He pondered the fact that while adults often have difficulty learning a new language, young children acquire the skills of their native language quite readily.
Children learn languages by repeatedly hearing words and phrases, then trying to imitate the sounds.
Once the language becomes ingrained into a person's communication behavior, then the study of grammar, spelling, etc. makes sense. On the other hand, adults learning a second language generally study vocabulary lists, rules of grammar, etc. before they have a 'natural' feel of the language. Dr. Suzuki theorized that music is just another language, and devised a teaching method that mimics the 'natural' process of learning a language. His method first teaches stage presence, then how to hold or position the instrument. Then single notes, simple rhythms, then 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star'.