In order to teach Song of the Wind in Suzuki volume 1, I believe that students need a number of prerequisites:

  1. Knowledge of all fingers on A and E string.
  2. Ability to learn songs by rote.
  3. Ability to use good tone.
  4. Ability to use steps and skips.

Steps to teaching:

  1. Teach Kangaroo Hops.
    1. Leave 1 on E but hop 2 and 3 back and forth between A and E.
    2. Play Mississippi Stop Stop (MSS) on 1 on E, Hop to 3 on A, Hop to 3 on E, Back to 1, Open E
    3. Play “Ice Cream” (not Ice Cream Cone) on all notes: 1 on E, Hop to 3 on A, Hop to 3 on E, Back to 1, Open E
    4. Play “Pie: on all notes: 1 on E, Hop to 3 on A, Hop to 3 on E, Back to 1, Open E.
  2. Play some open E with lift sets. (I would have already previewed this with “Motorcycle Mom, lift, set” Twinkle.)
  3. Add a lift set after 1, 3, 3, 1, E, Lift, Set. (Repeat several times.)
  4. Play “Up a river we will go AND.” (Has one more E than the Lightly Row version.)
  5. Teach two endings
    1. A, 2, E, lift, set.
    2. E, lift, set.
  6. Teacher plays downward sequence and students play A, 2, E, lift, set and E lift set.
  7. “Bounce the Ball Down” section. E 333, 3 222, 2 111.
  8. “Back again.” A, 2, E, lift, set.
  9. “Bounce the Ball Down” section. E 333, 3 222, 2 111.
  10. “E, lift, set at end and repeat. E without lift set last time.

The Kangaroo Hops are the most difficult part. I like to ask my students if they have ever seen a kangaroo fall over. (Usually they say no.) I tell them their fingers should hop, and not fall over.