Book edited by Karen Hagberg
Piano Basics Foundation, 1487 Telegraph Road, Bellingham, Washington, USA 98226
Tel/FAX (360) 7340-9955
Web edited by Kenneth Wilburn
Department of History, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA 27858
FAX (252) 328-6774; email: wilburnk@ecu.edu
How to Teach Beginners, Copyright 1996, by Haruko Kataoka
First OnLine Edition: 11 July 1997
Last Revised: 24 September 2021
All rights reserved
Part I: Instructions to Parents Before the Initial Lesson
Part II: When the Lessons Begin: The Bow; Proper Seating; Finger Numbers; The Twinkle Variations
Part III: The Suzuki Method is a Method Which Develops Ability: The Twinkle Variations
Part IV: Book 1: General Considerations: The Twinkle Variations; Right Hand Melodies; Left Hand and Hands Together
Part V: Difficult Points in the Book 1 Pieces: The Twinkle Variations; Repeated Note Legato; Independence of Hands; Balance Between Melody & Accompaniment
Part VI: Bringing Book 1 to Performance Level
Part VIII: How to Teach Book 2
Beginning in 1972, when she attended the Suzuki Institute at Stevens Point,
Wisconsin as a teacher trainer, Dr. Kataoka has traveled abroad for several
weeks each year to conduct international workshops at universities and other
centers in North America, Europe and Australia as well as in Japan and other
Asian countries.
Dr. Kataoka was awarded the Matsumoto City Arts and Culture Award in 1986
and was granted an honorary doctorate in music from the University of
Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky in 1990.
Dr. Kataoka's other publications in English include My Thoughts on the
Suzuki Piano School (Birch Tree Group, Ltd., 1985), My Thoughts on
Piano Technique (Birch Tree Group, Ltd., 1988) and Sensibility and
Education (Piano Basics, Inc., 1993).
The Twinkle Variation:
First of all, you must teach students the ability to concentrate and
maintain good balance and posture. All children have the innate potential
to concentrate on a given task. This ability should be nurtured carefully
by teachers and parents until it becomes more or less second nature.
However, please keep in mind that the attention span of a young child is
very short. In the beginning, the lesson time should be around three
minutes. The teacher should then talk to parents about how to help the
student develop his skills. The parents should then observe the lessons
of other students so that the total time spent in the studio should be
thirty to sixty minutes, including such observation.
The Bow:
At the start, the lesson begins with the student standing and facing
the teacher. The teacher will then attempt to instruct the student to
maintain good physical balance while in a standing position. If the
student is able to achieve a certain level of proficiency, praise her.
Even if the student is unable to do what is asked, she should be
encouraged. Next, the teacher and student greet each other by bowing.
This is not only a Japanese custom, but a way of expressing mutual respect
between student and teacher. If the student is successful at the tasks
mentioned above, she should be allowed to sit at the piano.
Proper Seating:
When the student sits down at the piano, please have the parents adjust
the height of the chair and footstool. The student should be sitting with
a straight back and arms relaxed at the sides. The height of the chair is
correct if the height of the elbows is the same as that of the top of the
white keys. The height of the footstool is correct if the feet stay flat
on the stool while sitting on the chair. The footstool should be wide
enough so that the feet may move freely sideways.
Finger Numbers:
The next step is to drill the student on his finger numbers. The
student should first be able to say the number of each finger correctly.
You should then drill the finger numbers by repeating, along with the
student, "1, 2, 3, 4, and 5." Repeat the numbers at random and have the
student figure out which number matches which finger. As he gets better at
this, increase the speed. This drill has two purposes: to memorize the
number assigned to each finger, and to develop the ability to concentrate.
The student should also practice this drill at home.
This natural method of learning is different from traditional methods.
The teacher is not only teaching but is also nurturing and developing the
abilities of students by repetition. With patience and effort, abilities
such as concentration and balance will develop. Teachers should have the
student repeat what she can do and have her do it well. This helps her
develop confidence and self esteem so that, when confronted with a
difficult task in other matters, she will approach it with confidence and
persistence.
Each child is different in his style and rate of learning. One student may
be able to do the above tasks in one hour, while another may take three
months. The difference is inconsequential. However, the drills should be
accomplished one by one in order. If the student cannot stand with feet
together, you should not go on to the next step, which is bowing nicely.
Doing a good job is always related to the power of concentration. If you
have students repeat things they cannot do well, they will develop a habit
of not doing well.
The Twinkle Variations:
If the student can sit properly in front of the piano, please have her
then place her right hand with finger 1 over the first note of Twinkle
(C). The student should be ready and waiting for the teacher to say "go."
The hand is not to be touching the key until the teacher says "go." Please
ask the student to sit still and wait. While the student waits, check the
posture and the position of the arms, wrists and hands. The shoulders and
elbows should be relaxed. The hands should be balanced at the wrist and
the body should be balanced at the hip. If the student can get ready like
this several times without difficulty, she should then be allowed to play
the first pattern of Twinkle. You may hold the student's hand in this
practice and actually play for her with her fingers.
It is very important that the teacher instruct the students to listen very
carefully to the tone of the piano at all times as they play. In this way,
students will learn to listen to the sound right from the beginning of
lessons. Please do not sing along with them.
This method of teaching piano nurtures and develops the playing abilities
of all students. The teacher should help nurture such abilities by
providing the best possible learning environment. Every child has the
potential to be able to do almost anything in a proficient manner. It is
the task of teachers and parents to transform that potential into real
skills, in other words, into ability.
In traditional teaching, the teacher gives out information and then the
student learns what the teacher has said. This is very one-sided. In the
Suzuki Method the teacher not only teaches, but also lets the child
carefully repeat what was taught, over and over again, until it is acquired,
developed, and can be done with ease. To develop anything well takes a
great deal of time for any living thing, for plants as well as for human
beings. When something is actually developed, we call that ability.
Patience, effort and love are required on the part of both teachers and
parents.
I discussed the first lesson in Part II. The teacher, the student and the
parent bow, feeling respect for one another as human beings, at the
beginning of the lesson. This must be done faithfully every time.
Next, sitting at the piano, the student learns to get ready with the right
hand.
"Getting ready," is very important, not only for beginners, but for
advanced students and professional musicians as well. The moment of
getting ready is always a very important thing, full of concentration.
From the beginning, the teacher must teach this carefully at each lesson.
Since getting ready does not involve producing sound, both teachers and
parents tend to forget to have students practice it. Please carefully
develop the ability to get ready.
If the ability to get ready is really developed well, it will be possible
to control everything after that.
The Twinkle Variations:
When the teacher says, "Ready," and "Go," the student practices playing the
rhythm of Twinkle A on the first note (C).
Do not let the student play a hard tone with stiff hands. Regardless of
when a student begins, or what discipline a student is studying, the very
beginning is most important. The student should play only this single
pattern with a natural and good tone. If the student plays a hard tone,
the teacher should say that a soft tone is all right, "Let's play with a soft
tone." The teacher should then demonstrate a good tone, and then the
student can correct it.
This rhythm of Twinkle A is first played on C with the thumb. When this
improves to a certain extent, the student may then get ready on G with the
fourth finger. Then, when the teacher says, "Go," the student may play the
pattern on G.
No matter how quickly a given student can learn, getting to this point will
take two or three weeks.
What is important is not to confuse the child. Let the child learn to work
methodically.
At each lesson, all the same things are repeated, from the bow onward, and
the next things are added one at a time.
We must tell the parent to repeat these same steps in order to accomplish
good practice at home every day. Five to ten minutes of daily home practice
is enough in the beginning.
Be careful to let the child always do concentrated and good work in an
orderly fashion, even if it is only for a short time. When we give
unstructured lessons or let the child practice at home slowly and
absentmindedly for long periods of time, he or she will gradually come to
dislike work.
The fingering for the Twinkle Variations in the right hand is as follows:
C(1), G(4), A(5), G(4), F(3), E(2), D(1), and C(1). (Editor's note: This
is different from the fingering printed in the score.)
The above should be repeated in practice, always getting ready and playing
when the parent says, "Go," one note at a time. In the beginning, it is
enough to practice only the first phrase. When this is mastered, the rest
can be done easily.
What is important is not quantity, but by repetition, to accumulate good
quality practice. Another important thing is this: the teacher must
remind the parent, at every lesson without fail, to create a good home
environment by listening to the recordings. The recording need not be
played at a high volume. Children, who have good ears, can hear a very
soft tone much better than adults can.
When the student can play the rhythm of Twinkle A, move on to the second
variation, and then the third variation. As with the first variation,
begin by practicing just the first phrase, saying "Ready," and "Go," before
each note. Since the beginning student does not have the ability to play
yet, it is impossible to let him play the entire piece. Do not forget to
say, "Ready," and "Go," faithfully at every lesson.
Getting ready is very useful for concentration and for adjusting the
balance of the body.
After the student can play the first three variations with ease, the last
legato variation may be taught. Since this piece consists of playing
legato on repeated notes, it must be taught very carefully.
The beginning is crucial. Legato playing of repeated notes is a very
difficult, but a very important, technique in piano playing. If the child
learns it correctly at the beginning, he will be able to play repeated-note
legato easily for the rest of his life.
After the student plays the first note (C) with the thumb, the teacher
should then play it longer, letting the child listen to it carefully. Then
add another C. If you do this with care, the legato will be beautiful. If
the first note is short and the second one is long, however, this is a
mistake. Teachers, please carefully use your ears.
Then teach playing from C to G, from the first finger to the fourth finger,
very precisely. This is one full week's homework: only 1 to 4. Do not
ask the child to do too much.
Once the first three notes, C-C-G can be played, the rest can be done easily.
Twinkle is the most difficult piece in Book 1. The reason why the most
difficult piece is in the beginning of the book is that we want children to
taste the joy of playing effortlessly, so after firmly creating the ability
to play a difficult piece and learning to study hard, we give them pieces
that are easy to play.
In traditional methods of education, grown-ups think, logically, that
pieces should always be arranged in order of difficulty and that each new
piece will present a similar new challenge. However, if there is always
joy in the work, a person can develop happily.
Book l
Is everyone daily repeating the steps recommended above? Whenever a
teacher teaches a point, the parent should, without fail, have the child
practice it many times at home.
First, whenever we begin a lesson, the teacher and the student face each
other and bow. By this time, the teacher requires the student to be able
to stand squarely and to make a beautiful bow. Through faithful repetition,
heart is put into what was only the required form in the beginning, and
thus the teacher and the student become able to feel respect for one
another. This is an important lesson which teaches the student to listen
carefully to what the teacher says.
Second, "Getting ready." Not only for the Twinkle Variations, but for all
the pieces in Book 1 and in Books 2-6 as well, when the student begins to
play the piece, the teacher lets her get ready and concentrate on her
feelings. Then the teacher says, "Go," and lets the student play. This
should always be done when practicing a part of a piece as well as when
playing through an entire composition. Through this practice, the child
will develop the ability to do a good job, full of concentration.
Third, the teacher must repeatedly teach, at each lesson from the very
beginning, the Twinkle Variations, having the student practice listening
carefully to the tone while concentrating on it with the mind. At first,
the focus should be on one single tone. Every piano has its own best
tone. In order to be able to use this tone, the teacher needs to teach
it. The best tone! It is a natural tone. It is tone produced without
unnecessary added force. Tones produced by hitting, beating or kicking the
piano are not the sounds of music. They are noises.
The Twinkle Variations:
First we discussed how to teach the Twinkle Variations with the right hand
and how to play legato.
For six months to a year after the first time, whenever the student comes
to the lesson, the teacher should always hear the Twinkle Variations and
must check to see if the fingertips are moving (just a little) in order to
make a good tone and if the natural movement of the thumbs and little (5th)
finger is carefully maintained. Then it is the teacher's job gradually to
improve the level of the technique.
The Twinkle Variations contain the most basic element, which is easy to
understand: to make sound on the piano with a human hand. Playing these
variations perfectly with a beautiful tone, rhythmically and musically, is
what is important as far as technique is concerned.
Right Hand Melodies:
After the student is able to play the Twinkle Variations with the right
hand to a certain level, he may begin to play them with the left hand. The
steps are the same as before with the right hand. The practice should
proceed gradually. If the child is right-handed, the left hand will be
physiologically awkward in comparison. Therefore, we must not assume
that the left hand will move as easily as the right. Unless the student is
left-handed, it will be natural for the left hand to move less easily. No
matter how awkward the left hand is at first, however, its ability can be
developed gradually by doing many repetitions in short practice periods
over time.
Here is the most important point: Do not let the child play the Twinkle
Variations hands together in unison! If a teacher makes such an
assignment, the child will play this way, even if it takes great effort.
But if the teacher does this, a terrible consequence will occur in the
child's body. This is because human beings are given one hand which is
more skillful than the other at birth. Also, as we can see if we put our
hands face down on a table in front of us, the arrangement of the right and
left fingers is reversed. Because of these two factors in our physiology,
it is very difficult to play in unison. If the teacher requires the very
beginning student to attempt unison playing, a great strain will remain in
the child's body. In the beginning it is most important not to hurt the
nature of the body.
Always at each lesson, the student plays with one hand while the teacher
plays an accompaniment rhythmically with good tone. This is a very
important point. If the teacher's accompaniment is good, the child knows
naturally that there is rhythm in this universe and can enjoy music in that
rhythm.
Let the student memorize the pieces in Book 1 , one after another, with the
right hand. If the parent repeatedly lets the child listen to the recording
of Book 1 every day at home, it is very easy for the student to memorize
the melodies of the pieces. Learning is always very, very easy for
children (under the age of 20). Adults have a hard time understanding how
children can do this, because we no longer can learn in this way. This is
the kind of learning that all people in the world use to speak their native
language fluently, without study or effort. Even the most lazy people
learn their native language. This proves how easy it is to learn.
Considering that it is very difficult to acquire a foreign language after
age twenty, we know well how important childhood is. To reiterate:
learning is easy for children.
If there is a student in your studio who cannot learn well or cannot play
easily, there is another reason:
The piano is considered an easy instrument on which anyone (even a cat) can
produce tone. Anyone can produce noise. But not just anyone can make a
natural tone, one which is the best that the piano can produce. I have
explained a little about the technique of producing good tone. I recommend,
however, that you come to my workshops to research and understand while
actually playing the piano.
Learn Cuckoo, Lightly Row, French Children's Song, London Bridge, etc.
while being careful to use the correct fingering. A great deal of
attention must be paid to playing each tone legato and beautifully. There
are repeated notes (two or three at a time) in all of these pieces. If
you allow the student's fingers to become stiff, there will be separation
between these repeated notes. Teach the student to listen carefully and
not to play with spaces between the notes. In piano playing, legato is
very difficult in scales and intervals, but legato is the most difficult in
repeated notes.
Teachers, please question your own legato and check it! Children can
receive the order of the pieces and the sense of music from the recordings,
but they take technique with their bodies from their teachers, the people
from whom they are actually learning. I pray, for the sake of students,
that their teachers have good technique.
Left Hand and Hands Together:
When the student has learned the pieces, one after another, with the right
hand and can play them easily approaching the end of Book 1 , the study of
the left-hand accompaniments begins. What I teach at the very beginning is
a chord. I start by having the student practice C-E-G in Mary Had a Little
Lamb. It is all right to do this from the very beginning of hands-together
practice. Discard any belief you may have that young children cannot play
chords.
Sometimes there is a child who can play it instantly, but most of them need
practice.
The child whose fingers do not move very well can be taught to practice the
two-note intervals, C-E (5-3) and E-G (3-1), until she can play the
three-note chord easily. It is all right if this takes several weeks. It is
always important to be careful to instruct the student to use the
hands gently in the same way as when picking up a soft thing. Never let the
student do a sort of hitting on the keyboard after getting ready with three
stiff fingers.
At first, the student should practice playing E and G together with fingers
3 and 1. Of course, this is one week's homework. Then practice playing C
and E with fingers 5 and 3. If the student does these two exercises well,
it will become easy to play C-E-G with 5-3-1. Next, let the student
practice the second chord. If she can play the notes C-E-G simultaneously,
she ought to be able to play B-D-G without any problem.
After thoroughly practicing the two chords in the piece, C-E-G and B-D-G,
they can be played together with the right-hand melody. When beginning to
play hands together, every student turns her attention to the left hand and
breaks the right-hand legato at the chord changes. Correct this carefully.
Next, practice the first four measures of the left hand of Cuckoo. (It is
best to have previously practiced the two chords from Mary Had a Little
Lamb. When the student can play the first four measures, go on to the
next four measures, and then practice playing both hands together.
When putting hands together, first tell the student to "Get ready," by
getting ready simultaneously on G with the fifth finger of the right hand
and on C with the fifth finger of the left hand. If this can be
accomplished, the student can then produce the tones of the first beat
when the teacher says, "Go."
Repeat this patiently until it can be done correctly and securely. Then
practice playing this together with the second beat, that is, E with the
third finger of he left hand while sustaining G with the fifth finger of
the right hand. Next, the student can play the third beat, that is, E with
the third finger of the right hand and G with the left-hand thumb. By now
the student can play one full measure hands together.
If the teacher demonstrates these steps for the parent who is helping the
student, even a parent who does not know anything about music can understand
how to play with both hands. I always say, "Now you understand, don't you?
You can practice playing hands together while memorizing the piece at home,
can't you?" This is an easy thing anyone (not just piano teachers) can do.
If the teacher has played musically with a good technique at each lesson,
the student can easily learn the piece.
If a student can play Cuckoo with both hands, he can play all the pieces
hands together.
In Lightly Row, first practice the first broken chord in the left hand
(C-G-E-G, 5-1-3-1). After the student can play this well (this could take
two or three days), then practice the second broken chord (B-G-D-G,
5-1-3-1). When the student can play these two smoothly and easily,
gradually combine the hands. Since the ability to play smoothly should
have already been well developed in the right hand, playing hands together
will not be that difficult.
Whenever a student cannot play hands together easily, it is always because
of the following problems:
Most pieces in Book 1 are in quadruple or duple time. Only four of them
are in triple time.
Quadruple time: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star Variations, Lightly Row,
French Children's Song, London Bridge, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Go Tell Aunt
Rhody, Claire de Lune, Long Long Ago, Little Playmates, Allegro
Duple time: Allegretto 2, Christmas Day Secrets, Musette (compound
duple time)
Triple time: Cuckoo, Chant Arabe, Allegretto 1, Goodbye to Winter
Consequently, if the student studies Cuckoo (triple time) and Lightly Row
(quadruple time) slowly and carefully so that he can play these two pieces
well with hands together, he may put in other pieces fairly quickly.
If the student can play Mary Had a Little Lamb hands together, he or she
can instantly play Little Playmates with both hands. C-E-G is the same,
but B-F-G is a new chord. If the student's hands are small and cannot
reach F and G with the thumb and second finger, it is easy to have him play
F and G together with the thumb.
When the student can smoothly play Cuckoo, Lightly Row, Mary Had a Little
Lamb and Little Playmates hands together, he can easily study most pieces
in Book 1 because the accompaniments are mostly the same.
These are two very important points!
The most difficult pieces in Book 1 are the Twinkle Variations. We must
teach Twinkle at each lesson, from the very first time the piece is
assigned until the student is able to play Musette at the end of Book 1
hands together. Both the student and the parent will get bored if the
student only plays through the piece. When this is the case, the parent
always tells the teacher that the child is tired of the piece, dislikes
it, and does not want to practice it. If the teacher hears these words,
the teaching is poor and self-examination is required. The teacher in this
case has not been listening to the individual tones in Twinkle with
concentration.
A piano teacher must always remember what she is teaching the student.
Since our job is music, we must teach tone, which is intangible. Please
listen carefully at each lesson to whether or not the individual tones of
the Twinkle Variations have become natural and musical tones and whether or
not they are well played to rhythm, and then gently correct the bad
points. The student comes to the lesson expecting to be taught concretely
what to practice for the next lesson. When the lesson is unspecific, the
student generally develops the ability not to listen carefully to what the
teacher says. An assignment such as "Please practice playing a little
more musically," although effective for grown-ups who can think logically,
is too abstract for beginning children and parents and they will understand
nothing!
The Twinkle Variations are very, very useful for tone training, and they are
good pieces. In them we learn to produce tone on the piano, and we also
learn how to play staccato. By the time the student has learned the Book 1
pieces to the end, I want teachers to make the effort to ensure that their
performance of Twinkle is the same as the recording or even much better
than that!
In the Book 1 pieces, whenever we find repeated notes, we must teach
how to play legato and how to hear legato thoroughly from the very
beginning. The first repeated-note legato appears in the melody of
Twinkle D. At first, teach listening to the length of the tone, and then
you must patiently teach how to play two notes of the same length.
We also find repeated notes in Cuckoo, Lightly Row, French Children's Song,
etc. When we look carefully, we see there are many repeated notes in the
Book 1 melodies. In legato pieces it is important that the repeated notes
also be played legato. The technique of how to play repeated notes on the
piano must be taught at the beginning.
The beginning is always the most important for a human being. Every
outcome is decided by the first environment. Difficult techniques have
traditionally been taught only after students become "advanced." This is
conventional teaching. A basic technique, however, must be carefully
taught at the very beginning level. It is the responsibility of the
teacher to do this.
The important teaching point is that both the teacher and student practice
listening to tone carefully with concentration.
Allegro is a very important piece in which the student can study
various things. Please teach it carefully over a long period of time.
First, consider the first four measures. There are staccato quarter notes
in the right hand. Please take many lessons to teach how to play staccato
with dynamics.
Since the piece is in quadruple time, the first four notes (G-G-D-D) should
be played down - up - down- up. Please never teach up -up - up- up. Most
students and teachers play only "up." This is a serious mistake.
The first four notes in the second measure are eighth notes and should be
played with a light staccato, half the volume of the quarter notes. Since
the fourth finger plays a black key, students almost always try to play the
fifth finger by laying down on it. This develops a very bad habit in that
finger, so the teacher must ask the student to practice playing a soft tone
on that note while moving the tip of the little finger at the first joint.
This is a very important point.
Then pay attention to the left hand. The chords in the left hand are not
staccato. Never let students play these staccato. Please thoroughly teach
children to play carefully and quietly with the left hand alone at each
lesson before combining the hands. An accompaniment played quietly is
indeed beautiful, and will help the melody get much stronger and will help
the student play well.
Combine the hands only after the right and left hand can play well by
themselves. When the teacher teaches this point well, the student is
studying a very difficult technique found only in piano music: the right
hand staccato and, at the same time, the left hand legato. In other
words, the student is developing independence in the hands. Since all
other instruments play only melody, people who play these instruments do
not encounter the problem of doing entirely different things in the two
hands as we pianists do.
We must also teach that accompaniment is always to be played quietly.
This was stressed above in the discussion about Allegro. However, if
teachers teach this too soon when students have just managed to learn a
piece or have just put hands together, the student will not be able to do
it. Please teach quiet accompaniment after the student has become fully
accustomed to the piece and can play it smoothly and easily.
That applies to all the pieces in Book 1. But please teach patiently how
to play the left hand alone very quietly in Allegretto 2, Musette, or in
any piece. If the teacher simply cries, "Play the left hand more softly,
more softly, more softly," while the student is playing hands together, it
will not happen.
Even if we understand something in our heads, it is very difficult to put
into practice!
Human beings tend to take it for granted that what we understand in our
heads is being done. As a matter of fact, what we understand with our
brain is entirely different from being able to do it. We must always
recognize this and to pay full attention to it.
A teacher who studies very hard and knows Piano Basics very well recently
played Book 1 pieces for me in a faltering manner, like a poorly trained
child after just having learned them.
"Why do you play that way?" I asked in surprise.
She answered, "Because I always play with children."
We adults tend to think that children are immature and cannot do something
as well or better than we can. This idea has been put into our mental
"floppy disks" for a long time, and the reality has not been sufficiently
thought out.
Yes, it is true that because children certainly do not have the wisdom for
living, they sometimes do ridiculous things with no attention to adult
concerns. Because their bodies are smaller, they are physically weaker
than adults. For these reasons, children are misunderstood.
In most respects, because children live on their sensibility alone, they
can use this sensibility more wonderfully than we can. Children have no
troubles in life, and therefore their heads are flexible and their bodies
limber. They have much more freedom than adults. Consequently, if
children learn well and get used to playing every piece up-to-tempo from
the beginning of Book 1, it is possible for them to play every piece with
ease at the tempo I use on the recording. If left on their own, however,
children do not progress. When teachers think that it is about the right
time to play at a normal tempo, they must guide the children by increasing
their tempo. If teachers let children play slowly and faltering forever,
merely because they are very young, they will take up the habit of playing
hesitantly and poorly.
Never let children play the Book 1 pieces (or the Book 2 pieces) like
babies. If the teacher allows this, that child will become a poor
pianist.
Let us say it once again: When children learn one piece with one hand at
first and then begin to combine the hands, it is natural to play slowly.
But it is the responsibility of teachers to teach children to play
up-to-tempo after three or four weeks (or longer). Always the rate at
which pieces are learned largely depends upon family circumstances and the
personality of the child.
It does not matter at all whether a child progresses quickly or slowly.
However, when the child performs one piece, the teacher is completely
responsible for whether it is played well or poorly.
When the student is beginning Book 2, please teach him gradually to
improve a few pieces in Book 1 at every lesson.
I would like people who educate children to think hard about the
importance of listening.
First of all, we cannot conduct good education if we do not closely study
the difference between children and adults and understand what childhood
is.
The same can be said for recordings of the Suzuki repertoire. Recordings
have been unsuccessful both in Japan and America because they are played by
people who do not know children. Of course, there would be nothing to say
if we had Rubinstein, Horowitz and Gieseking playing the Suzuki repertoire,
but this could not be realized because it was a financial impossibility.
Therefore, various recordings have been made by people here and there who
happen to be available.
Before recording CD's, I made tapes of Volumes 1-3 in the United States
several years ago. The conditions in the recording studio were terrible,
and the production of the tapes was poor in quality and therefore
unsatisfactory. Interestingly however, when young children listen to my
tape and then to someone else's, I have heard that they invariably prefer
mine. Since I am not a performer, I never think of my performance as
good. And yet, I tried at least to follow a natural tempo and rhythm.
Children feel good when listening to natural tempo and rhythm. Here again,
I was taught this by children.
Why do people in the world not think more seriously about the education of
children? In the case of music, it is time to reconsider once again how
important listening is, because this is the most important point in the
Suzuki Method.
Consider one's own native language. In any country, a human being who has
been brought up there from birth always acquires the right language. This
is because one's mother tongue is natural.
If we let a child hear unnatural music, she unconsciously comes to dislike
piano music. This is a failure of education. I want the people who read
this not to make this mistake.
In order to reconsider once again the importance of letting children hear
good music, I am writing this reminder of the importance of listening. If
we let a child hear bad music, no matter how skilled the teacher, a good
result cannot be achieved.
Some say that the Suzuki repertoire becomes suddenly difficult when we get
into Book 2. Any teacher who thinks like this should please ponder this
well by asking questions of yourself. Have we really taught the basics
well in Book 1? Can the student play every piece in Book 1 well with
musical tone and with natural use of the body? Can the student perform
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star with good tone, similar to the tone on the
recording he is listening to? Have we allowed the parents to build up the
habit of listening to pieces on the recording every day? And so forth. If
we can answer yes to these questions, the student will not find Book 2
difficult.
When students move into Book 2, I make sure to explain to parents that they
have studied how to learn a new piece in Book 1 by first having the student
listen to the recording many times, and then to memorize the right hand
melody with the correct fingering. I remind them that a good way to
memorize is to repeat individual sections of the piece many times. When
the student has memorized the melody of the right hand and is able to play
it well, he may learn the left hand. After the student can play each hand
well by itself he may practice playing hands together. At the lesson, I
explain, we will no longer listen to the piece one hand at a time, as we
did in Book 1. From now on at lessons we listen only to pieces played hands
together. If the student is always memorizing two or three pieces ahead in
the right hand, he can easily progress. The lesson begins when the whole
piece has been memorized.
First, the student must be able to play the right-hand phrase in the first
four measures with good tone, one note at a time, without losing balance in
the fingers or hand. Teach this patiently at each lesson. What is
important is that the individual fingers can move well independently. We
should also pay attention to playing legato. I also always ask the students
to repeat these four measures slowly and carefully as homework.
Be careful on the fifth finger in the beginning pattern (2-4-2-4-5). At
first, a soft sound is all right, but always ask the student to move the tip
of the fifth finger at each lesson. Training the fifth finger by playing
the Twinkle A rhythm is also a good teaching tool.
Consider the chord (C - E) in the left hand. Teach the student to play the
staccato with light and good tone, moving the fingertips of the second and
fourth fingers. This is very important. The students must learn to play
chords lightly with a natural hand. It takes two or three months for a
child who practices very hard every day. If he practices slowly, it is not
unusual for this to take six months to a year. It is important to be able
to do this correctly.
Then, teach the student to be able to play measures 17 to 24 carefully with
good tone, four measures at a time, hands alone. It is all right if he cannot
play the half notes and quarter notes in the left hand correctly at this
stage.
When the student can play quite well, teach him to play measures 1-8 with
normal tone (mf) and 9-16 with very soft tone (pp). It is important for the
teacher to demonstrate a very soft tone to the young child. Since
memorizing is a different job even when the student is studying Ecossaise,
it is all right for him to memorize the next piece. I tell them that they may
memorize as many pieces as they wish in advance.
I never neglect to give lessons on previous pieces when the student has
begun Ecossaise. As I do not have enough time to listen to all the pieces
in Book 1, I always correct bad points in individual pieces from Book 1
such as Allegro (this piece is very good for study), Musette, Allegretto 1,
Christmas Day Secrets, etc. Students can improve technique by being given
lessons on pieces with which they are completely familiar and which they
can play with ease. Students cannot learn anything on a newly memorized
piece.
How to memorize is the same as in Ecossaise. But this is the longest piece
in the repertoire to this point. Therefore before attempting to memorize
it, it is good to advise the student to divide the piece into three
sections (measures 1-8, 8-16, 16-26) and to study the sections separately.
Since this piece is in four beats, the first and third beats must be played
carefully, and the pickup notes must be light. The middle section is
difficult in this piece. The staccato in the ninth measure in the right
hand is a very soft and light tone, with moving fingertips. Measure eleven
should be played legato. Left-hand scales appear in measures 9-13. When
the student begins to play fingers 5-4-3-2 from G, the tune does not sing
out if it is played too softly. If the left hand chords in measures 22-24
are practiced in turn at the signal, "Ready - Go," they will improve
quickly.
For a simple piece, this one is unusual because the melody is in the left
hand. This piece helps a student improve the left hand, which is less
coordinated than the right unless she is left-handed.
In the beginning, learn the first four measures of the left hand. It is
most important for the student to have listened a great deal to the
recording before beginning to play. The rate of learning is very different
for children who listen diligently and those who do not. If the student has
done much listening, she can learn with great ease. It is also important to
learn the fingerings correctly.
When the student has memorized the complete left hand melody, begin to teach
how to play it.
First, since the first note (C) is the second half of the fourth beat, it is
a pickup note. The tip of fifth finger must always be taught to move, but
to be played with a very light and soft tone. When the fifth finger plays
C, extend the fingers to get ready for the third finger on F. Because F
is the important first beat, sing it out with the whole heart carefully,
from the top to the bottom, with good tone. Since singing means exhaling,
the fingers and the entire hand relax completely as they exhale while we
count "1 and 2" on that note. Then follows the next note (A) with the
second finger with a very light and soft tone, going to C with the thumb
with sufficient singing volume to match the previous F.
How to play these dotted quarter notes is very important. I always divide
the first four notes into two two-note sections and have the student
practice them this way. This is the most important aspect of the first four
measures of this piece.
When the thumb crosses under the second finger in the next phrase
(5-3-2-1-2-1), be careful not to change the position of the palm. Do not
change the palm position in the next phrase (2-1-2-5-1) either.
When the student then goes from B-flat to A with the thumb, that is to say,
from a black key to a white one, carefully teach executing this by moving
the thumb. Do not let the student pull and drop from the black key. If she
does that, she cannot keep the palm position.
When the student can play the first four measures of the left hand, start
practicing the right hand. Practice playing every chord with a very small
tone. If the teacher says, "Play softly, softly," all the children will
play well. Since the second and fourth chords in the third measure are
quarter notes, make them long.
After being able to practice the right and left hands well, put the hands
together. Go ahead only after being able to play the first four measures
very well.
The difficult point in the right hand, in the ninth measure, is being able
to play the B-flat well with the fifth finger coming from C with the thumb
in the previous measure in the right hand. It is not easy to get enough
sound on this note. Practice playing Twinkle A on B flat many times every
day with the fifth finger. Always insist on a soft, moving fingertip.
If the above points are always practiced carefully over a period of time,
the student will play the piece very well.
The student who listens to the recording for a long time every day is
always glad to begin studying this piece. I believe that all children can
appreciate the genius of Bach, and in this regard am always impressed by
how wonderful children are.
Since this piece is a minuet, it is in triple time. Teachers, let us not
forget to teach triple time. Of course, the student first learns the
right-hand notes. Because this piece is divided into two measures, two
measures and four measures, the student can learn them easily in these
groupings. After the student has learned these first eight measures, she
may go on in the same way with the left hand. Then put hands together. If
the student learns calmly, step-by-step, learning is not difficult. When
the student does not learn well, it is a case of not listening to the
recording enough. When the student can play this much hands together,
begin teaching how to play well.
First, play the first three notes in the right hand (D-D-D) in triple
time. All three notes are different even though they are on the same
pitch. In other words, the first beat is to be played most carefully with
a deep tone, tone sung with the whole heart. The second D is right on the
beat and has a very little, light tone. The third one goes up, played with
light tone with a sense of breathing in slowly and deeply. The basic of
how to play triple time is always the same. The student must play like
a conductor's beat looks: Down-Across-Up.
Often teachers complain that certain students cannot keep the tempo, no
matter how many times they are told. The music just keeps getting faster
and faster. If a student can play triple time correctly, she will never
make such a mistake.
Tempo is time, a horizontal movement. A person who plays correctly can
keep the tempo on rhythm, that is, she can play in natural rhythm. Rhythm
is a vertical movement. In contrast, tempo is horizontal. Melody is
something built upon these things. Whenever we teach, let us not forget
this basic principle.
These first three notes are followed by B - AB - G on beats 1-2-3. B is
the first beat and should be played deeply. AB is light. G is played
rather short with a lighter and gentle tone. Without fail, teach the
student to play the last note of this phrase (G) beautifully and quietly.
In music, the end of a phrase is the most beautiful part, and the teacher
must teach the student that she must pay attention to the last note of a
phrase from the very beginning. In other words, it means that students
always must listen with care.
I write essentially the same thing over and over. This is that children
must be taught the best and the most advanced things at an early stage in
their education. This is true in music and in the technique of playing the
piano (the use of the body and hands). Though advanced, it is not a
difficult thing at all. It is very simple and most natural. However,
Mother Nature is very severe, and rejects anyone who does not follow the
rules, and therefore, patience and effort are required. They are not only
needed for piano playing. No matter what the job, patience, effort, and
concentration are required while learning anything of high quality.
When we teach Minuet No. 2 by Bach, check at each lesson whether or not the
student can play the previous pieces (Ecossaise, A Short Story,
The Happy Farmer, Minuet 1, and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star) with a
musical tone, in the correct tempo and in correct rhythm.
The child will be able to do only what is taught at the lesson. He can
understand it in person, but it may be impossible for him to get it right
on his own. There is a lesson every week, however, and the teacher must
continue teaching and repeating the same thing every time. It is a serious
mistake to think after teaching something once, that you have done your job
and it has been taught. The same important basics (e.g. the thumb moves
sideways; the first joint of the little finger also must always move; sound
crashed against the strings of the piano is not a musical tone; etc.) must
be taught with all our heart at each lesson for ten years. Surely the
students in my studio who have heard the same thing 4,000 or 5,000 times at
lessons for ten years can acquire the basics.
Bach's Minuet No. 2 is the most difficult piece in Book 2. In other words,
it is very important and the best piece for study. When a student can play
this piece well in Japan, he can graduate to the next level.
At first the student learns the notes in the right hand. When the right
hand is fully memorized, the student carefully memorizes the left hand and
moves on to put hands together. When he can play hands together well (this
depends on the amount of daily practice, but some children will improve
quickly and others will take more than three months), we can begin to study
how to play with real skill.
Practice by playing the Twinkle A rhythm on each note of the opening in the
right hand, producing good tone on each note of the opening arpeggio
(G-B-D-G-A-F#). End with a single note on the high G and make sure the
fifth finger moves well. While the student is playing this piece, this
practice is very important for three months, six months, and even a year.
Do not fail to play with the student at the lesson, and tell her to
practice at home too. Next, practice two staccatos on the same notes.
Then play single staccato notes. Next play legato.
Legato is a very important technique for pianists. Teach it well and
always pay close attention to it. The fingering of the opening in the
right hand is 1-2-3-5-1-4-5, and the palm should be over the keyboard so
the student can play every note with the same hand position. If the
playing is careless, the second finger will lose balance and drop down.
Be especially careful with the second and third fingers. The two G's an
octave lower than the final G must be very light, with a beautiful, small
tone. If we move the fingertips in the same manner as we walk on the soles
of the feet, beautiful legato will result.
Practice the left hand in measure 2 the same as the right hand practice
described above.
Next, in measures 3-4 in the right hand, the repeated notes E-E and D-D
fall on the first and second beats of those measures. Because a minuet is
in triple time, always play the first beat deeply singing, and second beat
very light. It is natural to play the third beat very lightly also.
Because this piece is in triple time, the first beat in measures 13-14 must
be played with a long, full tone. Because the second and third beats in
these measures are eighth notes and because the second and third beats are
always light in 3/4 time anyway, we must teach playing these eighth notes
as light as possible with good legato at every lesson.
In the following measure, the triplet should be played lightly with good
sensitivity, and the D and F# should sound relaxed. Make sure the G in
measure 16 has good tone to make the finishing touch, with the hand in the
same position on the F# and the G (fingers 2 and 3) without dropping the
palm.
Play the left hand in clear, triple time.
When the first half of the piece improves, begin the second half. The
second half is almost the same as the first half, but play measures 17-18
with very small tone using concentration. Never forget that a beautiful,
small tone is the most difficult to execute. Unless the teacher always
teaches small tone, the student will play roughly with no sensitivity.
Play measures 19-20 with big tone and with a totally relaxed body.
Students often miss the high G in measure 19 after the last E in measure
18. If they practice from measure 17 right hand alone, stopping to get
ready for the G before playing it, they will correct this after three or
four days.
Measures 21-24 contain difficult points. At every lesson teach carefully
always to practice hands alone.
The rest is the same as in the first half.
In any case, do not forget that a minuet is in triple time!
If the teacher has taught Minuets 1 & 2 securely and well, the students
will enjoy playing a beautiful and elegant Minuet 3. Learn the piece hands
separately, four measures at a time, not forgetting how to combine the
hands correctly. The ornament, B, with the 3rd finger in measure 8 falls
on the first beat, sounding with the D in the left hand.
We must be very careful with the matter of triple time. It is of primary
importance to make a deep sound on the first beats. At every lesson, the
teacher should have the student practice playing "down" and "up" in the
right hand on D (5th finger) in the first measure. Practice E (3rd finger)
in the third measure in the same way.
First practice going down. Bring the hand down from above, "take" the tone
with a moving fingertip, and continue down into the lap. Then start at the
knees and go up, taking the tone in the same way and bringing the hand
again to the "up" position.
Next, when going down practice stopping the hand exactly at the keyboard
without following through to the lap. Be very careful that the hand does
not spring back upwards even a little bit. Children who have limber bodies
can bring the hand to a full stop well.
Then play "up" from the stopping point. If the children do this, their
bodies can understand deep tone without explanation. This is a technique
which must be always fostered from now on, not only in this piece but in the
upper volumes as well.
If the first beat can be executed, play the second and the third beats as
lightly as possible, and play the third beat with especially light tone.
This is because we must, in essence, inhale on third beats.
Next, pay attention to the matter of legato. Eighth notes must be played
with light and quiet tone. Just as we walk while always touching the ground
with the sole of the foot (from heel to toe) so we may play beautiful legato
if we move the fingertips on the keyboard in a similar way, "taking" with
limber and tactile finger pads as we "walk " on the keys. Legato is a very
important and basic technique for pianists.
To reiterate, we always exhale on the first beat and inhale on the third
beat (which therefore is played lightly).
Please enjoy playing a beautiful Minuet III!
After the teacher has spent several months thoroughly teaching Bach's
Minuets nos. 1, 2, & 3, and the student has not only learned the notes but
can play triple time, that is to say can play an elegant minuet with
musical tone in the rhythm of triple time, the student can easily learn and
enjoy the Minuet in G Minor.
The only problem to which the teacher must pay special attention is the
left hand. To begin with, the first note in the first measure, B-flat, is
played with the second finger on the black key. When the next note, A, is
played with the thumb, be careful not to let the wrist and the thumb fall
down. Because the second finger is on a black key in a high position
followed by the short thumb which moves very differently, much attention is
required. The thumb is played sideways with a natural shape, and it must
stand as a ballerina stands to keep the body balance. If we do this, the
first measure can be played beautifully without changing the position of
the hand or wrist.
Practice playing the second and third measures in the same position, taking
care not to drop the third finger after the F# on the second beat with the
second finger in measure 3.
There is the same problem in both hands in measures 7-8. Always be careful
here.
Practice hard on the repeated B-flats in measures 9-10 in the right hand so
they may be played musically (these make two full cycles of triple time).
In the same spot in the left hand, moving from E-flat at the end of measure
10 to the D at the beginning of measure 11, it is important not to drop.
The second beats in measures 12 and 15 in the left hand are very easily
dropped. Please be careful. Students can acquire very good technique by
paying attention to the left hand. Always teach this carefully.
Cradle Song, by Carl Maria von Weber (Germany, 1786-1826)
When the student and the parent are first learning this piece, they learn
each hand separately and then combine the hands. After the student can do
this, the teacher should teach careful, one-hand practice. It is the same
in every piece, but Cradle Song is a piece for which the result of the
practice is very obvious.
Always practice hands alone. On the piano, unlike other musical
instruments, we play not only a melody but also an accompaniment.
Therefore, we must always practice this way.
This is a very beautiful piece in triple time. Do not forget what triple
time means. The first beat is a deep tone (an exhaling tone). The second
one is a light, little tone. The third is an inhaling tone.
It is important always to play the first beat carefully with a deep and
calm tone. Playing with care is to move the fingertips with the finger
pads sticking to the keyboard, taking downwards. It must be a deep and
good sound. The second and third beats are light tones. However, when a
note like the second beat in measure 2 is on a high point in the phrase,
sing it out fully. Play the eighth note on B (3rd finger) in measure 3
deeply, and the following 16th notes on C and B (4-3) very lightly and
softly.
When this B (3rd finger) in the third measure is played with deep tone
followed by very light sixteenth notes, these notes become very beautiful.
Teach the right hand alone carefully at each lesson so that measures 1-4 can
be played beautifully. When the student can play the first four measures
very well, she will play the remaining three four-measure sections well too.
Four measures make one phrase.
Always play the three repeated quarter notes legato in measures 5 and 9. If
we play these by caressing the keyboard with soft fingertips, they
naturally become legato.
Since this piece is a lullaby, sing beautifully and quietly.
Next, the left hand. The left hand is an accompaniment. People tend to
place their attention on the beautiful melody and play the accompaniment
absentmindedly. However, an accompaniment has a very important function in
composing beautiful music. If a left-hand accompaniment is played well,
the melody in the right hand can be played much more beautifully.
Therefore, teach the student very carefully and patiently, and ask her to
practice.
Each measure (six eighth notes) must be played in triple time and legato.
The fingering in measure 1 is 3-1-4-1-5-1. The thumb plays G over and over.
If we are not careful, we get stiff and hit with the thumb. This causes the
G to become the most prominent note, ruining the accompaniment and taking
time away from every beat. Practice in rhythms by playing the first note
of each measure long and deep (the equivalent of a dotted quarter note) and
the remaining five notes (eighth notes) lightly and quietly, remembering to
move the thumb laterally as you "take" each note. Have the student
practice this diligently. This is the best way to learn to play in triple
time. It will take several weeks before the student can accomplish this.
When the student can play both hands well, put hands together. Always play
very quietly, with a small tone in the left hand.
Always teach that the tone of each hand should be heard clearly and be
under control. It is too late to teach this after the student becomes
advanced. The teacher must teach the student from Book 1 that the melody
is sung out and the accompaniment is always quiet and musical.
Mozart composed this minuet at the age of six. It is the first or
second piece in the Kochel Catalog (his list of works). As I often said
when writing about the Bach Minuets, the minuet is in triple time, and so
always teach the student to play a single measure in triple time.
The first eighth note, F (3rd finger) in measure 1 in the right hand is
sung out fully with a deep and heavy tone. The following A (5th finger)
should be played lightly, but clearly. The second and third beats, two
C's, are played with a light tone, the third beat being an especially nice
musical beat. Inhaling fully at the end of the phrase on F in measure 4
makes the preparation for the first beat in the next measure. How to play
one measure of triple time applies to the entire piece. Pay attention to
this in every phrase.
Carefully teach the student to play the right hand in measures 7-8 without
changing hand position. The thumb moves laterally. When playing the second
finger, do not pull it towards you or drop the thumb down. The same is true
for the fifth finger. Keep the hand position when playing the half note
(3rd finger) too.
The difficult spots in this piece are from measures 7 to 16. Always
practice them hands alone.
When playing the piano, it is important always to pay attention to the
body. We tend to put our attention on the music, forgetting the body.
The result is playing the piano, yet being unable to express wonderful
music. Music, just like people, cannot live without rhythm. Let us always
be careful about the posture, because we use the lengthwise spring of the
body to find the rhythm of a piece.
In Book 2, most of the pieces in triple time are the minuets. This piece
and Cradle Song by Weber are in triple time, too, but unlike Cradle Song,
it is not a piece with a continuous melody from beginning to end, but a
dramatic and happy piece. It is a very good teaching piece with which we
can study many things. We should spend several months on it, not just a
week or two.
While teaching one piece for many months, it is all right for the student
to continue learning new pieces. "Learning" a piece is entirely different
from "polishing" a piece. The teacher must always teach the difference
between these two things at the lesson in addition to teaching reading.
The first four notes of the right hand constitutes a melody. Play and sing
these out fully with a musical and good tone. Because the fourth note is
the end of the phrase, play it with a quiet and beautiful tone.
If we first touch the key gently with the sensitive finger pad and then
move the fingertip as we take the tone, simultaneously putting our entire
concentration there, we can produce a musical tone. It is important to
sing out each dotted quarter for its full value while also breathing with
the body (the diaphragm).
In the left hand, play the dotted quarter on the first beat deeply, and
while sustaining that tone and listening to it, play the second and third
beats with the thumb lightly and rhythmically. Whether the right hand
melody will be lively or not depends on the quality of the left hand
accompaniment.
Next, do not play the three staccatos in the fifth measure carelessly.
Teach triple time staccato very carefully. The first beat is down with a
heavy tone (an exhaling tone). The second one is played lightly with just
a little tone. The third is up with a very light tone (an inhaling tone).
This is like a triangle (down-across-up, the way a conductor conducts a
three-beat rhythm). It requires practice. Carefully teach the student to
play it correctly.
The sixth measure is legato. Do not let the student play this just
mindlessly and hard. If we move the fingers after putting them on the keys,
the notes will become legato. The first note in that measure, D, must have
a deep, singing tone.
Make sure the first note in measure 7 also has a deep, singing tone followed
by the dotted rhythms played very lightly.
If we divide the right hand dotted rhythms in measures 15-16 into three
sections and practice them separately, they can be played correctly. The
first note, G (2nd finger), in measure 15 is the first beat, so it should
be played with a deep sound. Then practice is the next six notes in
pairs. First play the grace note on A and the dotted note on G (3-2).
The grace note (A), is very soft, and the G has normal tone. Practice
this alone many times. Next, practice F-G (1-2) and then A-F (3-1) the
same way with many repetitions. Then, after the right hand has practiced
well, add the left hand one note at a time under each pair of right hand
notes. All students can learn to play this lovely dotted-note phrase
ending in this way.
It is important to play the left-hand chords lightly in triple time with a
quiet staccato in measures 17-24. Please do not forget that an
accompaniment is always quiet and should be played well with great
attention to detail.
Measure 17 in the right hand is the same practice as measure 5. Measure 18
is the same practice as measure 6. Teach measures 17-20 forte and measures
21-24 piano after the students can play the notes well.
Pay close attention to hand position in measures 25-32. Even when students
have been taught carefully since the beginning of Book 1, they tend to drop
the hands and change hand position when moving from the black keys to the
white keys causing a loss of balance.
Always play G-G (1-5) in measure 27 legato. Even if the hands are small,
when G (with the thumb) is played with care, the notes become legato.
Do not forget to play measures 28-30 in the right hand at the back of the
keyboard, well up over the black keys.
Play measures 31-32 legato and beautifully. This is exactly the same
practice as in measure 6.
If the students can play Arietta well, they have really acquired a number
of important techniques. Please teach this piece thoroughly.
From the beginning of the Book 1, I have reiterated the importance of
practicing hands alone. Please, without fail, do hands separate practice
in this piece too.
First, have the student listen carefully to the recording . Then learn the
notes hands separately. Once the student knows each hand well, they may be
carefully combined. Some students can do all of this in a week, and for
some his may take one or two months or more.
At this point, the next stage of practice may begin. The student must not
only learn the notes of the piece, but must also transform these notes into
beautiful music.
The first two measures comprise one phrase. Practice this phrase in the
right hand, beginning with a singing tone on the highest note and walking
legato from one finger to the next by moving each fingertip in a soft and
natural way. The eighth notes in the second measure should be light, and
the quarter notes at the end of the phrase should be quiet and singing.
This piece is in quadruple time. Do not forget to play it in quadruple
time.
The next two measures constitute the next phrase. Again, sing out the
highest tone and bring the phrase to an end quietly. These two phrases can
be considered one long phrase.
Before playing a singing tone, such as the ones at the beginning of each of
these two phrases, we must be sure to "inhale" in our finger and in our
body. In this piece, each four measures is one long phrase. Please always
remember to inhale before the first tone of each phrase. If this is done,
the music becomes very satisfying.
The fifth measure should be played very softly. If we maintain balance in
body, hands and elbows and extend our feelings, a soft and beautiful tone
can be produced by moving the fingers very little and by using
concentration. The sixth measure is a bit louder. The first note of the
seventh measure is marked sf. Carefully observe all of the dynamics and
accents in this piece.
The left hand, since it is made up of almost nothing but eighth notes, must
be played with a different tone color from the right hand. It should be a
light, singing tone. Every day, the student should do extensive left-hand
practice. After practicing hands alone, beautiful music will result when
hands are combined.
This piece is in quadruple time. Always play in the rhythm of quadruple
time from beginning to end.
Begin by learning the piece first in the right hand and then in the left
hand, and then put hands together. Advance to the next step only after the
piece has been memorized.
Carefully practice the first phrase in the right hand, being very careful
not to crash or poke the G with the thumb. Move the thumb sideways to
produce a beautiful, musical tone. Next, play the grace note with the
third finger with a very tiny sound and connect it quickly to the note
following. Sing out the first A (the one that goes with the grace note)
with deep tone and then play G-A-B with a light legato. Although the
following G is a phrase ending, it is a quarter note and the first beat of
the second measure. Please play it carefully. This entire first phrase
must be played carefully and accurately with a resolute feeling.
In the next two measures, the two-note phrases G-D, D-B, B-G (5-2, 3-1,
2-1) are arranged in descending steps. The top step has the most volume, the
middle step has medium volume and the bottom one has a very small, beautiful
and gentle tone.
Whenever two notes are connected by a slur, whether it be descending or
ascending, the first note is an exhale and the second an inhale, just like
breathing. Therefore, the second note is played as if disappearing (i.e.,
inhaling). The first and third measures of the beginning part of this piece
have the same strong, firm feeling. Measures 2 and 4 are connecting
measures with a gentle feeling. In measures 5-8, the two parts come
together to sing out joyfully. In measure 8, there are again two sounds
connected by a slur. Therefore, as discussed above, the second sound is
played quietly to end the phrase beautifully.
There are chords in the left hand in measures 1-2. This is the
accompaniment, so please play it quietly. To be able to play this quietly
with ease, play the chords up inside the black keys instead of at the edge
of the white keys. To be able to produce a beautiful legato sound in these
three chords with ease depends upon a student's ability to keep the hand and
wrist steady without changing position. Because the accompaniment in
measures 5-6 consists of eighth notes, play them lightly and quietly.
The fifth finger must not hit or poke the keys. Move the first joint of
the fifth finger to produce a quality, downbeat sound. The right hand in
measure 9 is basically the same as measure 1. In measure 10 in the right
hand, please practice the first three notes, D-C-A (4-1-5) by themselves.
As you play 4 to 1, do not stretch out the hand. After playing the thumb,
open the palm of the hand and bring the fifth finger up to play A, taking
care not to make it an accent, but singing it out clearly. The same applies
to measures 12,13 and 14.
It is important to practice the left hand in measures 9-11. The first and
third beats are downbeats and must be played very carefully. The quarter
notes in measures 10 and 12 on the first beat should be played carefully.
Please play F#-D-F#-D-G-D-G-D-A (3-5-3-5 2-5-2-5-1) in a strict and clear
4/4 time.
In measures 25 to the end, the left hand becomes very important. Play this
part exactly like measures 5,6,9 and 11. This is the accompaniment so play
lightly and quietly. The fifth finger plays a deep (down) tone and the
other three notes in each group are light. Each group of four is thus one
unit. Practice this by holding the first note in each four-note grouping
longer, followed by three equal eighth notes (practice in rhythms). You
will become proficient with this kind of practice.
The right hand repeated notes in measure 25 must be sung out clearly as
melody. Please play the third and fourth beats in measures 25 and 27
lightly.
The right hand in measures 32-34 consists of chords. Using the entire
relaxed body, "take" with the fifth finger and thumb as if grasping the
sound. This will create magnificent musical tone.
When producing a big tone, the use of physical strength (brute force) is
not necessary. The weight of the whole body is used, not just arm weight.
People mistakenly try to use the weight of the arm, but, if you use arm
weight, the fingers will eventually become stiff. This will result in a
pianist who is unable to play quick, light passages.
Rather, the best way of producing a big sound is to remove all tension from
the hands and body (especially the shoulders) and to support both forearms.
And then, the hands and upper body should play "down" (exhale) at the same
time. As you do this, it is important to maintain the natural position of
your arms and back.
In these last three measures, the right hand plays the melody. Let it
sing out beautifully.
This is a very good study piece. Please practice it diligently and play it
in a manner worthy of its wonderful art.
This piece in is 6/8 time. Six-eight time is compound duple time, that is
to say that it has two beats, each of which is divided into three eighth
notes. Pieces in six-eight time always have a light feeling.
The tempo of this piece is Allegretto, which means it should be light,
cheerful and quick.
Taken altogether, the tempo indication (allegretto) and the time signature
(6/8) tell us what kind of piece this is. Whenever a teacher teaches any
new piece, he must understand its character in this way and then teach this
to students. The way this is done, in the case of young children, is for
the teacher to demonstrate how to play rather than to give verbal
explanations, and for the student to listen to the recording over and over.
First, we shall look at the right hand. The first three notes are on the
second beat of the measure and therefore are played very lightly. Securely
balance the elbow and wrist and play these notes legato and lightly with
relaxed fingers, without shaking the palm. The following two notes are on
the same pitch (G-G), but are played very differently. The first is a
quarter note on the downbeat, so it must be sung out in a heartfelt way and
held as the tip of the thumb moves laterally across the key to the right
(a "taking" motion). The next G is an eighth note and has a very light
tone. If we can make this kind of distinction between these two notes, we
can play in the natural rhythm of six-eight time.
Because this pattern found in these first five notes is repeated over and
over to the end of the piece, it is important not to make the mistake of
playing the very beginning incorrectly. In measures 1-8 there are three
phrases which create one larger phrase. Play the crescendo and decrescendo
well in the third phrase. When playing forte, physically get 100% relaxed
while mentally concentrating hard.
In measures 12-13, pay attention to the pattern D-D-D-B-G. For the repeated
notes on D, move the fifth fingertip lightly and make a musical tone. Play
each of the repetitions of this pattern forte or piano, according to your
taste.
In the two final chords of the piece, play the high one in a bright, clear
and light tone because it is on the second beat. The final low chord is on
the first beat, so play it calmly and quietly.
This is true for any piece: accumulate a great deal of practice in the
right hand alone.
The left hand presents other challenges. Practice the triplets in measures
1-4 lightly and rhythmically. Because each individual triplet is actually
in triple time, the first note of each triplet is down, deeply sung out.
The second is just touched lightly with the fingertip, and the third goes
up, taking a very light and tiny tone to prepare to sing out the next deep
downbeat. This third note is a "take up." Played this way, these three
notes create a small triangle in the rhythm of triple time (down-across-up,
like a conductor's beat).
This is the accompaniment, and therefore must have a very small tone.
Play it way up over the black keys where it is easy to play quietly. If
this accompaniment is well executed, the melody in the right hand can be
played rhythmically and musically.
In measures 5-8, continue to make the triple time in each beat carefully,
and change the tone color between the first three notes and the next three
notes so that the second beat (the second triplet) becomes an "inhale,"
with fingers going up to prepare for the downstroke on the quarter-note
chords.
The scales in measures 12-14 are played legato and quietly.
Practice the three arpeggios in measures 17-19 slowly, playing D-F#-A
with a very tiny tone and the C on top very carefully. Then add the A, C or
E in the right hand with the left-hand chords. These right-hand notes are
to be played with the C (thumb) in the chord. After slow and careful
practice every day for a week, we can play the arpeggio quickly and
beautifully. It is important not to play a "crushed" arpeggio with fingers
pushing down into the keys.
*************************
The points above are the important ones in this piece.
Always do careful practice in stages. First, memorize the piece, hands
separately, of course. Someone who puts hands together right away cannot
improve.
The second stage is to pay attention to time and rhythm. Be very careful
about your own tone quality, and always listen for a musical tone.
The third stage is to pay attention to the balance between the solo and the
accompaniment by diligently practicing hands alone, the right hand as solo
with big tone and the left hand as accompaniment, very quietly.
Finally, listen carefully to whether or not the whole piece has become
music. If we are to make music that is truly heartfelt, it is not enough to
play only with the fingers, hands, and head. Without using the entire body
we cannot produce heartfelt music.
This piece is in cut time (2/2) in "Tempo di Gavotta." It is a beautiful
piece with a quiet rhythm.
As always, first learn the right hand and then the left hand. Put hands
together only after being able to play each hand smoothly. Sometimes
students can learn to play pieces easily and they try to play with both
hands right away. Teachers often put up with this and do not always
remember to teach hands together only after each hand alone is played well.
After learning the notes, the teacher should teach how to play this piece
musically.
The first three notes in the right hand (D-EC) are on the second beat.
Therefore, they are on the upbeat. The teacher should count the first
beat (the downbeat), and then the student can play these notes lightly and
beautifully on the second beat.
The following note, the first beat of the first full measure, D (a quarter
note), is an important tone. However, it is a low tone in the melody, so it
is not loud. That is to say, if we were to sing it, we would use a great
deal of breath. The second beat, B (another quarter note), is a light tone,
but as a high point in the melody should be sung out with enough volume to
produce full sound. The next two eighth notes (A-F#) have quiet and light
tones. The G (quarter note) in the following measure at the end of this
phrase is sung out deeply from the bottom of your heart. The final note of
the phrase (D) should be played very quietly.
The following phrase in measures 2-4 is sung out with a higher tone than
the first phrase. Play the ascending scale (G-A-B-C) in the third measure
crescendo, and fully sing out the highest tone (D). In this way, the
overall larger phrase in measures 1-4 can be played beautifully. Patiently
teach how to make a song of the music with the right hand alone at each
lesson. How to make music in the subsequent four-measure phrases is
exactly the same as in the first four measures.
Never play ritardando until ending the piece at the final repeat (the last
three measures). Do not slow down before the repeat.
In measures 8-12 the music is sung out most fully, and the ending is quiet.
Produce sound fully with a natural and good tone in the right hand, and
sing out from your soul.
Compared with the right hand, always practice playing calmly with a quiet
sound in the left hand. We hear the tonic G major note (G) as the lowest
note throughout the piece. Sing out the beautiful upper melody of the left
hand while sustaining and listening to the G, and always play the first
beats quietly and carefully.
If the performer uses different tone colors in each hand, the listener may
enjoy both melodies simultaneously. If, on the other hand, the right and
left hands are played with the same tone color, the two melodies become
indistinct. The music then only becomes noisy.
This piece is a minuet in g minor. It is beautiful beyond description in
our current world, and it is full of sadness.
As I have written about the Musette above, learn each hand and then put
hands together. After learning the notes in this way, study of the music
may begin.
What is the most difficult in this piece, and the point a teacher must
teach without fail, is to produce a musical sound on the first Bb in the
right hand and then to move a soft fingertip from above to play the A just
beside Bb without losing balance in the body or hand. Because the black
key is high, the A will be played by a pulling of the third finger toward
the front of the keys if you are not careful. Make sure to play the A just
beside the black key without changing the hand position.
In measure 8 in the left hand, the eighth notes (D-C-Bb-A) pose the same
problem. It s a question of the thumb, which plays after the Bb, toppling
down toward you. Never drop down onto the thumb next to a black key.
Practice being able to play always with the hand in the same, unchanging
position.
The questions above are the same in the second half of the piece. We must
teach the technique of playing an entire phrase with the same hand
position. In addition, a very important thing is that this piece is a
minuet and is therefore in triple time. Although there are sometimes
variations to this principle owing to changes in the melody, the first
beat in triple time is usually sung out greatly from the bottom of the
heart and must, therefore, be a deep tone. The third beat is a light
tone. Inhale fully at each third beat and be able to play each subsequent
first beat deeply, with a full exhale.
If we follow the basics and practice diligently, we can have a sense of the
music which is given to us by Heaven. Having this, we can certainly produce
a fine performance.
However, do not neglect to teach students also to listen to a model
recording many times daily. We can understand the importance of this if we
think about language. None of us can speak a language we do not hear.
How to Teach Beginners
About Dr. Haruko Kataoka
Part I: Instructions to Parents Before the Initial Lesson
Part II: When the Lessons Begin
Part III: The Suzuki Method is a Method Which Develops Ability
Part IV: General Considerations
********************
********************
********************
If the student pays attention to these three points, he or she can surely
play well. When there is a body problem (lower back), it is all right for
the student to go slowly without hurrying, but without resting. There are
many students in my studio who have improved greatly despite first having
had a weak lower back. Education must never be forced or rushed. Teachers,
parents and children all require patience and effort.
Part V: Difficult Points in Book 1 Pieces
Part VI: Bringing Book 1 to Performance Level
Part VII: On Listening
Part VIII: How to Teach Book 2
Introduction
Ecossaise, by Johann Nepomuk Hummel (Austria, 1778-1837)
A Short Story, by H. Lichner
The Happy Farmer, by Robert Schumann (Germany, 1810-1856)
Minuet 1, by Johann Sebastian Bach (Germany, 1685-1750)
Minuet No. 2, by Johann Sebastian Bach (Germany, 1685-1750)
Minuet No. 3, by Johann Sebastian Bach (Germany, 1685-1750)
Minuet in G Minor, by Johann Sebastian Bach (Germany, 1685-1750)
Minuet, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Austria, 1756-1791)
Arietta, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Austria, 1756-1791)
Melody, by Robert Schumann (Germany, 1810-1856)
Sonatina in G Major, Moderato, by Ludwig van Beethoven (Germany, 1770-1827)
Sonatina in G Major, Romance-Allegretto, by Ludwig van Beethoven (Germany,
1770-1827)
Musette, by Johann Sebastian Bach (Germany, 1685-1750)
Minuet, by Johann Sebastian Bach (Germany, 1685-1750)
by Haruko Kataoka
Copyright 1996
First OnLine Edition: 11 July 1997
Last Revised: 17 May 2024
All rights reserved