The art of teaching and its methodology

[Niko Luthieria]

Hello, how are you all doing?

I would like to ask for some advice, if you don’t mind, in the area of teaching methodology.
But first, I need to give some context so you can better understand the situation.

Context:
I learned to play the violin at church. I’ve been playing in church since I was 9 years old (I’m 23 now). By the way, the church is called Congregação Cristã no Brasil (Christian Congregation in Brazil). And obviously, since it’s all done on a voluntary basis (in our church, no one gets paid), both for those who teach and those who play, the teaching methodology may not be the best.

Basically, we had a general violin technique book (Schmoll, Lambert, Laoureux, Suzuki) and a book with the church hymns (Hymnal). I went through all those books and a few more, mostly because I spent a long time learning. But nowadays they want to stick to the Schmoll method (they’ve made some modifications to it and added some Hans Sitt pieces — I’ll add a link below in case you want to check it out).

The general approach is to start with the method book (teaching material), and once the student begins to understand notes, they start learning hymns. Unfortunately, there are very few instructors (we don’t call ourselves “teachers” because we are not formally trained), and most of them don’t assign anything to study outside of these two sources.

Now that I’m an instructor myself, I really want to help my students in the best way I can.
I teach students of all ages — from little kids who can’t even read yet to older brothers who are married with children — though most of them tend to be children and young people.

I’ve never had face-to-face lessons with a professional teacher — just a few tips here and there. I even tried online lessons, but they were too expensive for my financial situation, and the teacher would mostly just ask for videos and then reply with written feedback. It helped, but not as much as I’d hoped. Still, I was able to get an idea of what a methodology looks like, because he assigned Sevcik and some beginner-level concertos to practice.

The Problem:
At church, the teaching works like this: for example, in my case, on Saturdays at 2:00 p.m., our musical study group starts. Ideally, all students should arrive at the same time, and then I go over their lessons in the order they arrive. I usually spend about 30 minutes with each one to really help them.

To avoid having them come in “cold” when it’s time to play their lesson for me, I usually ask them to do:

• stretching,

• a right-hand exercise and a left-hand one,

• open string exercises,

• then to review what they’re going to play,

• and also, after the lesson, to briefly(15min) review at church what I just taught them — to help them retain it.

But I’d like to improve all of this — I just don’t have a solid foundation to build on.

I thought about changing it so instead of doing the full 30 minutes with each student right away, I’d spend the first 10 minutes checking what’s missing in their current study and then ask them to work on that while I check on the others — and then later come back for 20 minutes to work on what’s left. But when I tried that, it felt like I ended up taking more time overall.

I’m open to any kind of advice, links, videos, books related to technique, methodology, or anything else you feel might be important.

Also, I’m about to start giving private lessons today. I have some idea of what to do, but I’d appreciate any tips on that as well.

I’m already very thankful to anyone who’s willing to help me — may God bless your life and your family!

In anex:
Actual book used for teaching violin
Book of Hymns that we play at church.
List of things that i suggest my students to do at home, i created it.

 

www.CCBemPDF.com _ Hinário Nº5 CCB para Cordas.pdf MÉTODO de Violino - CCB Schmoll.pdf SchedueleViolin.pdf

[Shunyata]

Your situation is so unique and so demanding that the best advice may be “what ever works”.

From a technical standpoint, you may find “Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching” by Ivan Galamian helpful.

 

[Niko Luthieria]

11 minutes ago, Shunyata said:

Your situation is so unique and so demanding that the best advice may be “what ever works”.

From a technical standpoint, you may find “Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching” by Ivan Galamian helpful.

 

Thank you very much shunyata 

I will look for this book

[reedman]

Might I suggest you contact the Brazil Suzuki Association (part of the Suzuki Association of the Americas) at https://www.associacaomusicalsuzuki.com.br/contatos/

Suzuki is absolutely great, especially with the age you are working with. But you also have training to work with youngsters in an engaging way. They may offer some financial support for Suzuki training. There is so much more to Suzuki teaching than just what is contained in the books. 

Edited April 22 by reedman
clarification

[Jacobus Drainer]

I don't understand some things you're saying, like you want them to arrive at the same time but you spend 30 minutes with each individually.  I didn't catch how many there are and how many very young and their ages

In U.S. schools that have a good music department there's an orchestra teacher who can teach the basics of all the orchestra instruments.  And at the very beginning  he decides what instruments they'll play, like ok you'll play violin and you'll play flute.  And hmmm you're obviously viola...  I mean kid who's big for his age gets viola.  Don't torture them, don't call them out individually.  Very little kids, you could have a rhythm band where they play those percussion instruments to a recording after riding stick horses for awhile

Watch this video for group teaching ideas. 

 

[Jacobus Drainer]

Plenty of kids in college orchestras have come up through elementary and secondary programs and had never had private lessons.  They're always super readers too!

[Niko Luthieria]

On 4/22/2025 at 5:56 PM, reedman said:

They may offer some financial support for Suzuki training.

Actually thet didnt answered me. but thanks

 

 

On 4/22/2025 at 8:25 PM, Ganymede Piggot said:

I don't understand some things you're saying, like you want them to arrive at the same time but you spend 30 minutes with each individually.  I didn't catch how many there are and how many very young and their ages

actually this how it works in most of our churchs and how i learned violin, it was time where i arrived at church at 2:30PM and leaved 17:,18PM because its was by order of arrived.

but now as teacher, i would like to improve this method.

I was trying to think smart aways to get them to learn the most. 

My current students are:
M7 years old, level: beginner advanced (plays very well by ear)
M10 years old, level: beginner intermediate-
M10 years old, level: beginner intermediate+
M11 years old, level: intermediate beginner+
M13 years old, level: intermediate beginner-
M13 years old, level: beginner intermediate
M17 years old, level: beginner beginner
M30 years old, level: intermediate intermediate
M35 years old, level: intermediate beginner
M35 years old, level: beginner advanced
 

1st way

I thought about asking them to arrive in groups of 4 students, 4 arriving at 14:00. Keeping in mind that I intend to spend 30 minutes with each student, so while I am with one student, the other 3 are studying. In the end, the 4 should have studied for 1 hour and 30 minutes and had 30 minutes of class. The good thing about this is that, for example, the first student could spend 1 hour and 30 minutes studying what he learned and so on. But it is difficult to make the children play for all this time.

Another possibility: Spend 15 minutes with each student, while I am with student 2, student 1 is studying and so on until I have passed all of them. Then spend another 15 minutes with each one. But maybe this method is worse, because with many students it would generate a long waiting time hahaha. You may be wondering why they all arrive at the same time, it is because it happens inside the church and we give an opening in the name of the Lord Jesus.

One last way that I thought of now while writing this text: Since we have a group on WhatsApp, I can create a poll with the available times between 14:00, then 14:30, then 15:00 and so on, and let them choose the time they want to have their lesson. And also notify them to arrive 20 minutes earlier to warm up by playing and that they will stay 20 minutes afterwards studying what was taught in the class. I believe it would be good to oblige them in a way to attend, as there have been many absences
 

There is also another brother who plays the viola and has two students. Sometimes he helps me with my students, as he has also played the violin before. But there are also times when he leaves his students with me.

On 4/22/2025 at 8:25 PM, Ganymede Piggot said:

Very little kids, you could have a rhythm band where they play those percussion instruments to a recording after riding stick horses for a while

Okay i will try implement that.
and thanks for the video and everything