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Pedagogical Approach:

The Family String Method differs from others in several important ways:

1. We understand that different teachers bring their own pedagogical preferences to their teaching, so we have been careful to stay as neutral as possible about most technical issues, such as exactly how a bow or instrument should be held, while still giving students and parents information regarding what most teachers would consider undesirable.
    
2. Instead of the usual songs and simplified classical pieces supplemented by drills to equip students for those pieces, we have created an entirely new pedagogical literature designed specifically to teach string instruments in a way that works optimally and avoids complications. The main advantage of this approach is that it allows us to present skills in an order best suited to the needs of the instrument, rather than that dictated by traditional vocally derived music. For example, customary early pieces like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Hot Cross Buns entail complications such as string crossing, diverse note values and descending order, often at the same time, while placing the teacher in the awkward position of explaining what a C or F sharp is before the student knows what a C or F is. Our careful avoidance of problems of this sort is one of the reasons for the rapid progress characteristic of students using this method.
    
3. Unlike most others, this method begins on the A string, on the premise that children understand best the analogy between the sequential nature of scale steps and alphabetical order at the beginning of the alphabet, and in ascending order. For similar reasons the notes on the D string are introduced after the notes ABC on the G string.
    
4. In conformity with common notions of the alphabet , the note C (natural) is learned before C sharp. This reversal of tradition also helps to avoid the common intonation problem that often occurs when the anatomically more difficult low 2 is introduced long after the student has habituated the second finger to the high position!
    
5. In using the Suzuki approach for many years, we have been impressed with the power of two features most responsible for the success of that movement, and have given them prime roles in our method. These are: (1) parental involvement, and (2) the motivating and musicianship-enhancing power of frequent advance listening to well-performed recordings of music to be learned.
    
6. This method also adopts a variety of novel ideas, such as a modified staff in the early pages of the violin book, the early introduction of 4th finger in the viola and cello books, and the early introduction of shifting in the cello book (to discourage tight thumb).