Music Education Methods

Studies show that music is essential to children’s education, but did you know that there are many different music education methods? Here is an overview of the most common methods used in the US and how they work.

KODALY
Those who follow the Kodaly Method start music education as early as possible, as they believe it is most effective when students are young. They also believe that everyone is capable of musical literacy. The focus is on singing as the foundation of musicianship, using primarily folk and instrumental music to teach. Matching hand signs to each pitch of the solfege scale is an important part of this method. For more information, click here.

Kodaly solfege hand signs

DALCROZE
The Dalcroze Method is sometimes called Dalcroze Eurythmics because the main goal is to connect music to movement. Educators who use Dalcroze help their students connect music, movement, the mind, and the body in order to help them be better musicians. Ear-training and learning improvisation are essential to this method. For more information, click here.

ORFF
The Orff Method also engages the mind and the body through music, but it differs from Dalcroze because of its emphasis on playing instruments. This method stresses the equal importance of such factors as singing, dancing, acting, and playing instruments like the xylophone. Those who follow the Orff Method present their lessons with an element of play, which helps children learn at their own pace and level of understanding. For more information, click here.

Orff instruments

SUZUKI
The Suzuki Method was originally developed in Japan for the violin, but since its arrival in the US, it has been adapted for piano, flute, guitar, and more. In this method, the parents take an active role in education by working in partnership with the teacher so that the student can always be learning more, whether inside the classroom or out. For more information, click here. 

FEIERABEND
This method is technically a subset of the Kodaly approach, but there are enough differences to mention it separately. The focus is on stripped down music (often just guitar and voice) that is easy for children to repeat, as Feierabend’s research has shown that pitch discrimination abilities are improved if echo patterns are easy to sing. For more information, click here. 

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services