What will a Kodaly Lesson look like?

The children enter the classroom and each sits on a carpet square. The teacher sits facing her students. The teacher sings a greeting in a specific melodic pattern, and the students sing a greeting in response. The teacher then leads the class in a vocal warm-up emphasizing good posture and the use of the singing voice. She may use a puppet or some toys to encourage individuals to sing small solos.

 

Next, the students will sing several familiar songs together a capella (unaccompanied) or the teacher may accompany the class with an instrument, such as a guitar. The teacher will rehearse any spots (saying, "My turn - your turn") if the students hesitate with the words or the melody. The teacher might then have the students tap their laps to the beat while singing a song. She may have the students clap the words (or the rhythm) of the next one. She may use a prop, such as a stuffed animal, puppet, or flannel board, to help students remember the words of the next song. She may ask students to leave out certain words while singing a song, asking students to sing the words "in their heads."

 

When introducing a new song or game, the teacher will usually tell a quick story about the character or animal in the song. Often, she will use a puppet to help tell this story and then select a couple of students who have been sitting calmly and singing throughout the lesson to use the puppet as well. She may also introduce a small rhythm instrument, such as a tambourine. She will have the class "practice" as though they all have tambourines and then allow all of the children to play the real tambourine one-by-one while the class sings the song. Thus, children are constantly encouraged to be engaged in and to participate in the lessons because they want to be chosen to do something special.

 

Last, the lesson often ends with a circle singing game. The students will demonstrate very specific musical concepts (such as loud and soft, high and low, fast and slow, etc.) without realizing how much learning is taking place. They are simply excited to be playing a singing game with their peers.

 

The teacher sings "goodbye" in a specific melodic pattern and the students echo "goodbye" in the same pattern, and there is usually a sigh or two that music class is over until another day...