Zoltan Kodaly





Teaching Music Using the Kodály Method
Zoltán Kodály was a musical educator and composer from Hungary. Hungary is a highly populated small country, in which its’ people are very musically literate. Kodály helped to develop a method or philosophy of teaching music. Top on the list of the Kodály method was to use “only the purest of authentic folk music” (Choksy, 1999). He felt that children should learn their native music first just as they learn their native tongue first. Kodály also developed a sequence to his method that fit a child’s development. This required an “arrangement of subject matter into patterns that follow normal child abilities at various stages of growth” (Choksy, 1999).

Teaching a child his/her native folk music required certain things. First, Kodály insisted that the music be taught in a joyous way. Secondly, the music is taught in a game form so that children can make connections with the music and learn the music through repetition of the singing and dancing within the game. “These games are connecting children to musical forms and to traditions from their families and from other cultures” (Choksy, 1999). Finally, to ensure that children are learning quality music, ethno-musicologists at the Academy of Sciences approve the music that is published in a music textbook, and Kodály began to compose his own music for children.

While composing and teaching music, Kodály kept in mind a child’s development. He noticed in his research that up to a certain point, children “seem to develop in the same musical pattern the world over” (Choksy, 1999). He taught rhythm and pitch to fit a child’s development. For example, by using physical movement, children can feel the rhythm and show the direction of the melody. He found that a young child’s vocal range is limited, so teaching music in a three or four pitch pattern (so, mi, la and do) was a necessity for the very young child.

Zoltan Kodály believed strongly in the love and importance of music. Because of this, Kodály was an inspiration and a driving force behind an institutionalized method as part of a core curriculum in education. However, “he and his followers incorporated the ideas of numerous forerunners” (The American Folk Song Collection, 2004), so Kodály did not like the term “Kodály Method”. In fact, the Kodály method uses the Curwen hand signs (John Curwen in the nineteenth-century England), solfa (Guido d’Arezzo in the eleventh century), and rhythm syllables (Emile Chêvé in the nineteenth-century France) from various sources.

I believe that singing games and folk songs are a great way to teach the fundamentals of music. It makes sense to use folk songs and games because of the connection it provides. I learn at lectures and trainings that children retain and learn more information if there is a connection. It is interesting to me that all children learn the same way musically up until a point. I wonder why it isn’t the same with other subjects. I apply the Kodály method in my music classroom. I use the Curwen hand signs, the solfa and the rhythm syllables. I too try very hard to instill a love of music into every child. I believe if a child loves to do something, he/she will initiate the learning on his/her own.

Author or Authors
The original version of this document was created by Siromani Leath.