Traditional violin teachers are rarely willing or qualified to teach the very youngest students. Beginning in the six to ten year old age range is favored by most, if not all, traditional violin teachers. Before engaging in formal study, Suzuki violin students are exposed to recordings of the first and subsequent pieces they will play, as well as recordings of great performances from the general classical repertory. This continues when students begin formal study and as they progress. Here, the thinking is that exposure to recordings is similar to the effect of immersion that naturally occurs in the process of primary language acquisition.
Successful study is enhanced by prolonged repeated exposure.
Suzuki violin students develop an internal model of the music to be studied. They memorize the music and internalize the nuances of pitch, tone, timing, articulation, and dynamics demonstrated in recorded performances. Suzuki Violin method also uses language acquisition as a model for teaching students to read music. Just as one would never teach young children to read before they have learned to speak, Suzuki violin teachers defer reading until there is a technical mastery of basic skills for playing and musical memory has been developed sufficiently. As a result, students learn to express music with ease and fluency.