Kodaly

From Music Ed in the 20th Century

1950-first singing primary school in Kesckemet Hungary, now firmly established and taught
in conservatories

Philosophy underlying Kodaly method

1. All who are capable of lingual literacy are capable of musical literacy
2. Singing is the best foundation for musicianship
3. Learning music should be a pleasure
4. Music education must begin with the very young child
5. The folksongs a child’s linguistic heritage constitute the musical “mother tongue”
and should be the vehicle for all early instruction
6. Only music of the highest artistic value. Both folk and composed, should be used in
teaching
7. Music should be at the heart of the curriculum, a core subject used as a basis for
education
8. Collaboration
Objectives of Kodaly Method
1. To develop to the fullest extent the innate musicality present in all children
2. To make the language of music known to children: to help them become musically
literate in the fullest sense of the word-able to read write and create with the
vocabulary of music
3. To make the children’s musical heritage known to them
4. To make available to children the great art music of the world, so that performing,
listening, studying and analysing masterworks they will come to a love and
appreciation of music based on knowledge of music
Child centred developmental approach
Highly structured and sequenced -well defined skill and concept hierarchies
Earliest teaching material: three note chants (la-so-mi) tetratonic (so-mi-re-do) and
pentatonic (la-so-ku-re-do). Avoidance of minor seconds
As voices mature and abilities increase music moves to diatonic major, minor and
altered/chromatic pieces.
Led by children’s capabilities but also stretches and moves them on
Duple times begin (including 6/8) Triple comes later
The tools of the Kodaly method
1) Tonic sol-fa
2) Hand signs
3) Rhythm duration symbols
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Rhythm duration syllables

ISSUE: The hierarchy of learning will vary from culture to culture

Kodaly hierarchical concepts and hierarchy of knowledge

Music moves to a beat
Some beats are stressed
Music is divided into accented groups (meter)
Music moves in groups of twos or threes
Monody to harmony and accompaniments
Triads
Introduction of the expressive elements from the start
There is a focus on learning notation
Inner hearing and musical memory