Kodály Method
Encyclopedia
The Kodály Method, also referred to as the Kodály Concept, is an approach to music education
developed in Hungary
during the mid-twentieth century by Zoltán Kodály
. His philosophies regarding education served as inspiration for the method, which was then developed over a number of years by his associates.
, and more class time devoted to music (Dobszay 1972:30).
Beginning in 1935, along with his colleague Jenő Ádám
, he embarked on a long term project to reform music teaching in the lower and middle schools by actively creating a new curriculum and new teaching methods, as well as writing new musical compositions for children. His work resulted in the publication of several highly influential books that have had a profound impact on musical education both inside and outside his home country.
Kodály’s efforts finally bore fruit in 1945 when the new Hungarian government began to implement his ideas in the public schools (Eösze 1962:74). Socialist control of the educational system facilitated the establishment of Kodály’s methods nationwide (Landis 1972:64). The first music primary school, in which music was taught daily, opened in 1950. The school was so successful that over one hundred music primary schools opened within the next decade (Eösze 1962:79). After about fifteen years approximately 50% of the schools in Hungary were music schools (Russell-Smith 1967:44).
Kodály’s success eventually spilled outside of Hungarian borders. Kodály’s method was first presented to the international community in 1958 at a conference of the International Society for Music Educators (I.S.M.E.) held in Vienna
. Another I.S.M.E. conference in Budapest
in 1964 allowed participants to see Kodály’s work first-hand, causing a surge of interest. Music educators from all over the world traveled to Hungary to visit Kodály’s music schools (Choksy 1999:4). The first symposium
dedicated solely to the Kodály method was held in Oakland, California
in 1973; it was at this event that the International Kodály Society was inaugurated (6). Today Kodály-based methods are used throughout the world (DeVries 2001:24).
now called the Kodály Method (Choksy 1981:8). Many of the techniques used were adapted from existing methods (Choksy 1999:15). The creators of the Kodály Method researched music educational techniques used throughout the world and incorporated those they felt were the best and most suited for use in Hungary (Choksy 1981:9).
it (Landis 1972:46). Concepts are constantly reviewed and reinforced through games, movement, songs, and exercises (58).
similar to those created by nineteenth-century French theoretician Emile-Joseph Chêvé (Choksy 1999:16). In this system, note value
s are assigned specific syllables that express their durations (12). For example, quarter note
s are expressed by the syllable ta while eighth note
pairs are expressed using the syllables ti-ti. Larger note values are expressed by extending ta to become ta-a or "ta-o" (half note
), ta-a-a or "ta-o-o" (dotted
half note), and ta-a-a-a or "ta-o-o-o" (whole note
) (Wheeler 1985:13). These syllables are then used when sight-reading or otherwise performing rhythms.
(Choksy 1981:10). Kodály was familiar with Dalcroze’s techniques and agreed that movement is an important tool for the internalization of rhythm (Landis 1972:42). To reinforce new rhythmic concepts, the Kodály Method uses a variety of rhythmic movements, such as walking, running, marching, and clapping. These may be performed while listening to music or singing. Some singing exercises call for the teacher to invent appropriate rhythmic movements to accompany the songs (43).
syllables, in which, during sight-singing, scale degrees are sung using corresponding syllable names (do, re, mi, fa, so, la, and ti). The syllables show function within the key
and the relationships between pitches
, not absolute pitch
(Landis 1972:45). Kodály was first exposed to this technique while visiting England
, where a movable-do system created by Sarah Glover and augmented by John Curwen
was being used nationwide as a part of choral training (Landis 44). Kodály found movable-do solfege to be helpful in developing a sense of tonal
function, thus improving students’ sight-singing abilities (Choksy 1981:8). Kodály felt that movable-do solfege should precede acquaintance with the staff
, and developed a type of short-hand using solfege initials with simplified rhythmic notation
(Choksy 1999:14).
(Choksy 1999:3), but educators soon found that children struggled to sing half steps in tune and to navigate within such a wide range (11). It is thus that the pentatonic scale
came to be used as a sort of stepping stone (9-10). Revised Kodály exercises begin with the minor third
(so-mi) and then, one at a time, add la, do, and re. Only after children become comfortable with these pitches are fa and ti introduced, a much simpler feat when taught in relation to the already established pentatonic scale (12).
Hand signs, also borrowed from the teachings of Curwen, are performed during singing exercises to provide a visual aid. This technique assigns to each scale degree a hand sign that shows its particular tonal function. For example, do, mi, and so are stable in appearance, whereas fa and ti point in the direction of mi and do, respectively. Likewise, the hand sign for re suggests motion to do, and that of la to so. Kodály added to Curwen’s hand signs upward/downward movement, allowing children to actually see the height or depth of the pitch (Wheeler 1985:15). The signs are made in front of the body, with do falling about at waist level and la at eye level. Their distance in space corresponds with the size of the interval
they represent (Choksy 1999:14). The hand signs were featured in the 1977 film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind
.
students sing works of major composers of the Baroque
, Classical, and Romantic music eras, while secondary-level students sing music from the twentieth century as well (16).
Kodály collected, composed, and arranged a large number of works for pedagogical use (Young 1964:83). Along with Béla Bartók
and other associates, Kodály collected and published six volumes of Hungarian folk music, including over one thousand children’s songs. Much of this literature was used in Kodály Method songbooks and textbooks (Choksy 1999:15). High quality music was needed in short and simple forms in order to bridge the gap between folk music and classical works (2). For this purpose, Kodály composed thousands of songs and sight-singing exercises, making up sixteen educational publications, six of which contain multiple volumes of over one hundred exercises each (Eösze 1972:69). Kodály’s complete pedagogical works are published collectively by Boosey & Hawkes
as The Kodály Choral Method (Eösze/Houlahan 2006).
, rhythm skills, music literacy, and the ability to sing in increasingly complex parts (DeVries 2001:24). Outside of music, it has been shown to improve perceptual functioning, concept formation, motor skills, and performance in other academic areas such as reading and math (25).
Music education
Music education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music. It touches on all domains of learning, including the psychomotor domain , the cognitive domain , and, in particular and significant ways,the affective domain, including music appreciation and sensitivity...
developed in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
during the mid-twentieth century by Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is best known internationally as the creator of the Kodály Method.-Life:Born in Kecskemét, Kodály learned to play the violin as a child....
. His philosophies regarding education served as inspiration for the method, which was then developed over a number of years by his associates.
History
Kodály became interested in the music education of children in 1925 when he overheard some students singing songs that they had learned at school. Kodály was appalled by the standard of the children's singing, and was inspired to do something to improve the music education system in Hungary (Eösze 1962:69-70). He wrote a number of controversial articles, columns, and essays to raise awareness about the issue of music education (74). In his writings, Kodály criticized schools for using poor-quality music and for only teaching music in the secondary grades (72). Kodály insisted that the music education system needed better teachers, better curriculumCurriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
, and more class time devoted to music (Dobszay 1972:30).
Beginning in 1935, along with his colleague Jenő Ádám
Jenö Ádám
Jenö Ádám was a Hungarian music educator, composer, and conductor.He studied composition and conducting at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music where he was a pupil of Zoltán Kodály. He later became a longtime teacher at the school and developed a close working relationship with Kodály...
, he embarked on a long term project to reform music teaching in the lower and middle schools by actively creating a new curriculum and new teaching methods, as well as writing new musical compositions for children. His work resulted in the publication of several highly influential books that have had a profound impact on musical education both inside and outside his home country.
Kodály’s efforts finally bore fruit in 1945 when the new Hungarian government began to implement his ideas in the public schools (Eösze 1962:74). Socialist control of the educational system facilitated the establishment of Kodály’s methods nationwide (Landis 1972:64). The first music primary school, in which music was taught daily, opened in 1950. The school was so successful that over one hundred music primary schools opened within the next decade (Eösze 1962:79). After about fifteen years approximately 50% of the schools in Hungary were music schools (Russell-Smith 1967:44).
Kodály’s success eventually spilled outside of Hungarian borders. Kodály’s method was first presented to the international community in 1958 at a conference of the International Society for Music Educators (I.S.M.E.) held in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. Another I.S.M.E. conference in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
in 1964 allowed participants to see Kodály’s work first-hand, causing a surge of interest. Music educators from all over the world traveled to Hungary to visit Kodály’s music schools (Choksy 1999:4). The first symposium
Symposium
In ancient Greece, the symposium was a drinking party. Literary works that describe or take place at a symposium include two Socratic dialogues, Plato's Symposium and Xenophon's Symposium, as well as a number of Greek poems such as the elegies of Theognis of Megara...
dedicated solely to the Kodály method was held in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
in 1973; it was at this event that the International Kodály Society was inaugurated (6). Today Kodály-based methods are used throughout the world (DeVries 2001:24).
Pedagogy
Using these principles as a foundation, Kodály’s colleagues, friends, and most talented students developed the actual pedagogyPedagogy
Pedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....
now called the Kodály Method (Choksy 1981:8). Many of the techniques used were adapted from existing methods (Choksy 1999:15). The creators of the Kodály Method researched music educational techniques used throughout the world and incorporated those they felt were the best and most suited for use in Hungary (Choksy 1981:9).
Child-developmental approach
The Kodály Method uses a child-developmental approach to sequence, introducing skills in accordance with the capabilities of the child (Choksy 1999:10). New concepts are introduced beginning with what is easiest for the child and progressing to the more difficult (Landis 1972:56). Children are first introduced to musical concepts through experiences such as listening, singing, or movement (Wheeler 1985:12). It is only after the child becomes familiar with a concept that he or she learns how to notateMusical notation
Music notation or musical notation is any system that represents aurally perceived music, through the use of written symbols.-History:...
it (Landis 1972:46). Concepts are constantly reviewed and reinforced through games, movement, songs, and exercises (58).
Rhythm syllables
The Kodály Method incorporates rhythm syllablesRhythm syllables
There are various ways to count music, from simple numbers to counting syllables to beat placement syllables. Here are a few.Ta Titi system:*Whole Note: Toe / ta-ah-ah-ah*Dotted Half Note: Toom / ta-ah-ah*Half Note: Too / ta-ah*Dotted Quarter Note: Tom / ta-a...
similar to those created by nineteenth-century French theoretician Emile-Joseph Chêvé (Choksy 1999:16). In this system, note value
Note value
In music notation, a note value indicates the relative duration of a note, using the color or shape of the note head, the presence or absence of a stem, and the presence or absence of flags/beams/hooks/tails....
s are assigned specific syllables that express their durations (12). For example, quarter note
Quarter note
A quarter note or crotchet is a note played for one quarter of the duration of a whole note . Often people will say that a crotchet is one beat, however, this is not always correct, as the beat is indicated by the time signature of the music; a quarter note may or may not be the beat...
s are expressed by the syllable ta while eighth note
Eighth note
thumb|180px|right|Figure 1. An eighth note with stem facing up, an eighth note with stem facing down, and an eighth rest.thumb|right|180px|Figure 2. Four eighth notes beamed together....
pairs are expressed using the syllables ti-ti. Larger note values are expressed by extending ta to become ta-a or "ta-o" (half note
Half note
In music, a half note or minim is a note played for half the duration of a whole note and twice the duration of a quarter note...
), ta-a-a or "ta-o-o" (dotted
Dotted note
In Western musical notation, a dotted note is a note with a small dot written after it. The dot increases the duration of the basic note by half of its original value. If the basic note lasts 2 beats, the corresponding dotted note lasts 3 beats...
half note), and ta-a-a-a or "ta-o-o-o" (whole note
Whole note
thumb|right|250px|Figure 1. A whole note and a whole rest.In music, a whole note or semibreve is a note represented by a hollow oval note head, like a half note , and no note stem . Its length is equal to four beats in 4/4 time...
) (Wheeler 1985:13). These syllables are then used when sight-reading or otherwise performing rhythms.
Rhythm and movement
The Kodály Method also includes the use of rhythmic movement, a technique inspired by the work of Swiss music educator Emile Jaques-DalcrozeÉmile Jaques-Dalcroze
Émile Jaques-Dalcroze , was a Swiss composer, musician and music educator who developed eurhythmics, a method of learning and experiencing music through movement...
(Choksy 1981:10). Kodály was familiar with Dalcroze’s techniques and agreed that movement is an important tool for the internalization of rhythm (Landis 1972:42). To reinforce new rhythmic concepts, the Kodály Method uses a variety of rhythmic movements, such as walking, running, marching, and clapping. These may be performed while listening to music or singing. Some singing exercises call for the teacher to invent appropriate rhythmic movements to accompany the songs (43).
Rhythm sequence and notation
Rhythmic concepts are introduced in a child-developmentally appropriate manner. The first rhythmic values taught are quarter notes and eighth notes, which are familiar to children as the rhythms of their own walking and running (Choksy 1999:10). Rhythms are first experienced by listening, speaking in rhythm syllables, singing, and performing various kinds of rhythmic movement. Only after students internalize these rhythms is notation introduced. The Kodály Method uses a simplified method of rhythmic notation, writing note heads only when necessary, such as for half notes and whole notes (13).Movable-do solfege
The Kodály Method uses a system of movable-do solfegeSolfege
In music, solfège is a pedagogical solmization technique for the teaching of sight-singing in which each note of the score is sung to a special syllable, called a solfège syllable...
syllables, in which, during sight-singing, scale degrees are sung using corresponding syllable names (do, re, mi, fa, so, la, and ti). The syllables show function within the key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
and the relationships between pitches
Pitch (music)
Pitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...
, not absolute pitch
Absolute pitch
Absolute pitch , widely referred to as perfect pitch, is the ability of a person to identify or re-create a given musical note without the benefit of an external reference.-Definition:...
(Landis 1972:45). Kodály was first exposed to this technique while visiting England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where a movable-do system created by Sarah Glover and augmented by John Curwen
John Curwen
Reverend John Curwen was an English Congregationalist minister, and founder of the Tonic sol-fa system of music education. He was educated at Wymondley College and University College London.-Tonic sol-fa:...
was being used nationwide as a part of choral training (Landis 44). Kodály found movable-do solfege to be helpful in developing a sense of tonal
Tonality
Tonality is a system of music in which specific hierarchical pitch relationships are based on a key "center", or tonic. The term tonalité originated with Alexandre-Étienne Choron and was borrowed by François-Joseph Fétis in 1840...
function, thus improving students’ sight-singing abilities (Choksy 1981:8). Kodály felt that movable-do solfege should precede acquaintance with the staff
Staff (music)
In standard Western musical notation, the staff, or stave, is a set of five horizontal lines and four spaces that each represent a different musical pitch—or, in the case of a percussion staff, different percussion instruments. Appropriate music symbols, depending upon the intended effect,...
, and developed a type of short-hand using solfege initials with simplified rhythmic notation
Musical notation
Music notation or musical notation is any system that represents aurally perceived music, through the use of written symbols.-History:...
(Choksy 1999:14).
Melodic sequence and pentatony
Scale degrees are introduced in accordance with child-developmental patterns. The first Kodály exercise books were based on the diatonic scaleDiatonic scale
In music theory, a diatonic scale is a seven note, octave-repeating musical scale comprising five whole steps and two half steps for each octave, in which the two half steps are separated from each other by either two or three whole steps...
(Choksy 1999:3), but educators soon found that children struggled to sing half steps in tune and to navigate within such a wide range (11). It is thus that the pentatonic scale
Pentatonic scale
A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five notes per octave in contrast to a heptatonic scale such as the major scale and minor scale...
came to be used as a sort of stepping stone (9-10). Revised Kodály exercises begin with the minor third
Minor third
In classical music from Western culture, a third is a musical interval encompassing three staff positions , and the minor third is one of two commonly occurring thirds. The minor quality specification identifies it as being the smallest of the two: the minor third spans three semitones, the major...
(so-mi) and then, one at a time, add la, do, and re. Only after children become comfortable with these pitches are fa and ti introduced, a much simpler feat when taught in relation to the already established pentatonic scale (12).
Hand signs
Interval (music)
In music theory, an interval is a combination of two notes, or the ratio between their frequencies. Two-note combinations are also called dyads...
they represent (Choksy 1999:14). The hand signs were featured in the 1977 film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a 1977 science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film stars Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, and Cary Guffey...
.
Materials
Kodály Method materials are drawn strictly from two sources: "authentic" folk music and "good-quality" composed music (Choksy 1999:16). Folk music was thought to be an ideal vehicle for early musical training because of its short forms, pentatonic style, and simple language (2). Of the classical repertoire, elementaryElementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
students sing works of major composers of the Baroque
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
, Classical, and Romantic music eras, while secondary-level students sing music from the twentieth century as well (16).
Kodály collected, composed, and arranged a large number of works for pedagogical use (Young 1964:83). Along with Béla Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
and other associates, Kodály collected and published six volumes of Hungarian folk music, including over one thousand children’s songs. Much of this literature was used in Kodály Method songbooks and textbooks (Choksy 1999:15). High quality music was needed in short and simple forms in order to bridge the gap between folk music and classical works (2). For this purpose, Kodály composed thousands of songs and sight-singing exercises, making up sixteen educational publications, six of which contain multiple volumes of over one hundred exercises each (Eösze 1972:69). Kodály’s complete pedagogical works are published collectively by Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and wind musical instruments....
as The Kodály Choral Method (Eösze/Houlahan 2006).
Results
Studies have shown that the Kodály Method improves intonationIntonation (music)
Intonation, in music, is a musician's realization of pitch accuracy, or the pitch accuracy of a musical instrument. Intonation may be flat, sharp, or both, successively or simultaneously.-Interval, melody, and harmony:...
, rhythm skills, music literacy, and the ability to sing in increasingly complex parts (DeVries 2001:24). Outside of music, it has been shown to improve perceptual functioning, concept formation, motor skills, and performance in other academic areas such as reading and math (25).
Sources
- Choksy, Lois. The Kodály Context: Creating an Environment for Musical Learning. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1981.
- Choksy, Lois. The Kodály Method I: Comprehensive Music Education. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1999.
- DeVries, Peter. “Reevaluating Common Kodaly Practices.” Music Educators Journal 88:3 (November 2001) 24-27. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0027-4321%28200111%2988%3A3%3C24%3ARCKP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Z
- Dobszay, L. “The Kodaly Method and Its Musical Basis.” Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 14:¼ (1972) 15-33. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0039-3266%281972%2914%3A1%2F4%3C15%3ATKMAIN%E2.0.CO%3B2-E
- Eösze, László. Zoltán Kodály: His Life and Work. Trans. István Farkas and Gyula Gulyás. London: Collet’s, 1962.
- Eösze, László/Mícheál Houlahan, Philip Tacka: ‘Kodály, Zoltán’, Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 26 November 2006), http://grovemusic.com
- Kodály, Zoltán. Let Us Sing Correctly. London: Boosey & Hawkes, 1965.
- Kodály, Zoltán. The Selected Writings of Zoltán Kodály. Trans. Lily Halápy and Fred Macnicol. London: Boosey & Hawkes, 1974.
- Kodály, Zoltán. 333 Elementary Exercises. London: Boosey & Hawkes, 1965.
- Landis, Beth. The Eclectic Curriculum in American Music Education: Contributions of Dalcroze, Kodaly, and Orff. Washington: Music Educators National Conference, 1972.
- Russell-Smith, Geoffry. “Introducing Kodaly Principles into Elementary Teaching.” Music Educators Journal 54:3 (November 1967) 43-46. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0027-4321%28196711%2954%3A3%3C43%3AIKPIET%3E2.0.CO%3B2Q
- Shehan, Patricia K. “Major Approaches to Music Education: An Account of Method.” Music Educator’s Journal 72:6 (February 1986) 26-31. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0027-4321%28198602%2972%3A6%3C26%3AMATMEA%3E2.CO%3B2-E
- Turpin, Douglas. “Kodaly, Dalcroze, Orff, and Suzuki: Application in the Secondary Schools.” Music Educators Journal 72:6 (February 1986) 56-59. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0027-4321%28198602%2972%3A6%3C56%3AKDOASA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P
- Wheeler, Lawrence. Orff and Kodaly: Adapted for the Elementary School. 3rd ed. Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown, 1985.
- Young, Percy. Zoltán Kodály: A Hungarian Musician. London: Ernest Benn, 1964.