CHAPTER 3: DATA COLLECTION
3.1. Interviews
To gain practical insights, interviews were conducted with key individuals to explore their perspectives on the development of playing by ear. Comparing the viewpoints of participants from diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise proved highly valuable, as their responses combined both spontaneous reflections and well-informed and professionally grounded insights. After transcribing and coding the interviews (see Appendix), I have included below brief summaries of the key insights related to the topic of playing by ear.
- Interviews with music educators
Two interviews with experts in education, especially in the Kodály approach, were formerly conducted, documented, and transcribed. These interviews have been particularly valuable: Suzanne Konings for her expertise in both music theory and the Kodály approach, and Juliette van Capelleveen for her practical application of Kodály’s core principles in piano teaching.
Suzanne Konings - expert in music theory and Kodály approach (Royal Conservatory of the Hague)
In her reflections, Suzanne Konings highlights how the Kodály approach offers a strong foundation for developing musical understanding through sound, singing, and movement. She emphasizes the importance of starting from meaningful repertoire, analyzing the piece aurally before turning to notation, and designing exercises based on elements such as tone sets, phrasing or rhythm. Singing in relative solfa plays a central role as an essential "step in between" hearing and playing, even though the process is cognitively demanding. Transposition and improvisation games—such as echo patterns and call-and-response—are suggested as effective strategies to deepen internal hearing and encourage musical interaction, with the student taking an active, even leading role. Suzanne also points out that the name-sound-symbol connection must be built patiently, ensuring that the naming system maintains a stable and meaningful link to the sound.
Suzanne Konings offers a critical view of various pitch-naming systems, emphasizing that despite international efforts, the problem of connecting sound, name, and notation remains unresolved—especially in relation to solfa reading and instrumental playing. Konings stresses that any naming system must maintain a stable, functional link to sound. While she highlights the strengths of movable-do within Kodály, she also points out the confusion caused when it’s mixed with fixed systems like ABC or fixed do. Drawing from examples in Hungary, France, and China, she concludes that although alternative systems exist, none fully solve the challenge—sound must come first, and names must serve musical understanding, not complicate it.
Suzanne Konings offered a critical perspective on the different pitch-naming systems—movable do, fixed do, numerical systems, and ABC note names—highlighting both their strengths and limitations. She strongly emphasized that any naming system must maintain a stable and meaningful relationship with sound. For her, the movable do system is powerful because it encodes functional relationships and harmonic meaning directly into the names (e.g., do always being the tonic). This makes it particularly effective for developing inner hearing and understanding tonal structures. However, she acknowledged that using movable do alongside ABC note names or fixed do can cause confusion, especially for students who have internalized absolute pitch associations. Konings also recognized that systems like numerical solmization (1, 2, 3...) or alternative syllable systems have been tried in various countries as a way to avoid this confusion, but they often introduce an additional layer of translation. She contrasts the Hungarian Kodály approach with other historical examples—such as the 18th-century French use of numbers—and current strategies in places like China that attempt to bridge systems (using ABC names to teach relative pitch), but notes that none are entirely problem-free. Ultimately, she argued that starting with sound and assigning names that reflect musical function is essential. She warned that using the same syllables for different functions (e.g., do as both fixed and movable) can lead to cognitive dissonance and hinder understanding. Her conclusion was clear: sound must come first, and names must reinforce musical meaning, not obscure it.
Juliette van Capelleveen - Kodály-based piano teacher (Scholen in de Kunst, Amersfoort)
Juliette prepares her lessons with careful planning and a strong foundation in the Kodály approach, where playing by ear is central. She selects repertoire according to Kodály’s principles of sequential learning, adapting it to the students’ levels and interests. Her classes are dynamic and flexible, with clearly structured exercises often delivered through singing and musical interaction rather than verbal instruction. Playing by ear is developed through consistent use of call-and-response, echo patterns, and imitation. She emphasizes musical demonstration over explanation, encourages voice development through regular practice, and gradually bridges ear training with notation using transposition. For Juliette, the Kodály approach has been a motivating and transformative framework that makes learning more meaningful and engaging.
