In the second case, the student is supposedly studying the Suzuki Method, but, as you can see, she is no better off than the first student, because she doesn't understand the importance of review. For this student, reviewing pieces is drudgery that she goes through periodically to get a few old pieces ready to play on a recital. Review is not a regular part of her daily practice regime, and she certainly doesn't understand how reviewing the old pieces will actually make learning the new ones easier and faster.

The third case is an example of the model Suzuki parent and student who understand the review process and put their understanding into action.

[p85-86] Typically, in the Suzuki Method about 80% of each new piece is made up of skills that were learned previously in the old material. If that old material is reviewed consistently, the student will approach the new piece with the skills in place to play 80% of the piece. The only parts of the new piece that should present any difficulty at all are the places that present new techniques.

The Suzuki Method is based on the mother tongue approach to learning. As children learn to speak, they retain the first words spoken and keep them in their vocabulary to use over and over, while they also learn new and more complicated words. We do not throw away the first words we spoke as a baby, but constant repetition of those words improves our ability to pronounce them and mix them in different combinations to form longer and more complicated phrases and sentences.

The development of the Suzuki curriculum shows why review is so fundamental and important to a Suzuki student. In a traditional method, pieces and exercises are introduced in levels of difficulty, with lots of repetition of the same skills. As the students move from piece to piece within that level, they are not encountering any new techniques, but are playing a whole group of pieces and exercises at the same level of difficulty. In this type of curriculum, the review of technique is built in as the student goes from piece to piece.

The Suzuki Method does not use this plateau approach. Each new piece takes the student to a higher level. New and more difficult techniques are introduced with every new piece. Through each new piece, the student gains knowledge, as a new technique is presented. The student who has reviewed brings the necessary skills to the new piece, making it easier to learn quickly. The student who does not review has very little skill to bring to the new piece and struggles to learn each one.

[p87] Some parents will complain, "It takes too long to play through all those old pieces. There is no time left for the important work of practicing the new piece." This introduces another subject: which is more important, learning to play the notes of a new piece or working on becoming a better violinist and musician? The truth is that it only takes about 15-20 minutes to play straight through all the pieces in Book 1, if you don't stop to take your violin down between pieces and if you can play through them without interruption or mistakes. Any student who can do this does not require more than 10-15 minutes to work on the new techniques in the working piece.

[p87-88] Probably the best way to keep the review interesting is to focus on a special technique in each piece. Twinkle can be about violin posture, Lightly Row about the bow hold, and Song of the Wind about the hopping third finger or lifting the bow. Go Tell Aunt Rhody is for watching the second finger. Be creative, and try to get the student involved in thinking of what would be an appropriate task for each particular piece. Usually, the child will associate the piece with the teaching point for that piece. What a great way to bring the technique to the fore of consciousness as you play through the piece each day.

[p91] There is no official number of positions on the violin, but we need to be comfortable in at least the first seven if we are to play most of the music in the violin repertoire.

[p93] In addition, the relationship of the bow to the bridge changes as the hand moves into the higher positions, because the length of the vibrating part of the string becomes shorter, making it necessary to move the bow closer to the bridge to retain the same relationship of finger to bridge as of bow to bridge.

[p93-94] Once the student has become comfortable playing in various positions, a fun exercise is to select some familiar review repertoire and practice playing in different keys, by playing in different conditions. We call this transposing the piece.

[p113-117] 

Vision Versus Expectation

I was fortunate to observe Dr. Suzuki and the other fine teachers in Matsumoto during the summer of 1986. Upon observation of a lesson on tone production with a young student, one of the kenkyusei (teachers in training) remarked to Dr. Suzuki that he had been particularly patient with the student.

Dr. Suzuki simply replied, "Patience is merely the absence of expectation."

These words have had a profound effect on my teaching over the years. On the one hand, it seems so obvious. Of course, if one has no expectation, then there is no need to feel frustration if the desired result is not achieved. On the other hand, how can one teach-what is the point of the lesson-if nothing is expected? I had not yet learned the difference between vision and expectation.

It has taken many years of teaching experience to begin to understand Dr. Suzuki's comment.

I remember in the first few years of teaching, how determined I was to produce students who performed at a very high level at an early age. I certainly had high expectations for my students. I am sorry to say that when those expectations were not met, everyone suffered. Most of the students stayed with their lessons, but I am sure that a few were lost along the way. Fortunately for me and my class, I had a wake up call one day in my studio. I was beginning to become impatient with a student who was not understanding the point on which we were working. His younger sibling, who had been quietly sitting on the floor coloring, suddenly bolted upright, ears cocked, as my voice became slightly agitated. Looking at his mother, he proclaimed "Uh-oh, crabby Kreitman!" We all had a good laugh as I realized that this was the nickname that the family used at home to describe me on the days when thing were not going so well.

One of the benefits of staying in one teaching location for a long time is that you have the opportunity to work with some of the same families over a period of many years. It is this very specific experience that has led me to understand more fully the difference between expectation and vision.

Many times over the years, I have started a new student who I thought was going to be particularly successful and very easy to teach. The parents seemed to be interested in doing everything right; no matter what I asked them to do, they were willing. They listened at home, reviewed, practiced routinely, prepared continuously for lessons, attended group class regularly, and were enthusiastic and positive in their approach. These parents even found time for all the extras, attending community music performances and school solo recitals, even when their child was not performing! How strange then, when the student did not end up performing very well. After a year or two, I realized that the situation was sad more than strange when the family decided, despite my protests, that since the child was not a high achiever, they would not be continuing the lessons. After this decision was made, you can be sure that the Suzuki reference recording was never played at their house again and that the violin was returned to the music store. We certainly never saw the family at the music school again, either to visit a group class or to enjoy a solo or group performance. This story is the classic example of proper environment with high expectation.

Other times over the years, one of the students has come running into the studio all excited to tell me that the family was going to have a new baby! "Oh boy! Will he or she play violin or cello?" I always ask the somewhat overwhelmed mother. Lessons continue, and there is usually a period of adjustment while everyone in the family acclimates to the new arrival. Right away, I start to get reports of how baby sister loves to hear the sounds of the violin practice, and sometimes it is the only thing that can settle her down when she is fussy! Pretty soon baby sister starts to show up at lessons. She loves the attention from all of the other children, and it is amazing how she actually recognizes certain pieces and smiles and laughs when older brother plays his current piece.

Over the months and years, baby is present for the listening of the reference tape at home and in the car, and she attends most group classes and recitals (even though she's not performing). Usually around the terrible two's she appears in the studio one day with her own box violin, which Mon has had to construct just to keep her from getting into big brother's violin. By the way, brother is no longer a Book 1 student but now is working very nicely on a Seitz concerto in Book 4, so baby sister now hears the Vivaldi and Bach concertos every day. How interesting that she can actually sing the beginning of the Vivaldi  Concerto in A Minor. She has learned to sit quietly coloring for a full forty-five minute lesson and looks forward to her treat of a cookie or chocolate, which always seems to be lying around my studio. But I think her favorite part of the lesson is when she crawls up on my lap and sways to the beat of the music while her brother is playing that pretty part in the middle of his piece. She really likes that. One day, toward the end of the school year, Mom says "Well, what do you think, Mr. Kreitman? Will we be able to find a lesson time to start baby sis in the fall? She'll be three in August, you know." This is the story of proper environment with no expectation.

What can we learn from these two, somewhat similar stories? Both families happily provided the very same environment for their children. The first did so with the expectation that their son would excel at the violin. When he didn't, the environment disappeared. The second family was already providing the correct environment for their older child when the younger one came along, and it was her good fortune to be raised in the proper environment without any expectation that she would one day choose to pick up the violin. Nowadays, when parents ask me how to provide the right Suzuki environment for their child, I tell them to begin lessons right away with their first child. Do everything according to the book, and after about a year, have another child. Wait three years while the first one continues to study, and they will have provided the perfect environment for the second child to begin lessons.

These stories illuminate the difference between expectation and vision in the long term. But what about the short term? What is happening in the daily and weekly lesson experience? Are we looking for the quick fix, the immediate result? Or is our vision for the student more futuristic? In my teaching these days, I find that I am much more successful when I don't worry so much about whether the bow hold is perfect today or whether the child is able to maintain correct posture for the entire piece. What matters most is that we set high standards, prioritize our teaching of these very important basic skills, and keep our eye on the future as we enjoy the process of the lesson today.

A third story is about one of my most successful and rewarding experiences in teaching. Many years ago I met a young child and her mother at a local workshop. They were unhappy with their teacher at the time and wanted to know if I would accept them into my studio. This student had not enjoyed the benefit of good initial training, and I was reluctant to take a student from another teacher's studio. But the family continued to show interest, and finally I agreed to take them on. For years we seemed to battle the bad habits of a poor beginning. Gradually, as time pressed on, the girl made progress, but she and her parents seemed a bit discouraged that she wasn't keeping up with some of the other children who had begun lessons at about the same time. I thought the combination of preteenitis and Book 5 would kill us all, but we eventually got through it. I think we were about halfway through Book 6 when I finally suggested that they do something different, as I just didn't seem to be able to motivate the girl any longer, and I was concerned that she would end up hating music instead of enjoying it if we continued in our present state.

The parting was a difficult one. Over the years, we had become quite close, and many times I felt that we spent more of the lesson discussing life, family crises, and parenting issues than violin technique. After the lessons stopped, we kept in touch for a while through some of the other families, but eventually we drifted apart and didn't see or hear from one another for quite some time. Recently, I was attending a Sunday afternoon solo recital by violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter at Orchestra Hall. the program was all Brahms, my favorite composer played by my favorite soloist! Just as I was settling into my seat on the main floor, I noticed a young woman and her mother in the seats in front of me. Sure enough, it was Elizabeth and her mom. What a remarkable coincidence that we should meet on this special occasion. But the best news of all was that even though Elizabeth had decided not to pursue her violin lessons, she still enjoyed music together with her mom. The tickets to this concert had been a Mother's Day gift from Elizabeth.

[p118] The next time you go on to your violin lesson, look around you and see beyond the pinkie that wont't curve just right today or the second finger that still wants to play a little out of tune. Enjoy the moment. Be glad that you are working on keeping your violin on your shoulder and producing beautiful tone and intonation. But don't forget to look to the future. I assure you that ten years from now, something significant will result from this day. Perhaps you will have the honor of attending your child's performance as the soloist in a local violin competition. Maybe you will be traveling to Europe as a chaperone for your child's high school orchestra tour. Or maybe-you'll be lucky enough to have your adult child invite you to a Sunday afternoon matinee concert.