Suzuki Method
Developed by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, this approach is preferred for younger students as it provides a blueprint for creating the suzuki triangle, where the teacher, parent and student all work together as a team to create a musically enriching and nurturing environment. The aspects of this approach I use in my teaching method are; memorization to help develop the inner ear, small learning steps to build skills, repetition to master and refine skills, one-point highly focused lessons, beginner note reading when the child is reading at school and playing with a ringing tone called tonilization.
Rolland Method
Developed by Paul Rolland, an American string pedagogue, around the same time that Suzuki was developing his ideas and adapted for the cello by cellist Margaret Rowell. The approach recognizes that the impetus for all musical movement is the pulse and rhythm of the music, and that natural balance and good string playing movements can be developed through action studies. These studies are the student's first introduction to how natural, easy movements can be the basis for a solid cello technique.
Taubman Method
Developed by Dorothy Taubman for pianists who experienced performance injury, this approach has since been adapted for strings, and is a great way to ensure that students are avoiding unnecessary tension in their playing right from the start. The approach deepens the student's understanding of how the way we use our fingers, hands and arms in everyday life can be transferred to the instrument as the basis for a comfortable-feeling playing technique.