A day in the life of a violinist | What Goes On In A Suzuki Masterclass?

Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, the man behind the latest violin pedagogy Suzuki Violin Method was also a massive believer of a violin masterclass. In a violin masterclass, kids of the same level or Suzuki Violin Book level are grouped together to play different rhythmic and melodic games on the violin. These musical playing activities are primarily to motivate them into seeing violin playing as simple and fun while truly aiming to improve the children’s technical mastery on the instrument.
A Suzuki Masterclass should ideally have 15 to 25 young violinists, one violin teacher and a piano accompanist.

How does a Suzuki Masterclass start?

1. Tuning - Suzuki Masterclasses always begin with children lining up in front of the violin teacher and piano accompanist to have their violins tuned.

2. Formation - After tuning, children are then asked to form a semi-circle with each student at arm’s length from each other. This is to avoid hitting each other with the bow when playing. A semi-circle is also the ideal formation for violin students, allowing the teacher the ideal position and the ideal view to facilitate the whole class.

3. Bow Exercises - To warm up the right hand, violin students in a masterclass do bow exercises together for at least five minutes or until the teacher sees that everyone has gotten the exercise right. Kids who are swift to complete their bow exercises might squat on the floor or sit down ahead of the others.

4. Rhythmic and Melodic Exercises - Rhythmic and melodic exercises should be done separately. This is also one way of warming up children’s fingers before playing pieces.

5. Review Of Pieces - Kids play pieces together as a group. The instructor may do this creatively in the form of a game.

6. Mini Recital - Advanced players can play a portion of the piece that they are learning solo. This is to develop the child’s self-confidence and to prepare the child for performances. On the part of the other kids or the audience, this is to encourage them to learn the next pieces, such as the one played by a peer or group member.