W E S L E YA N

U N I V E R S I T Y- P H I L I P P I N E S
Maria Aurora, 3202 Aurora
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Different Areas in Approaching Music and Different Areas on Vocal Music

OBJECTIVE

 The goal of this chapter is to introduce the reader to the most well-known music teaching
methods used in music education. They are Zoltan Kodály, Emile-Jacques Dalcroze, Orff
Schulwerk and Shinseki Suzuki,
 Learn about vocal music, including its meaning. See vocal music examples

BODY OF THE LESSON

There are various approaches used by educators when it comes to teaching music. Some of the best ways
of teaching children music are to build upon a child's innate curiosity and teach children in a way that they
learn best, similar to how a child learns their native language. 

Each teaching method has a system, an underlying philosophy with clearly defined objectives and goals.
These methods have been in use for a long time, so they are time-tested and proven to have success. One thing
that all these methods have in common is that they teach children to not just be listeners, but encourage children
to be the creators and producers of music. These methods engage the child in active participation. 

Here are four of the most popular music education methods: Orff, Kodaly, Suzuki, and Dalcroze.

1. The Orff Approach

The Orff Schulwerk Method is a way of teaching children about music that engages their mind and body
through a mixture of singing, dancing, acting, and the use of percussion instruments, such as xylophones,
metallophones, and glockenspiels, which are known as the Orff Instrumentarium.

Lessons are presented with an element of play helping the children to learn at their own level of
understanding while emphasizing arts integrations with stories, poetry, movement, and drama.
 W E S L E YA N
U N I V E R S I T Y- P H I L I P P I N E S
Maria Aurora, 3202 Aurora
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
The least methodical of the four approaches, the Orff method teaches music in four stages: imitation,
exploration, improvisation, and composition.

There is a natural progression to the method before getting to instruments. The voice comes first through
singing songs and creating poems, then comes body percussion, like clapping, stomping, and snaps. Last comes
an instrument, which is viewed as an activity that extends the body. 

2. The Kodaly Method

The Kodaly Method’s philosophy is that music education is most effective when started early
and that everyone is capable of musical literacy through the use of folk and composed music of high
artistic value.

Zoltan Kodaly was a Hungarian composer. His method follows a sequence with each lesson
building on the last. Singing is stressed as the foundation for musicianship.

He begins with sight-reading, mastering basic rhythms, and learning pitch with a "hand-sign"
method. The hand signs help children visualize the spatial relationship between notes. Hand-signs
combined with solfege singing (do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do) aids in singing that is on-pitch. Kodaly is also
known for a system of rhythmic syllables to teach steady beat, tempo, and meter.

Through these combined lessons, a student naturally progresses into a mastery of sight reading
and ear training. 

3. The Suzuki Method

Suzuki method is an approach to music education that was introduced in Japan and later reached
the United States during the 1960s. Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki modeled his method after a child's
innate ability to learn their native language. He applied the basic principles of language acquisition to
music learning and called his method the mother-tongue approach.

Through listening, repetition, memorization, building vocabulary—like language, music

becomes part of the child. In this method, parental involvement is helpful to a child's success through
motivation, encouragement, and support. This mirrors the same type of parental involvement that helps a
child learn the fundamentals of their native language.
 W E S L E YA N
U N I V E R S I T Y- P H I L I P P I N E S
Maria Aurora, 3202 Aurora
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Parents often learn the instrument along with the child, acting as musical role models, and
maintaining a positive learning atmosphere for the child to succeed.

Although this method was originally developed for the violin, it is now applicable to other
instruments including the piano, flute, and guitar.

4. The Dalcroze method

Dalcroze method also known as Dalcroze Eurhythmics, is another approach used by educators to
teach musical concepts. Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, a Swiss educator, developed the method to teach
rhythm, structure, and musical expression through music and movement.

Eurhythmics begins with ear training, or solfege, to develop the inner musical ear. This differs
from Kodaly’s use of solfege in that it is always combined with movement.

Another component of the method concerns improvisation, which helps students sharpen their
spontaneous reactions and physical responses to music.

At the heart of the Dalcroze philosophy is that people learn best when learning through multiple
senses. Dalcroze believed that music should be taught through the tactile, kinesthetic, aural, and visual
senses.

What Is Vocal Music?

Vocal music is a form of music that focuses on the voice of a human as the main component in a piece of music.
Vocal music is performed by one or more musical singers. These singers are often unaccompanied by other
musical instruments. When singers perform unaccompanied by other instruments it means they are performing a
capella. To sing a capella means to perform with only the human voice producing music without any
instrumental accompaniment. Instrumental music is recorded lines of music performed by various instruments,
such as clarinet, guitar, trumpet, or others that do not have any vocal lines included.

What Is a Vocalist?
 W E S L E YA N
U N I V E R S I T Y- P H I L I P P I N E S
Maria Aurora, 3202 Aurora
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
A vocalist is a musical singer who may perform in a group that performs a variety of genres. The role of
a vocalist in music is dependent upon what kind of musical group it is. Often a lead vocalist performs in a pop
music band, and this individual uses their voice to perform the line of melody for the group. The voice of the
lead vocalist is the main sound that is accompanied by other vocalists or instruments. The vocalist performs an
array of musical abilities, including holding a line of melody, adding in harmony, and improvising in a set of
music that is performed live or recorded in a studio.

Types of Singing Styles

Vocal music comes in various types and styles. Singers who classify themselves as contemporary
vocalists fall into a handful of music styles that can be sung. These styles of music include jazz, blues, folk,
soul, country, pop, and rock. Within each of these styles of music there is no voice classification system.
Singers are defined by their vocal abilities in the classical genre of music.

Vocal music work can be broken down into Western and non-Western music. Western music is highly
structured and can fall into a formulaic method of composition and performance. Non-Western music is a form
of free-style structure that often uses improvisation as a key component to the work. Western music is based
upon Gregorian repertoire, which was archived in French books during the time period from 500 CE to the
1500s. Gregorian music was formulated in the Roman Catholic Church. This style of chant music formed the
basis for polyphonic music.

Western Vocal Music

Western vocal music was derived from the operatic traditions of the Classical music period. This period
began in the eighteenth century and started with Neapolitan opera that had embellished upon former Italian
opera work. It later branched into comic works with a focus on composition for opera. Along with classical
vocal music work came the formulation of chorus productions. Choral music was impacted by both opera and
the church at the time. It also formed many influential classical works that are performed today.

The word monophonic means a single line of unaccompanied melody in music. The song, ''Mary Had a
Little Lamb'' is an example of monophonic melody used in Western music. Polyphonic means a combination of
two or more musical tones or melodies played together. Examples of polyphonic music are rounds, fugues, or
canons. The Baroque period of music utilized this style. The composer J.S. Bach used polyphonic texture in his
compositions.

Examples of Western vocal singing styles include music that is sung by the human voice to form individual and
group songs. These styles include the following, but are not limited to:

 Choral music
 Musicals
 Operas
 Pop
 Jazz
 Blues
 Acapella
 W E S L E YA N
U N I V E R S I T Y- P H I L I P P I N E S
Maria Aurora, 3202 Aurora
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

NON – WESTERN VOCAL MUSIC

● Non-Western vocal music tradition is very different from the formal usage of vocal music in Western
cultures. Non-Western vocal instrument music is seen as a part of every day practice and life. Most Non-
Western vocal music was improvised and passed down from one generation to the next through oral
traditions.

Prepared By:

Andrea Badua

Gilbert Bayrante Jr.