Perspectives on Kodály Cello Teaching

Wiesje van Eersel

Name: Wiesje van Eersel Main Subject: Music Education According to the Kodály Concept Research Coach: Patrick van Deurzen Title of Research: Perspectives on Kodály Cello Teaching Research Question: In which way can the Kodály concept form an integrated part of a cello teaching curriculum for children? Summary of Results: In search of a suitable method to educate my pupils towards comprehensive cello playing, I came across the Kodály concept. My first encounter was promising and I decided to pursue this further. My research investigates possible ways to integrate the Kodály concept in cello teaching for children. In my research paper, first the Kodály concept is defined, and on that basis, existing methods and practices are analysed and examined. In addition to the study of the written sources I have also observed lessons and experimented with the materials myself. Alongside this investigation I have been integrating the Kodály concept in my own teaching for three years. The reflection on that experience, together with my findings from the existing methods results in the conclusion that there are many possible ways to integrate (elements of) the Kodály concept in cello teaching. In the analysed methods, and in my own teaching, choices on how to integrate the concept depend on several factors. The initial perception of the concept is of influence, but also the practical reality of a particular teaching practice. I came to the conclusion that a structural, full implementation of the concept would have implications for the practical arrangement of my teaching. In my presentation I want to show the different perspectives, give practical examples and share my thoughts on a possible way to realise the concept in my teaching practice. Biography Wiesje van Eersel is cello teacher at the PI, Junior and Young Talent Department of the Royal Conservatoire, where she teaches children between 5 and 12 years old. She also teaches cello methodology at the Royal Conservatoire and the Conservatoire of Amsterdam, and teaches in a public music school.

b. The Kodály concept in instrumental education

In Kodály’s vision, learning to play an instrument is only possible when a musical basis has been laid. A child should not begin to learn an instrument without already developed musical skills. This was institutionalised in Hungary: children had a preparatory year of developing aural skills and rhythmic sense with the help of singing, including musical literacy skills (31).

In Kodály’s philosophy it is not essential for everyone to play an instrument. In his view, humanity needs music, it is a human right. To be able to have a musical society there is the need to educate the ‘audience’ as well as the ‘musician’. Sometimes the focus in Kodály philosophy seems to be on educating the masses through singing, but we have to put this into perspective. Besides, we can find already in earlier publications that the concept can make a useful contribution to instrumental education. In 1973, Szönyi describes the situation in Hungary: singing lessons are obligatory and the folksongs learned there are used in the initial instrumental teaching. The songs a child has learned are included in the syllabus for the start of instrumental training.

Szönyi mentions a piano and a violin method, based on the material of the singing classes, especially the Hungarian folksong, highlighting the advantages of singing and relative solmisation for learning the violin. Hungarian folksongs seem to be used in all instrumental methods, and solmisation classes were always complementing the instrumental lessons. Notable here is that also in the instrumental lesson the accompaniment of the piano is not desirable, and should be excluded in the first stages.

The importance of solmisation for instrumentalists was emphasised by Kodály himself: “Agile fingers do not suffice; the music must be deeply understood, and relative solmisation constitutes one possible form of a true comprehension.”(32)

The authors above make clear that, according to them, applying the Kodály concept in instrumental education contributes to comprehensive music making. From the literature, it seems evident that the played material should be sung first, preferably on relative solmisation. And the nature of the used material should be close to the so-called 'mother tongue': songs the children are familiar with, such as well-known folksongs or children’s songs.

A 1996 article by Priscilla Howard on Kodály strategies for instrumental teachers (33) also underlines the above mentioned relation between singing and playing. The article tells us that music students in America consider singing and playing an instrument to be two separate things. The author makes an attempt to link playing and singing: inner hearing is needed for all instrumentalists and this skill is developed through singing. Next to singing she stresses the need for physical movement: “express the music in the voice and the body first”. She refers to Dalcroze’s exercises designed for internalising the beat and metre. Furthermore, she gives practical examples on how other elements of the method can be applied to instrumental teaching, and, according to her, to the great benefit of the student’s musicianship.

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