Kodaly class descriptions

The Kodály approach to music education provides developing musicians experience and training in developing music literacy by singing and oral participation.  It helps musicians internalize pitch and rhythm in a unique way – it is another “entry point” to help a music student reach their musical potential.  Through a variety of singing games, carefully selected songs, and the use of visual aids and manipulatives, students gradually acquire a more refined sense of pitch and rhythmic vocabulary.  For a general overview of the Kodaly approach to music learning, please click on the link Kodaly program.

Weekly classes are offered on Wednesdays and Saturdays at QEPCCC and are open to all instrumentalists and any young musician who wishes to learn basic musicianship through singing.  Students are placed in classes according to their age, experience, and musical understanding.  Progression is from Prep Level to Level 3, after which students are ready to begin formal RCM Theory training.

These class descriptions are here to give parents (and OSA as an organization) some specific information as well as a breakdown of what is taught at each level. As well, they can enable non-violin students to find a suitable entry point into Kodaly. Parents will choose between Novice and Intermediate levels; teachers will determine particular class placement.

Kodaly – Prep – Those who are just starting out, Novice level.  (Ages4-5) – 30- minute class.
Introduction to pitch matching through singing games, learning relationship of high/low using body levels, introduction to so-mi patterns using handsigns (line-to-line, space-to-space correspondence), distinguishing between beat and rhythm through movement activities.  Exploring rhythms that include ta, ti-ti and rest (quarter note, eighth note, quarter rest).
 
 
Kodaly – Early Level 1 - For students who have completed Kodaly – Prep, or older beginners, Novice level.  (Ages 5-7) – 30-minute class.
Introduction to musical alphabet.  Initiation to note reading using five-line staff.  La-so-mi patterns in F-do, G-do, C-do using handsigns.  Continuation of beat vs. rhythm.  Exploring rhythms that include ta, ti-ti, ta-a, and rest (quarter, eighth, half notes, and quarter rest).
 
 
Kodaly – Late Level 1 – For students who have completed Kodaly – Early Level 1, or older beginners, Novice level.  (Ages 6-8) – 30-minute class.

• Building on knowledge of musical alphabet and note reading.
• Placing so-mi-do, mi-re-do patterns on five-line staff in F-do, G-do, C-do.
• Exploring melodic patterns in pentatonic songs (do-re-mi-so-la-do’) using handsigns.
• Simple metre including 2/4, 4/4.
• Exploring rhythms including ta, ti-ti, ta-a, ta-a-a-a (quarter, eighth, half, whole notes), quarter rest, half rest, whole rest, introduction to ti-ka ti-ka (sixteenth notes).
• Introduction to stem direction, bar lines, measures on staff.

 
Kodaly – Level 2 – For students who have successfully completed Kodaly – Late Level 1, Intermediate level students (approximately Book 2 and up).  (Ages 7 and up) – 45-minute class.
*Note:  Level 2 content may take up to 2 years to master depending on the experience of the student.

• Moving from pentatonic scale to full scale, leading to notation of simple songs.
• Learning about whole tone/semitone/sharp/flat/natural in the context of singing major and minor scales (C major, F major, G major).
• Introduction to relative minors A minor, D minor, E minor (as time permits).
• Labelling solfa syllables and absolute note names in songs.
• Leger lines as encountered in scales, songs (e.g., C major).
• Developing sense of harmony with the introduction of singing rounds.
• Simple metre including 2/4, 3/4, 4/4.
• Stem direction, bar lines, measures.
• Exploring rhythms including ta, ti-ti, tika-tika, ta-a, ta-a-a-a (quarter, eighth, sixteenth, half, whole notes), quarter rest, half rest, whole rest.
• Introducing syncopa, ti-tika, and tika-ti (eighth-quarter-eighth, eighth note-sixteenth note and sixteenth note-eighth note combinations).
• Introducing dotted rhythms such as ta-a-a, tam-ti, ti-tam.

 
Kodaly – Level 3 – For students who have successfully completed Kodaly – Level 2, and/or by teacher recommendation.  Intermediate level students (approximately Book 3 and up).  (Ages 8 and up) – 45-minute class.
*Note:  Level 3 content may take up to 2 years to master depending on the experience of the student.

• Sight singing, dictation of rhythmic and melodic patterns.
• Examining scale structure of major and minor scales (as encountered in repertoire), key signatures (up to 3 sharps, 3 flats).
• Learning about intervals by singing (e.g., “do to re is a major 2^nd”, “do to mi is a major 3^rd”, etc.).
• Continuing to develop sense of harmony with singing songs in 2- and 3-parts, including rounds and canons.
• Labelling solfa syllables and absolute note names in sung repertoire.
• Deriving the rhythm and pitch of simple songs, notating them.
• Practicing notation skills (e.g., treble clef, stem direction, bar lines, measures, time signatures, key signatures).
• Exploring rhythms including ta, ti-ti, tika-tika, ti-tika, tika-ti, syncopa (quarter, eighth, sixteenth, combinations of eighth-sixteenth and sixteenth-eighth notes, and eighth-quarter-eighth), quarter rest, half rest, whole rest, ta-a, ta-a-a, ta-a-a-a (half, dotted half, whole note), tam-ti (dotted quarter-eighth) as encountered in sung repertoire.
• Introducing rhythms such as triplet, ti-tam, tim-ri, ti-rim (dotted eighth-sixteenth, and sixteenth-dotted eighth combinations) as encountered in sung repertoire.
• Critical listening to themes from classical works using listening maps, learning to recognize the theme then singing it by deriving the rhythm and solfa syllables.