FAQ’s
To have your questions answered in person,
attend our introductory presentation:
Learn with Love
free drop-in information session
Saturday, April 12, 2014
2:30 - 3:30 pm
at the Suzuki Charter School - 10720 - 54 Street
(room TBA - look for signs)
•Should I play flute or recorder?
The modern silver flute is the instrument that is played in symphony orchestras, jazz combos, and rock bands.
The recorder is a very old instrument that dates back to the medieval period. It lends itself to traditional folk music, renaissance music, and celtic folk/rock.
During the 18th century, both instruments were played equally, and many of the great sonatas by Handel and Bach were intended for the recorder OR the flute, and players would switch back and forth with ease.
•If you have a preference for a given style of music, choose the instrument that suits that style.
•If you have budget constraints, consider the recorder as the wooden instrument is often less expensive than the silver one.
•If the student is very young, or an older beginner, the recorder will give a more immediate results than the flute, which requires several weeks of preliminary exercises to develop lip control before you can make a sound.
•If the student exhibits a preference for the sound of one instrument over the other, go with that preference.
And remember those 18th century players who switched back and forth! The skills learned on one instrument are easily transferred to the other. Many recorder students try doubling on flute when they get to junior high band classes, and many flute students try doubling on recorders at the same age. It is important to choose one instrument at the beginning and stick with it, but once the necessary skills are developed to play at a high level of ability, you can move back and forth if there is an interest in doing so.
•Do I get a private lesson or a group class?
I am often asked this question when I take an enquiry about music lessons over the phone. Because we start students as young as 3 years old, many parents think of the many popular children’s music classes that are out there: Kindermusik, Music for Young Children, Music Together, and others, and assume that we offer something similar.
All of these programs are excellent classes for introducing young children and their parents to music songs and games. They also all stop at a certain age, under the assumption that you will then go on to a different program or to private lessons to continue to learn about playing an instrument.
Suzuki music instruction is very different. Suzuki programs are CONTINUOUS. Students start with instrumental skills right away, and they do so in BOTH group classes AND private lessons from the very beginning.
A beginner Suzuki group class may look similar to one of the other children’s group music classes, but each student in that class has already started private lessons on an instrument. The group class does not stop as they continue with their lessons, but it is transformed into a playing class where students enjoy playing in various ensemble combinations from chamber groups to orchestras. Many Suzuki programs also offer an advanced group which does extra community performances, both locally and on tour.
So our answer to the question, “group lessons or private lessons?” is: you don’t have to choose. A Suzuki program will give your child the benefit of individualized instruction AND the fun of music making in a social situation from the very beginning.
•How do I get an instrument?
Recorders: Available at the Gramophone
Flutes: Available at Long & McQuade, the Wind Shoppe, and the Bandstand
You do not need an instrument to begin lessons. Often it is best to wait and get the advice of your teacher before making important decisions about whether to buy or rent, or which model to choose. Many of the younger flute students start by using a curved head joint, which is a specialty item that often needs to be special ordered. This gives you the choice of purchasing the head and body or renting the body and just buying the head. Recorders are available in various sizes (sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, bass). Most beginners start on soprano but older beginners may begin on alto if they are physically large enough.
•What kind of instrument should I get?
Recorders: recommended brands: Mollenhauer, Moeck
Mollenhauer makes a very nice soprano called the “Dreamflute” which is a hybrid between Baroque and Renaissance style instruments. It has a glorious tone in the low register, but the finger holes are a bit big for the small hands of the youngest beginners. For them a “Canta” wooden soprano recorder, or a “Prima” wooden soprano recorder with a plastic mouthpiece is better.
Flutes: recommended brands: Jupiter, Yamaha
Jupiter makes the “Prodigy”, a flute with a curved head that has some modifications to make it lighter and easier to use for the smallest and youngest beginners. Yamaha has a beginner flute where the curved head comes in a separate case along with a straight head, so once a student is physically big enough to play with a straight head you can sell the curved head to another student entering the program.
•Can I get high school credit for lessons?
If you participate in the Royal Conservatory of Music examinations, you can receive high school credit. For more info about how this works, click here for a link to the relevant page of the RCM website: