An introductory session to a Kodály inspired approach to music. For non-music specialist primary school teachers and teaching support staff
Find out more about how to use songs, rhymes and singing games to naturally develop musical skills.
No resources needed.
Contact: Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Learning and Participation rbclearning@bcu.ac.uk SUPPORTED BY THE WEINGARTEN TRUST
Zoltán Kodály (1882 – 1967) was a Hungarian composer, musician, pedagogue and philosopher.
He reformed music teaching in schools in Hungary and established a set of principles to follow in music education. Kodály believed that music education should be enjoyable and start as early as possible in a child’s life.
He advocated for singing to be the foundation of musical learning and the best, most accessible instrument to start learning music. He developed a process of educating children through the use of traditional songs.
Kodály spent years collecting teaching methods, inspiring a systematic and holistic pedagogy, which was later developed by his colleagues, friends and students.
The approach is based on the children’s development, sequencing and introducing skills based on the capabilities of the child. Musical concepts are introduced through experiences such as singing, movement and listening. The approach recommends that only when a child is ready to progress, they move to the next musical activities.
The philosophy of Kodály has inspired music pedagogy across the world.
It’s fun, easy and free! Everyone can use their voice or experience singing with others in a group.
Singing games and activities link to the holistic development of children, whilst developing musical skills and concepts.
Singing develops an understanding of musical concepts such as beat, rhythm, pitch, dynamics, tempo and phrasing. Singing develops the inner ear, listening and aural skills, enabling children to sing more in pitch with others around them.
Singing songs, chanting rhymes and the use of singing games and activities develop children’s communication, language, social and emotional development, all related to elements of the curriculum in primary education.
Singing with others in a group can aid the development of
• Self-esteem and confidence
• Memory skills
• Listening skills
• Speech and language
• Reasoning
• Spatial awareness
• Creativity
An introduction to five fun musical activities using voice, singing, listening and movement to use with your group or class of children. This brochure outlines a starter set of activities as a resource for you to continue to develop in the classroom, and signpost you to other amazing resources available.
Within the Kodály principles for the teaching and learning of music, there are three tools.
Each pitch of the scale is given a solfa name or singing name. Using solfa helps children understand the relationship of each note to one another. In the UK we use the moveable ‘do’ system according to the key of a piece of music. The tonic note is ‘do’ and any song learned can be sung at any pitch or in any key.
For each pitch of the scale there is a corresponding hand sign alongside the solfa name or singing name. They are a visual reinforcement and show the tonal relationship between each note and what it is doing. Using solfa and hand signs can help prepare the pupils for what they are about to sing.
Traditional rhythm values are allocated a rhythm name. Using a rhythm name means pupils can say the rhythm to help understand rhythms accurately.
tika-ti 2 Sixteenth Notes Eighth Note 2 semiquavers quaver
tum-ti Dotted Quarter Note Eighth Note Dotted crotchet quaver
syn-co-pa Eighth Note, Quarter Note Sixteenth Note Quaver crotchet quaver
tim-ka Dotted Eighth Note Sixteenth Note Dotted quaver semiquaver
There is a sequential learning process of learning music and musical concepts which follow the natural developmental pattern used in learning a language, which is:
1 – Aural
2 – Written
3 – Read
Children should learn, use and experience the music before learning to read it.
The primary aim of the session is for the children to feel the pulse whilst singing and playing the games. We have added some rhythmic and pitch diagrams to help the teacher/leader repeat the activities in the classroom. These do not need to be taught initially, but can be introduced later when the children know the songs and rhymes to help them learn.
An excellent warm up for voices, facial muscles, voice exploration and fun!
Leader: Have you got your speaking voice?
Response: Yes we have!
Use a range of different voices.
End with “have you got your singing voice?” With two different pitches (so, mi).
Be creative with other voices:
For example: Animal voices (They wouldn’t speak with words!) or voices to express and explore feelings.
Ask the class to think of different voices. Rhythmic
Song - Using our singing voice
A song to say hello and a good song to start class or any session with. Explores pulse, pitch and rhythm.
Hello everyone, hello everyone, glad that you are here, Hello everyone, hello everyone, glad that you are here, I, I, I, I, I’m, glad that you are here, I, I, I, I, I’m, glad that you are here.
He - llo everyone, he - llo everyone glad that you are here
Tap knees whilst singing (Keeping a steady pulse). Clap as you say the words “I, I, I, I, I’m” (Rhythm)
Sing using different voices.
Try singing quietly and clapping quietly to “I, I, I ,I, I’m.”
Try singing the names of the children in the gaps:
Hello everyone, hello everyone, glad that you are here,
Hello everyone, hello everyone, glad that you are here,
Hello _ _ _, glad that you are here,
Hello _ _ _, glad that you are here.
Tone-set: d,r,m,s
Rhythmic Element: ta, ti-ti, tika-ti, rest
Rhyme or Chant - Using our speaking or chanting voice
Using movement to explore pulse.
Feet, feet, feet, feet,
Hear them marching down the street, Big feet, little feet
March and stop!
March or stomp around the room whilst chanting the rhyme. Stop on the word stop then make a shape or pose like a frozen statue during the rest after stop! eg. “March and Stop!” – Pose
Rhythmic Element: ta, ti-ti, rest
Song - Using our singing voice
Using movement to feel the pulse or beat of the song. Swing me over the water, Swing me over the sea, Swing me over the garden wall, and, Swing me home for tea. Whee!
Sway side to side whilst singing the song.
Find a partner, face each other and hold hands, swing arms side to side whilst singing the song.
On the word “whee”, find another partner and repeat. Try singing the song slowly so to swing slowly. Try singing faster and swing to the song faster!
Tone-set: d, m, s
Rhythmic Element: ta, ti-ti, rest
A simple call and echo song to explore pulse and feeling the beat and pitch.
This song can be made very simple for younger children by singing just the first line of the song. Let the children listen to the song first. Ask the children to listen to you sing and then get them to copy! (My turn, your turn). Introduce simple tapping movements by tapping your head, knees or nose as you sing to the beat of the song. Can they sing and do the same by copying you? This can later be adapted to include tapping to the rhythm of the song and distinguishing the difference between beat and rhythm.
Tone-set: m, s, l
Rhythmic Element: ta, ti-ti
Experiencing a steady pulse/beat
Using speaking/chanting voices and singing voices
Developing pitch / singing ability
Experiencing phrasing
Experiencing a melodic shape
Experiencing timbre
Experiencing rhythm
Pulse/Beat
The steady “heart-beat” underlying a piece of music
The position or height of a single sound or note - higher or lower note of a melody. High/low sounds
Rhythm
Pattern of sounds combining long, short or equal duration
Tempo
The speed of the pulse in a piece of music – fast or slow
Volume of sound, loud/quiet
The tone quality sound of voice or an instrument
Some of the activities used in this starter set of activities have also been produced in a variety of published sources who are passionate about music education and have been inspired by the philosophy of the Kodály-inspired approach to music education.
If you want to find out more about using a Kodály-Inspired approach to music in your group, classroom or school setting please see the following resources:
Teaching Primary Music, KS1 and KS2
A teaching resource created by Jimmy Rotheram and developed and edited by the Benedetti Foundation. This resource was originally written in response to the Covid-19 crisis to support primary classroom teachers to use music on return to the classroom.
Jimmy Rotheram is a Senior leader in a school running a music programme inspired by the Kodály approach.
There are two resources available with lessons accompanied by videos for each Key stage 1 and key stage 2.
www.benedettifoundation.org/primary-music
www.kodaly.org.uk
Delivering Music Education Training for Non-Specialist Teachers through Effective Partnership: A Kodály-Inspired Intervention to improve Young Children’s Development Outcomes.
www.firstthingmusic.co.uk
www.firstthingmusic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/87910-RESOURCE-FILE.pdf
Singing Games and Rhymes Series by Lucinda Geoghegan on behalf of the National Youth Choir of Scotland:
Singing Games and Rhymes for Early Years 1 (age 3 to 7)
Singing Games and Rhymes for Early Years 2 (age 3 to 7)
Singing Games and Rhymes for Middle Years 1 (age 7 to 10)
Singing Games and Rhymes for Middle Years 2 (age 7 to 10)
Singing Games and Rhyme for ages 9 to 99 (age 9 to 99)
https://www.kodaly.org.uk/pages/shop/department/nycos-singing-games-and-rhymes
Also available via Amazon.
