Educator’s Perspectives: Comparing Kodály, Orff, and Dalcroze

As a disclaimer, this post will not be comprehensive or complete as I believe that there are many, many comparisons and comments to be made on each philosophy. However, I will point out some major differences or similarities that I personally noticed and that my mentor brought to my notice.

The three methods of music education have plenty of overlaps as they all involved high student participation and various styles of learning: visual, audio, tactile, and kinetic. What I found distinctive about each was or the starting point of each teaching method. Kodály started with singing, Orff started with speech, and Jacque-Dalcroze started with body movement. Each is rooted in the core beliefs they have regarding the nature of music. Kodály believed the act of singing consolidated and confirmed the absorption of the concept of the sound in one’s mind. Orff believed that speech was the base of music in its rhythmic patterns. Dalcroze believed body movement was intrinsically linked to music, and its natural response could reinforce the sound.

All emphasized the importance of learning rhythm. Sarah Pang said, in an earlier comment, “Both [Kodály and Orff] methods use rhythmic syllable to deal with rhythmic learning. Students will develop accurate perception about the rhythmic patterns which they might encounter in the music later.” Dalcroze also emphasized rhythm.

Both Orff and Dalcroze emphasize improvisation as essential to the development of the understanding of music. This includes both instrumental or vocal improvisation as well as in bodily movements, such as dance. Kodály’s movement focuses on hand signs to reinforce the solfa, the sound.

All believe in the development of the “inner hearing”, (though Orff less explicitly so) which I completely agree with as a foundational cornerstone to pursuing music. This “inner hearing” or “inner ear” refers to the ability to picture sound within one’s head without actually physically hearing it. Kodály believes that this can be outwardly demonstrated through singing, which displays sound that is not necessarily repeated by hearing something immediately beforehand, but having imagined sound inside one’s head. I wish I had developed “inner hearing” earlier in my musical education, as it is a very basic tool to have.

I may have differentiated between Kodály and Orff methods too distinctly, because Sarah Pang says that, “Although they are slightly different, they are used interchangeably by many educators because each method has its own strengths. It becomes very effective for the student’s learning.” In conclusion, there are differences between these three methods, many of which I have left untouched, but I believe that these methods can be used together to enrich and support each other, as they have many similar basic principles.