Philosophy

Kodály believed that musical aptitude is a characteristic of every person and that, ideally, a music education should begin as early as possible in a person's life - first at home and then later within the school curriculum.

He believed that children should first learn their own musical mother tongue - the folk songs of their own cultural heritage. It is through this musical mother tongue that the skills and concepts necessary to achieve musical literacy can be taught. As these skills develop, children are given the opportunity to study and perform art music of all periods and styles.

In educating children, Kodály asserted that only music of the highest quality should be used. Just as only the most nutritious food is given to infants, so too the highest quality of music must be given to the musically infant in order to cultivate an aesthetic appreciation for fine music. For Kodály, fine music meant genuine folk music and recognised composed music of the great composers.

Kodály believed that singing should be the foundation of all music education. "It is a long accepted truth," wrote Kodály, "that singing provides the best start to music education; even the most talented artist can never overcome the disadvantages of an education without singing."

The use of the voice is one of the most defining features of the Kodaly approach. The voice is the most accessible of all instruments and this makes it most suitable for musical instruction. It offers direct access to the world of music without the technical problems associated with playing an instrument. Moreover, singing without the aid of an instrument leads to a highly developed aural skills.

Implementation

Kodály believed that musical instruction should reflect the way that children learn naturally. Children's songs, singing games and folk dances are integral and are used to enhance learning and enjoyment.

Just as one learns to speak first and then read and write later, so the sound should be taught first before the symbols. The developed inner ear will then be able to recall the sounds when they are presented later as symbols.

He also advocated that musical skills should be carefully sequenced into patterns that reflect an understanding of child development. Great care is taken to lead the child from the known to the unknown and from direct experience to abstract concepts and symbols.

Music literacy remains a key component of the approach and is developed gradually and sequentially. Kodály envisaged a deep literacy that went beyond just knowing letter names. Instead the musically literate should be able to look at notation and think sound.

Under Kodály's guidance, an approach to music education evolved that drew on the best of educational thought from around the world. The approach is child-developmental and based on teaching, learning and understanding music through the experience of singing. The tools used to implement the approach are the movable-do system of solfa, rhythm syllables and hand signs.

The movement is characterised by a strong emphasis on teacher training and the development of a teacher's own musicianship skills. Professional associations in many countries around the world now seek to promote Kodály's philosophies and further its implementation.