The trained musician will be able to look at staff notation and hear the sounds in their head. Relative solfa is derived from John Curwen’s Tonic Solfa and rhythm solfa is inspired by and simplified from the French rhythm solfa system of Gallin-Paris-Chevé.

Music is learned first through immersion and then literacy is learned using the tools of relative solfa, rhythm names and hand signs. The musical material begins with the music of the people and languages represented in a community and then moves to composed music of all genres. Music is taught in a way that requires each person to learn via a variety of modes-kinesthetic, auditory, and visual. This approach begins by teaching students to sing in tune combined with extensive physical movement to develop timing and rhythmic competence. Kodály believed, as we do now, that music is a language that everyone can learn to speak. The Kodály approach to music education is student centered and skills are taught in a logical, sequential manner. Kodály’s concepts are based on teaching, learning and understanding music through the experience of singing, giving direct access to the world of music with the most universal instrument.

The Kodály (pronounced KÓH-dye) concept has been adapted around the world. The Kodály Music Institute offers a music teacher education program based upon the concepts, philosophy and practices developed by the Hungarian composer, linguist, philosopher and educator, Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967).

Music aural training