Colourstrings
Colourstrings is a string teaching method developed by Géza Szilvay and his brother Csaba Szilvay.
The Hungarian-born Szilvay brothers started teaching in Finland in 1971. The first generation of Colourstrings children were raised at the East Helsinki Music Institute, and the Helsinki Junior Strings (Helsinki Strings) were formed from the Institute’s Colourstrings pupils. The orchestra won major international acclaim and made a number of records and TV appearances. Miniddlers in Musicland TV program became incredibly successful and resulted in sold-out string instruments in Finland. This was the start for the Colourstrings boom, and the method has since then spread all over the world also due to extensive teacher training courses.
The method is ideal for preschool beginners and can be used effectively in instrumental teaching throughout the school years. It creates an environment in which singing, playing games and instruments live side by side, for the happiness of the child. It makes use of colourful teaching materials and supports learning by appealing to many senses. Founded on the principles of Zoltán Kodály, Colourstrings aims to develop the capacity for internal listening so that the child learns to visualise the notes heard and to auralise the notes on the page. The method has been extended from violin and cello teaching to viola, double basss, guitar, piano (Colour Keys) and flute (Colour Flute).
References
- Kettle, David: Distance vision. The Strad, September 2012
- Salmela, Henna: Colourstring continues to inspire. Highlights newsletter No. 18/2005
- Hollmann, Christina: Mit Colourstrings die Welt der Musik erobern. Neue Musikzeitung, July–August 2011
- Frye, Yvonne: Colourstrings - das Geheimnis des Nordens. Üben und Musizieren, Oct/Nov 2008