The layout of a good practice session varies depending on where the student is working in the repertoire. A pre-twinkler’s practice will be structured differently from a Bk4 student’s session, and a deeply motivated learner will have a practice session that differs from a student who is a more casual learner. Sometimes it seems like I assign a lot of little things, however if you just touch each every day, it’s enough! Here are some sample practice routines that you can manipulate and change as you wish. Please comment and share what has worked for you!
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When a child first begins study between the ages of 4 to 8, the parent is a very active home-teacher or practice coach. This partnership sets the pattern for problem solving methodologies and consistency. However, as the student matures, this partnership necessarily evolves. The final goal is for the student to learn independently and the parent to be an encouraging cheerleader. This will take place sometime between 9yo and 12yo. Often, the role of the practice coach in the transition time between these two states can feel a bit murky!
If t goal as a practice coach is to point the way toward independent learning and eventually to get out of the way in order to allow this to happen, we should consider how we guide the student’s minds even from the earliest Suzuki years. It is very easy to point out behaviors and create fine little players through adjusting this finger, and that note, and the other slur: but it’s vastly more important to develop within each player the thinking process behind the changes. Be prepared: going about things this way often seems much slower! So…how do we encourage young violinists to use their thinking minds?
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February 2015
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