Dr. Suzuki listed ten Vital Points for violin playing. He used these points to develop a weekly progress report that allowed students and parents to chart improvement over time.* Suzuki’s emphasis on Vital Points suggests that the important question to ask is not “How quickly can I move from one piece to another?” but instead, “How beautifully can I play?” Suzuki acknowledged that each student develops at their own pace. He patiently enjoyed this process with the conviction that, given the correct environment, all students can learn.
Shinichi Suzuki on Video
Here are two short videos that show Shinichi Suzuki working with students. They offer a glimpse of the good humor and almost childlike joy for which Suzuki was known. In the first clip Suzuki demonstrates the students’ ability to stop and start at any point in the last movement of the Bach A minor Concerto (Suzuki Violin Book 7). The game he uses reinforces the idea that you really know a piece well if …