Shinichi Suzuki

The Suzuki Experience

From one Suzuki parent to another

imagination

How metaphors can improve musical practice

Metaphors, descriptive visual comparisons, can inspire understanding of stylistic and technical details in ways that more direct descriptions cannot.

Alan Duncan

5 minutes read

I first began to appreciate the power of metaphors to help musical practice when my daughter was learning the the Martini Gavotte in Book 3 of the violin repertoire. Martini Gavotte is what I like to call a “death trap.” It’s in a rondeau form with lots of material between appearances of the theme. And there are lots of ways to go off-the-tracks. In desperation, I had her assign animals to each section and weave a story about how the central character - a little dachshund named…

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The Suzuki Experience is a weblog focused on helping parents practice more effectively and joyfully with their children. It traces the progress of our experience from beginner to budding young artist.