Suzuki keman metodunun Türkiye'de kullanımına ilişkin inceleme
A study on the use of the suzuki violin method in Turkiye
Yazar: SÜREYYA SUDE KAR MALIÇOK
Danışman: DR. ÖĞR. ÜYESİ AHMET HAKAN ŞENSOY
İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi / Lisansüstü Eğitim Enstitüsü / Performans Ana Sanat Dalı / Çalgı-Ses Bilim Dalı
Derece: Yüksek Lisans, 2024
Konu: Eğitim ve Öğretim = Education and Training ; Güzel Sanatlar = Fine Arts ; Müzik = Music

Özet:
Bu çalışmada, "Evrensel ilkelere sahip olan Suzuki keman metodunu yerele indirgedikçe, farklı kültürlerde sorunlarla karşılaşabilir" hipotezinden yola çıkarak, metodun ülkemiz genelinde uygulanmasında yaşanan sorunlar araştırılmıştır. Çalışma kapsamında, önce literatür taraması yapılmış ve Shinichi Suzuki'nin hayatı ile tasarladığı keman öğretim metodu tanıtılmıştır. Metodun dokuz ilkesi detaylandırılmış, ardından Türkiye'deki geçmişi ve güncel durumu incelenmiştir.
Ana bölümde, nitel araştırma modeli kullanılarak soru/cevap grubuna yöneltilen görüşme formlarından geri dönüşler alınarak analiz yapılmıştır. Elde edilen bulgular şunlardır;
Suzuki keman metodu eğitmenlerinin çoğunluğu metodu çevresel bilgilerle tanımıştır,
Eğitmenler, metodu "erken yaş keman eğitimi" için tercih etmektedir,
Metod, genellikle özel derslerde uygulanmaktadır,
Türkiye'de Suzuki keman metodu, herhangi bir yaş sınırı gözetilmeden uygulanmaktadır,
Aileler, genellikle derslere katılım sağlamaktadır ancak çoğu metodun uygulanma şartlarından olan birlikte öğrenme ilkesini benimsemeyerek keman çalmayı öğrenmemektedir,
Suzuki keman metodunun aile ile öğrenme ilkesine göre, anne veya babanın her derse katılması, notlar alması ve evde öğrenciyi çalışırken destekleyerek ikinci öğretmen olması gerekmektedir. Ailelerin %18,75'i metodu olumlu karşılarken, %43,75'i başlangıçta çekimser kalıp sonra olumlu yaklaşmış, %37,50'si ise derse dahil olmak istememiştir,
Grup derslerinin uygulanmasında biri diğerinden farklı sorunlar yaşanmaktadır,
Suzuki keman metodundaki repertuvarın Suzuki'nin yazdığı etütler, Alman çocuk şarkıları, Avrupa halk şarkıları ve eserlerinden oluşması sebebiyle eğitmenler, yerel ezgilerin repertuvara eklenmesinin motivasyonu artıracağını düşünmektedirler,
Metodun uygulanmasının diğer ülkelerde olduğu gibi Türkiye'de de keman öğrenimini hızlandırdığı düşünülmektedir,
Özel ders ücretlerinin yüksek olması, metodun uygulanmasını zorlaştırmaktadır,
Sonuç olarak, Türkiye'de Suzuki keman metodunun her ilkesi sağlıklı ve yaygın şekilde uygulanamamaktadır. Ancak, metot yine de olumlu sonuçlar vermektedir. "Evrensel ilkelere sahip olan Suzuki keman metodunu yerele indirgedikçe, farklı kültürlerde sorunlarla karşılaşabilir" hipotezi doğrulanmış, metodun Türkiye'de uygulanmasında yaşanan sorunlar belirlenmiştir.
Çözüm önerileri şunlardır;
Suzuki keman metodu hakkında eğitmenleri bilgilendirmek için etkinlikler düzenlenmelidir,
Metodun pedagojik yaklaşımı ve eğitici yönleri daha fazla vurgulanmalıdır,
Devlet ve özel kurumlarda metodun uygulanması için çalışmalar yapılmalıdır,
Aile katılımının önemi vurgulanmalı ve aileler teşvik edilmelidir,
Grup çalışmalarının yapılabilmesi için öneminin ailelere anlatılması, Yetenek Eğitimi Merkezleri veya Türkiye Suzuki Müzik Eğitim Derneği'ne bağlı kurumlar oluşturulmalıdır,
Suzuki felsefesi ve ilkelerinin rahatlıkla uygulanabileceği köy, gece kondu mahalleleri gibi ekonomik olarak ulaşımı zor bölgelerde devlet destekli eğitimin verilmesi için projeler geliştirilmelidir,
Dernek, yerel ezgilerin metoda eklenmesini gündemine almalıdır,
Bu önerilerin hayata geçirilmesi için Türkiye Suzuki Müzik Eğitim Derneği veya ilgili eğitimcilerin katılımıyla toplantılar, paneller ve/veya seminerler düzenlenmelidir.

Abstract:
Japanese violinist and educator Shinichi Suzuki, who passed away on January 26, 1998, developed a methodology aimed at teaching young children to love the violin, hoping to make the world a better place. He believed that music and playing the violin are among the most effective ways to nurture the human spirit. This methodology has spread and gained acceptance worldwide. According to the Turkish Suzuki Music Education Association, 54 teachers and more than 500 students in Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are affiliated with this association.
This holistic violin teaching method is based on the understanding that the talent of every child who loves to play the violin can be developed. Suzuki's core philosophy is that any child without a physical disability can learn to play the violin and can learn music and the violin in the same way babies learn their mother tongue—through immersion. Shinichi Suzuki believed that Talent Education, which he based on the model of babies learning their mother tongue, is essentially life education. This education is shaped around nine principles:
•	Starting from Zero Age
•	Learning in a Positive Environment
•	Repetition
•	Learning with the Family
•	Learning from Other Children and Group Lessons
•	Learning through Small Steps and Repertoire Playing
•	Learning to Read Music
•	Every Child Can Succeed
•	Producing a Good Tone
The "Starting from Zero Age" principle of the Suzuki method is based on the idea that talent development is possible with patience, energy, and work. The belief that humans are more receptive during infancy is crucial here. This principle is similar to a seed being regularly watered, given sunlight, and the appropriate temperature to grow. Like a seed, a baby learns by seeing and hearing everything, whether good or bad. According to Suzuki, if a child starts growing up by listening to good music and learning to play from the day they are born, it will transform them into a disciplined, sensitive, patient person with a good heart.
The "Learning in a Positive Environment" principle of the Suzuki method is based on the premise that every child carries infinite love and potential within them. If students receive discouraging feedback from their parents during their education, their self-confidence may be damaged. Therefore, Suzuki believes that even criticism for development should follow praise. This is because a child responds more positively to constructive criticism after receiving praise.
The "Repetition" principle is based on the idea that children can acquire any skill through constant repetition. The metaphor of watering a seed every day with patience illustrates that with sufficient repetition, the desired outcome can be achieved. According to this principle, it is better for the child to repeat the pieces they can play rather than progress quickly without being ready.
The "Learning with the Family" principle in the Suzuki method includes the concept of the "Suzuki Triangle," which represents the relationship between the child, the family, and the teacher. These three elements must interact continuously throughout the learning process. The family is responsible in this educational process. One of the parents learns to play the violin in the first year of education to support their child as a second teacher at home. The family should attend every lesson, take notes, and provide a suitable environment at home to help with practice.
The "Learning from Other Children and Group Lessons" principle, which emerged from the observation that children enjoy playing in groups more, is the fifth principle in the Suzuki method. This principle states that making music with more advanced children has a more developmental effect on their education.
Suzuki placed great importance on the principle of "Learning through Small Steps and Repertoire Playing" and created his repertoire of ten books based on this principle. These ten books include children's songs, Suzuki's own études, and works by important composers. The order of the pieces is carefully arranged to develop the student's talent in small steps.
Suzuki had different views on the importance of knowing and reading music, which is highly valued in formal music education. He believed that starting to read music before mastering an instrument could make it difficult to focus on other important aspects. Just as a child learns to write after learning to speak, the first thing a child should learn is correct posture, hold, and tone control. Learning to read music should occur after learning to play the violin. This principle, called "Learning to Read Music," strengthens the child's memory. Over time, this improves the student's memorization ability and shortens the memorization time.
The "Every Child Can Succeed" principle aims to train highly talented and well-charactered individuals rather than professional violinists. According to Suzuki, all children can succeed in playing the violin with sufficient repetition. To reveal this potential in children, the correct methods must be applied, and they must be worked on with patience.
The "Producing a Good Tone" principle, which refers to producing a beautiful tone while playing the violin, includes techniques that enhance performance, such as the correctness of finger positions, the pressure the fingers exert on the strings, and the use of vibrato. In the Suzuki method, listening is essential for producing a good tone. All techniques within the method emphasize the importance of producing a good tone and support this principle step by step. Suzuki noted that producing a good tone might seem simple but is quite difficult, comparing a shapeless sound to an unformed life and stating that it is possible to shape this sound with beautiful toning.
This study comprehensively examines the challenges encountered in adapting the universal principles of the Suzuki violin method to local conditions in Turkey. The main hypothesis of the research is, "As the Suzuki violin method with universal principles is localized, various problems may arise in different cultures." The focus of this study is how the universally accepted principles of the Suzuki method, which has gained wide acceptance worldwide, can be integrated into Turkey's social and cultural context and the challenges encountered during this process.
In the initial stage of the research, a comprehensive literature review on the foundations and history of the Suzuki violin method was conducted. Shinichi Suzuki's life, contributions to music education, and the theoretical background of the violin teaching method he developed were thoroughly examined. It was noted that the Suzuki method offers an approach aimed at providing music education to children at an early age, and its fundamental principles are designed in accordance with children's natural learning processes. The principles of the method, emphasizing the constant interaction with music and family support in the child's environment, were explained.
Among the nine core principles of this method are continuous support during the music learning process, active family involvement in the educational process, and acceptance of music learning as a natural process. When these principles are applied in Turkey, how they interact with local cultural and social factors and the extent to which they can be implemented were examined.
In the main part of the research, data collection was carried out using a qualitative research model. In this process, data were analyzed from in-depth interviews conducted with Suzuki violin method instructors in Turkey. The research population included instructors affiliated with the European Suzuki Association, and instructors from various regions within this population were contacted. Interviews were conducted with 16 Suzuki instructors from cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Çanakkale, Bolu, Van, and Bursa, and data were collected based on their experiences and observations.
The findings from the interviews reveal some fundamental issues encountered during the implementation of the Suzuki violin method in Turkey. These findings are as follows:
•	Most instructors became familiar with the method through environmental information and generally prefer it for "early age violin education."
•	The Suzuki method is applied in individual private lessons.
•	The Suzuki violin method is addressed to a wide audience in Turkey regardless of age limit.
•	One of the core principles of the method, family participation, generally does not occur at a sufficient level in Turkey. For the successful implementation of the Suzuki method, families must actively attend lessons, take notes, and support the student at home. However, many families do not comply with this principle, negatively affecting the students' violin playing process. The research found that 18.75% of families responded positively to the method, 43.75% initially hesitated but later adopted a positive approach, and 37.50% did not want to be involved in the lesson. These results show that families do not provide the active participation required by the method, complicating students' learning processes.
•	Most families do not adopt the principle of learning together, a condition for the method's implementation, and do not learn to play the violin.
•	The Suzuki method's repertoire generally consists of études written by Suzuki, German children's songs, European folk songs, and other works. Instructors believe that including local tunes in the repertoire could increase students' motivation. In this context, including local music and children's songs in the repertoire could strengthen students' cultural ties and make the learning process more enjoyable.
•	Different problems are experienced during group lessons. Problems during group lessons arise from factors such as group dynamics and individual differences. This reduces the effectiveness of group lessons and complicates students' learning processes.
•	Another significant factor complicating the method's implementation is the high cost of private lessons. High private lesson fees make it difficult for both instructors and students to adopt the method and hinder the method's sustainability. These economic barriers make it challenging for the Suzuki method to reach a wider audience and become more accessible.
In conclusion, it has been found that each principle of the Suzuki violin method cannot be implemented healthily and widely in Turkey. However, it has been observed that the method produces positive results even in its current state. The hypothesis "As the Suzuki violin method with universal principles is localized, various problems may arise in different cultures" has been confirmed, and the problems encountered in the implementation of the method in Turkey have been identified.
Several suggestions have been made to address these issues. These suggestions are as follows:
•	First, regular events, seminars, and panels should be organized to inform educators about the Suzuki violin method. These events will help educators better understand the pedagogical approach and educational aspects of the method. It has been observed that teachers who have not received Suzuki violin method training lack sufficient knowledge. Therefore, information and training efforts should be supported by state or private institutions. This support will also eliminate the necessity for educators to keep their lesson prices high.
•	Various efforts should be made to implement the method in state and private institutions and to reach students. Especially in economically challenging areas, state-supported educational projects should be developed.
•	Educators should organize seminars to encourage families to adopt and participate in the method, emphasizing the importance of this principle.
•	To explain the importance of group work to families and to spread group lessons, institutions affiliated with Talent Education Centers or the Turkish Suzuki Music Education Association should be established to provide adequate environments for educators.
•	Finally, it is considered necessary to add variations of local tunes and children's songs to the repertoire of basic pieces in the Suzuki violin method. The Turkish Suzuki Music Education Association should address this issue and carry out relevant studies. Meetings, panels, and seminars should be organized with the participation of the Turkish Suzuki Music Education Association or relevant educators to implement these suggestions. Such organizations will ensure more effective implementation of the method and improve the quality of education.