Developing Steady Beat is so important. It helps build strong foundations upon which to build the other important elements of music. If our students can’t keep a steady beat, it can be like trying building on sand when teaching other musical elements such as rhythm!
Steady Beat: Preparing the Foundations for the Building Blocks of Music Read More »
Musical Pictures is a great improvisation activity in the first Kodály piano lessons to allow the student the opportunity to explore the whole piano in an expressive and playful way.
Musical Pictures: inspiring creativity from the first Kodály piano lesson Read More »
Get physical with this fun, simple song Helen uses in both her Kodály Musicianship and Piano lessons. Your students will FEEL the difference and you won’t get tangled up with ineffective, wordy explanations.
Teaching Beat and Rhythm Easily Read More »
Here is a Christmas nativity song I wrote called Sleeping In A Stable. It uses the limited solfa toneset of do-mi-so-la. This is ideal for Reception/Early Years children (aged 4-5) or any child learning singing and musicianship using the Kodaly approach. It could also be used in piano lessons. You could teach the child to
Sleeping in a Stable – Nativity Song Read More »
Do you memorise your lesson plans for piano lessons or music classes?
So many of us feel we need to memorise our lesson plans. Here are my reflections on my own journey, hang ups and misconceptions about memorisation.
Memorising Kodály Music & Piano Lesson Plans Read More »
So know you want to teach using solfa, and you know that throwing them into the full diatonic scale is not the best way. But which subset of the tones, or toneset, do you teach first? Get ready for some controversy!
Which Solfa to Start with in Kodály Music Lessons Read More »
Do you teach classroom music and private instrumental lessons using the Kodály approach? Here are my four top differences between these teaching settings.
4 Differences of Kodály Music Lessons and Piano Lessons Read More »
Do you want or need to create a singing based curriculum for your school, class or club? Maybe you’ve done some Kodály training but have been left highly motivated but not quite knowing where to start.
How to start planning your Kodály Music Curriculum Read More »
Whether it’s in a piano or other instrumental lesson, a singing lesson or in a class setting, this topic crops up all the time.
5 Essential Questions Before Teaching Older Students with the Kodály Approach Read More »
My experiences and advice on how to deal with this in classroom music lessons, one-to-one piano lessons and also unbelievably in private singing lessons too!
What can I do if my students won’t sing? Read More »