In order to teach May Song in Suzuki volume 1, I believe that students need a number of prerequisites:
- Knowledge of all fingers on A and E string.
- Ability to learn songs by rote.
- Ability to use good tone.
- Ability to use steps and skips.
- Ability to play an arpeggio.
Steps to teaching:
- Teach Scale and Arpeggio.
- Play Scale.
- Play A, C#, E and High A in ascending order. (First with MSS rhythm, then without)
- Play High A, E, C# and A in descending order. (First with MSS rhythm, then without)
- Play Scale and Arpeggio together. Name the Arpeggio so a sudent knows what it is.
- Play a twinkle with the May Song rhythm (dotted quarter, eight, quarter, quarter)
- Play the Arpeggio with the rhythm.
- Play skips on E string. F#, High A, F#, E or 1, 3, 1, E
- Set a tunnel on the A string with 1, 2 and 3. Play D, E, C# A
- Make a C# tunnel over the E string. Play C#, E, C#
- Put First part together. Arpeggio, E String Skips, D, E, C#, A, then B, A
- Play Middle part of Twinkle. Play Middle part of May Song and have students compare.
- Play EE, DD, C# E C#, B.
- Play first part again.