Kodaly Method



KODÁLY METHOD
	Zoltán Kodály, one of the most significant composers of the 20th century, as well as a musicologist and music educator, developed a new, coherent, comprehensive music educational system in Hungary which is known as the Kodály Method. This new music educational philosophy involves the very best principles of many traditional methods, which, combined with his original new ideas provide a masterful combination of music theory and practice in full unity. The Kodály Method brings about some rewarding changes in both student and teacher. The student becomes increasingly involved in all aspects of good music making in addition to the traditional pleasure of learning how to operate an instrument, and the teacher becomes more oriented towards preventing mistakes, than to the traditional task of correcting them. Kodály’s Method was adopted in every school in Hungary 50 years ago, with the result that an entire nation became musically literate. The outstanding results achieved in musical education in Hungary have justly attracted the attention of the whole musical world around the globe. The Kodály Method wasn’t intended to replace instrumental or vocal training, rather it preceeds it and compliments it. The aim of the Kodály Method is to develop high musicianship, which results in better musicians. Kodaáy defined the four characteristics which make the good musician: Developed inner hearing Developed mind Developed emotional sensitivity Developed technique All four elements must be trained simultaneously in good balance. This new educational approach was not designed only for the few exceptionally talented students, but for the life-long enrichment of the average child. The Kodály Concept has far reaching implications in psychology, logic, reasoning, aesthetics, creativity, etc. Students develop their musical thinking, and inner hearing through direct experience with the elements of music. Through the relative Solmization System they develop the sense of relative pitch; through a special rhythm training, they resolve not only rhythmical problems, but muscular co-ordination problems as well. Through the knowledge of basic music theory, they learn to understand the music which they play; they learn to memorize through the mind instead of through mechanical drilling of the fingers. The Kodály Method sharpens the student’s mental faculties, mental discipline, and develops a high level of imagination. As a result of this training the student can learn to hear the printed notes in his imagination, without the help of an instrument, and also will be able to write down music to which he listens. As Kodály said, “ a good musician should hear what he sees, and he should see (in terms of notes) what he hears.” In other words, through the Kodály Method, a student is led to the ability to read music as if he were reading in his mother tongue. Good reading ability is the first step in becoming an excellent sight-reader, who can play any piece of music the first time he sees it. This is inevitable for those who choose music as a career, and fascinating fun for those who learn music just for pure enjoyment. This Method was designed not only to train professional musicians, but audiences as well.

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