Methods of Elementary School Music Teaching

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Table of Contents

Abstract
Introduction
Suzuki method analysis
Orff method analysis
Kodály method analysis
Comparison and Specific Applications of the methods
Conclusion
Works Cited

Abstract

Assessment and specific application of three methods in children’s music teaching by Suzuki, Orff, and Kodály investigating their history, content, and implementation by professionals and assessing their application in primary school music teaching.

The key research questions are focused on the most suitable method for teaching singing and playing instrumental music; the application of the methods in the middle and lower grades of primary school; a comparison of the Suzuki and the Orff methods; finding involving pedagogy for pupils; evaluating the significance of the methods.

The methodology used while creating the paper is the assessment of literature connected with the main topic.

Introduction

In this paper, the specific application of three methods of elementary school music teaching will be estimated: Suzuki, Orff, and Kodály. The main goal of the investigation is to study the historical origins of these methods, their specific content, their implementation by professionals in current times. Another aim of this assignment is to assess the methods in terms of the application of various programmes of music teaching in primary schools. The key research questions helping to reach the aims of the project are presented below. What is the best suitable method for teaching singing, playing instrumental music in elementary schools? Which method suits students in the middle and lower grades of primary school? What are the major similarities and differences between the Suzuki method and the Orff method? Which pedagogy can better enhance pupils’ interest in music? What is the significance of these three methods for primary school teaching?

The methodology used while creating the paper is the assessment of literature connected with the main topic. Throughout the research, both primary and secondary sources were used. Primary sources are the initial works by Shinichi Suzuki (Nurtured by Love: The Classic Approach to Talent Education; Suzuki Violin Method), Carl Orff (The Schulwerk), and Zoltán Kodály (The Selected Writings of Zoltán Kodály). Primary sources of information were used as the basement for comprehending the content and specialties of the methods, authors’ approaches, and main thoughts. The main purpose of studying the initial works was to get access to the initial data to provide trustworthy information in the paper.

Secondary sources include scholarly journal articles from pedagogues estimating teaching techniques, researchers evaluating the positive impacts of the methods on children’s abilities, and interviewers. The list of sources also includes academic books on the history of western music, materials from professional websites involving the site of the European Suzuki Association and the American Orff Schulwerk Association (AOSA). Some secondary data was used from theses and dissertations relevant to the main topic of the paper. Secondary works helped evaluate the usage of the methods worldwide, the modifications of the philosophies, critics on several aspects, and perception of the methods by other music professionals. All sources in the list are reliable and possess trustworthy information representing mostly objective content. All scholarly journal articles used were published either online or offline. The data used from primary and secondary sources provides an adequate observation on the topic and is fully assessed before being included in the assignment.

The paper organises the exploration of the topic into four chapters. The first chapter discusses the Suzuki method involving the origins of the approach, its contents, assessments from later people, and its implementation by professionals. The second chapter focuses on the Orff method and explains similar aspects. The third chapter is devoted to Kodály’s method disclosing it from similar sides. Chapter four unites the approaches, compares Suzuki and Orff methods, and represents the specific application of all methods answering the key research questions of the project.

Keywords: Vocal Music Teaching, Instrumental Music Teaching, Suzuki Method, Orff Method, Kodály Method, Primary School Music Teaching.

Suzuki method analysis

The Suzuki method of music education, also known as Talent Education or the Mother Tongue Method, is a worldwide spread technique of teaching young children to play musical instruments. The author of it is Shinichi Suzuki, a Japanese violinist, philosopher, and creator of the various programmes of musical instruments education. Suzuki learned western music in Germany in the 1920s and after that, in the 1930s and post-war times, stepped on rich with thoughts and creativity path of a pedagogue. Suzuki distinguishes from other music teachers with a unique approach to education and an ability to perceive children as young brilliant talents. Dr. Suzuki learned to play violin by himself at the age of seventeen. That is how a Japanese musician took into consideration the exceptional capacity of babies to absorb and reproduce their mother tongue with the help of intuition. He developed the idea of native language learning being similar to any process of education, including playing musical instruments.

According to Shinichi, people possess natural learning skills from birth, and anyone can develop talent if he is constantly trained and surrounded by the proper environment. Moreover, Suzuki believed that environment concedes possibilities, teacher’s, and parent’s involvement in the studying process. One of the central philosophies claimed by Suzuki during the interview in 1991 was that all children are talented and intelligent from birth, and their progress relies on the teachers’ ability to develop them. The teaching programme of Suzuki is proved to be efficient, smart, and is successfully used all over the world. Moreover, parent’s active participation in the enhancement of their child’s skill is one of the major factors that leads to effective outcomes. Oftentimes, children do not receive the needed attention level at an early age as parents can be occupied with work, cannot take an action in the decision-making of their child’s activities.

The latter seems neither positive nor negative. From one side, developing high-level skills in early childhood broadcasts the human mind, leads to new opportunities, and a life level. Growing in a musical environment, a child can develop a sense of rhythm, harmony, attentiveness to details, better memory, and many other talents. On the other side, involving a child in the musical sphere at the age of 2-3 might interrupt his individuality, personal development, and decision-making. It is essential to give a specific amount of freedom to the child so he can feel confident and free to make his statements and assessments.

Despite all the factors mentioned above, the Suzuki method of music education is efficient and well-programmed for young children at 2-3 years old and primary school. The approach receives positive reviews and is widely used in various countries nowadays. Andrew Pudewa, a student of Shinichi Suzuki, remembers his pedagogue as a spiritual master that could spread enormous energy and pure belief to any child’s potential. Pedagogues working with children successfully implement the Suzuki method in their teaching using it as a whole or inserting it in their plans adding personal ideas.

Alison Maerker Garner, a teacher in primary school, considers the Suzuki model to be the best-matched with young children and claims the method of Japanese violinist to be the cornerstone of her pedagogics. The phases proposed by Suzuki: repetition, memorising, positive learning, and skill development, Garner uses in noninstrumental spheres of education, involving games, art, and other activities.

In the US, the interest in the technique started raising in the 1960s when the first qualified teachers in the Suzuki method started accepting students. However, Lois Peak emphasises the implementation of the programme in the US had a certain number of modifications as the original technique reflects Japanese original beliefs and practices. Indeed, in Japan, it is standard to educate children at a young age, and the participation of family, parent’s involvement as teachers are experienced via generations. Similarly, as in the US, it is more common to wait for the interest and motivation of any individual to come spontaneously and free willingly, same distinguishes can be met in other cultures. That is why implementing a certain number of changes into the programme should not be perceived as negative. Adapting the method to other cultures is one of the necessary steps in its progression and spread.

The method can be summarized into several aspects Suzuki found major in music education that are useful working altogether. Organising the domestic environment to provide ongoing contact to the child with the learning subject is one of the prior aspects. The second important step is to increase the complication of the tasks within time, starting from the easiest exercises with constant repetition. For instance, in the second volume of the violin manual, Suzuki starts the practice with simple exercises, compositions as “Chorus from Judas Maccabaeus” by G.F. Handel. Then, Suzuki gradually increases the level of tasks ending the manual with “Minuet” by L. Boccherini. A third aspect of the method is daily practices that enhance skills and make the child feel more confident and natural whilst playing the instrument. After maintaining the ability to play by ear, Suzuki proposes to start teaching children learning by rote which distinguishes his philosophy from many other pedagogues. An aural approach requires a special level of attention and makes a child perceive and reproduce music variously; it also develops the sense of music and intuition.

The participation of the family, more importantly of the mother, is the fourth key factor of the programme. Family can involve a child in the learning process, contribute and help in harsh periods, and provide the needed level of encouragement. Suzuki recommends the mother start the learning process with her child from an early age, comprehend the basics of instrument usage, and be the first child’s teacher on the way to acquaintance with it. The last aspect of the method is the attitude to the learning that should be interesting, involving, and entertaining so that the child associates playing on a musical instrument with positive emotions. Kara Eubanks called Suzuki’s main aim in the learning progression was to develop happiness, reasoning thinking, and character. Japanese composer also designed smaller versions of violins for children to make their daily practices more comfortable.

Thus, the Suzuki method of music teaching is a decent programme for elementary and primary school children concentrating mostly on an aural approach with a substantial number of practices, parent’s participation, proper learning environment, and entertaining learning process. Developing learning by ear and then inserting musical grammar is a smart tactic for young people that prepares their abilities to enhance music knowledge later. Initially, Suzuki created the violin practices, and in modern days a variety of methods propose piano, guitar, and other instruments learning practices. The method fits elementary school education with possible modifications to modern societies as school programme cannot track the daily routines at home or parent’s involvement in the studying process. Apart from that, the Suzuki method can enhance pupil’s interest in music and provide the proper environment for education.

Orff method analysis

The Orff method, also called the Orff-Schulwerk approach, is a method of music education involving games, poems, movement, and other various activities. The author of the programme is a German composer, Carl Orff, that developed his philosophy in the 1920s. Carl was born in Munich in a military and music family: both of his parents played the piano, and the most significant part of Orff’s music education refers to his mother that taught him music grammar, harmony, and piano technique. Orff became a conductor of several orchestra houses in Munich, and soon after he achieved great success with works as Carmina Burana (1937), Der Mond (1938), Die Kluge (1942). Even though Carmina Burana as the first impressive work was not positively assessed by the Nazi press, Carl Orff remained the only internationally known German composer of Nazi times. The composer became famous for uniting in his works orchestra and text, rhythm, and dance harmonically.

In the 1920s, Orff together with Gunild Keetman, a skilled musician, a dancer, and one of his students, created a school accepting young females from eighteen to twenty-two years old. The school was based on principles of uniting music, dancing, and language into one art. Orff believed that music education for young children should be natural, easy, and simple. Even though the school was closed because of political pressure in 1944, after World War II Carl Orff continued his pedagogy releasing series of broadcasts on Bavarian radio. In 1950-154, he also finished writing a five-volume book called Music for Children. The human body, according to Carl, is a unique instrument that has an innate rhythm sense, that can create music and be easily involved in creativity. Orff’s main goal was to educate people via music and activities but never turn the process of studying into a special topic.

According to Özevin, Orff’s approach is hard to call a method as it does not have a specific number of aspects needed to be followed consequently. However, philosophy still has essential basic meanings, models, and processes. The fact the philosophy does not have any strict borders and rules should be perceived as positive as it can be easily integrated into any culture and society. There is no need for Orff’s approach adaptation as it allows to improvise and variate the programme whilst following it. That distinguishes Orff from other traditional methods of music education as it does not provide teachers the exact algorithm of actions remaining an efficient strategy or an approach.

Carl Orff’s fundamental educational principles are built on the main thought of uniting music, dance, and language. One of the philosophy’s major aspects is the intensification of children’s knowledge by allowing them to explore, create, improvise, compose, and invent. Orff’s method inevitable part is including the periods for self-study and communication with peers after the music has been taught through imitation. This gives students the possibility to process learned material and spend time alone or in discussion reflecting on the new information.

Movement and dance activities lead to further improvisation and learning. Children’s imitating the sounds and movements after teachers can enhance critical listening, allow them to develop improvising abilities, physical and cognitive skills. Feeling no borders for improvising leads to another essential aspect as free self-expression. Children, especially reaching adolescent age, often face difficulties with unrestricted opinion-sharing as teenagers easily judge and tease each other. Self-expression and confidence can help smoothen the sharp edges of this period and educate an individual with strong opinions, promising goals, and successful outcomes.

In 1950 and 1954, five basic volumes of “Music for children” by Orff and Keetman were published, and each of the books focuses on various musical aspects. Songs, dances, rhythm-melodic exercises, speech recitations, instrumentalised plays are included in each volume. The first volume is including simple melodies consisting of five notes, also called pentatonic. The first exercises in the first volume begin with only two notes usage: sol and mi. The second and third volumes mostly focus on major tonalities with drone bass and triads, dominants, and subdominants. The fourth and fifth volumes focus primarily on minor tonalities with similar aspects. The bodrun, or drone, is an open fifth on the first and fifth scale degrees. In Orff’s exercises, bass xylophone or bass metallophone generally play the bodrun to keep harmonic stability.

The exercises increase in difficulty and are planned to be done using Orff instruments. To make it more comfortable and accessible for children to play musical instruments, Orff designed smaller versions of them. Children-sized versions made them more portable, easily transported, and flexible with varying musical necessities. For instance, the easy removal of bars allows students to arrange the instrument into pentatonic, major, or minor scales. Orff instrument collection includes pitched wooden or metal instruments that allow children to play melodies, accompaniments, and ostinatos. Unpitched percussion instruments are usually used to play rhythmic patterns.

Body percussion is another key component of Orff’s approach that includes snaps, claps, pats, and stamps while teaching a phrase, a song, a rhythm, or a highlight of particular words. Such tactile movements allow students to physically perform a piece of music before transferring it on instruments. Body percussion also develops a sense of rhythm, attention to detail, and coordination. Speech is another unique feature of Carl Orff’s method of music education. One of the most frequent examples of using speech is an ostinato which represents a short pattern that repeats itself again and again. Usually, the ostinato is attached to some poem or a song and may be transferred to instruments.

A great number of professionals use Orff’s approach in their pedagogy, and nowadays, it is perceived as a classic technique. In the US, music educators can achieve a special level of certification by joining and going through the programme at the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA). The AOSA releases a quarterly journal called The Orff Echo and holds professional conferences for its members yearly. Certification for trainees in the Orff-Schulwerk method has three levels: the first is available for young music teachers that are in the process of getting an education. It is recommended to complete all three levels within three to seven years to make the education continuous, and if the dates are expired, the teachers are recommended to repeat the course of the level. A thesis by Angqian Li emphasised the possibility of transforming, reforming, and implementing Orff’s philosophy in piano teaching. Li did empiric research in a school lesson, assessed scientific literature on the topic, and interviewed a teacher that experienced Orff’s method in his piano classes.

Several studies used Orff’s approach assessing and implementing it for enhancement of children’s disabilities. The results are impressive as several studies have shown promising improvements in young people’s coordination, cognitive abilities, auditory, and language skills. Research by Marta Martins et al. has proven that Orff-based music practice improved children’s manual dexterity and bimanual coordination. Before the training, pupils had their eye-hand coordination, motor speed, and bimanual coordination measured with the Purdue pegboard test and manipulative dexterity measured with the Grooved pegboard test. Throughout the studying year, students had the music training practices according to the Orff method and sports training. The music routines eventually showed better results in coordination and manual dexterity improvement than sports or no training conditions.

Another study by Senkal and Muhtar emphasised the positive impact of Orff’s music therapy on auditory processing, cognitive abilities, and language skills in children with intellectual disorders. The outcomes proved that Orff music therapy sessions 45 minutes long performed twice per week for 6 weeks improved the sensory awareness and sensory-motor integration with language and noticeably expanded children’s potential. The authors of the study proposed the method to be used with children under the risk of developing auditory processing disorders.

Hence, Carl Orff’s method of music education is a unique approach to children cumulating the use of instruments, movements, and music. German composer and pedagogue turned out to create the best philosophy that repeats children’s nature, makes the process of education easy, entertaining, and memorisable. Using Orff’s method, teachers allow young musicians to stay free at self-expression, creativity, and responsibility for their decision-making. Moreover, the approach develops the physical and cognitive abilities of children and helps them prevent or treat several disorders. Orff’s method can be implemented in playing various instruments or combined with other approaches as it is a flexible philosophy that is suitable for different cultures and societies.

Kodály method analysis

Kodály method is an approach to music education created by Hungarian composer and pedagogue, Zoltán Kodály. Some people call Kodály an ethnomusicologist as he took Hungarian folk music as a basement for creating a new music style. Today, the method of Hungarian composer is known worldwide, perceived as classics, and is used by a significant number of music teachers. Zoltán Kodály was born in a music family: his father was an unprofessional violinist, and his mother amateur pianist and singer, spread the atmosphere of music harmony to every corner of their home. The future basis for Zoltán’s philosophy takes roots from the thesis he wrote in the university which was about Hungarian folk songs. Since 1905, Kodály together with Béla Bartók continued investigation of Hungarian folk music and created a collection consisting of more than three thousand songs.

In 1906, Kodály began his teaching career as a music theory instructor in the Royal Academy of Music. In 1925, after the visit to England, he noticed the level of teaching in Hungarian schools did not include high-quality music materials, and music education started only in the middle school years. One of Zoltán’s central goals was to enhance the music taste of the young generation as it straightly influences human development, realisation, and health. Soon after, in Hungarian primary schools, the music education was reformed, and students began learning the subject earlier along with being able to read and write notes. Kodály released a great number of books such as Folk Music of Hungary, Little Pieces for Children’s Choir, The ABC of Singing, a teacher’s manual Singing School, Let Us Sing Correctly, a variety of singing exercises united in collections, and many others.

Kodály’s philosophy emphasises the importance of music belonging to and being accessible for everyone as music originally is a product of social and cultural experience. For a Hungarian composer, the idea of transmission cultural (including musical) heritage was more essential than music education itself. Zoltán believed that music pedagogues should be talented and creative people deeply interested in music and aiming to become decent musicians. That will help a teacher easily involve students in the process of education, magic, and harmonic music world. One of the teacher’s main goals should also be the will to make learning entertaining, memorisable, and unique.

Perception of music, according to Kodály’s philosophy, should not be achieved from the intellectual, rational sides, the pedagogue must focus on the child’s intuition, performance, creativity, and listening. Kodály believed music education, started from primary school, not middle school, develops children’s creativity, imagination, critical thinking, and cognitive abilities. The best and logical way to involve a child in music, according to Kodály’s method is singing as the human voice is the most intimate of all instruments and the sense of music is easily developed through the personal medium. After teaching a child singing, writing, and reading notes, the next step is playing a musical instrument. Zoltán considered the basic knowledge to be prepared to understand and play the instrument is developed via singing and learning music grammar.

Movements and games are inevitable parts of Zoltán’s philosophy as he considered them to fasten the development of children in the music sphere. Kodály inserted in music teaching techniques solmization which is a method of associating each note with a particular syllable. Solmization improves comprehensible associations to the individual sounds, individual typical intervals, melodic figures syllables of varying tonal colour. Via solmization, a pupil learns music grammar, develops hearing, and improves musical thinking.

The author also puts a special significance on music literacy as, without it, music would remain pure entertainment and will not lead to great outcomes. The author included the rhythm and melody exercises into the music curriculum inducing children’s creativity and improvisation skills. Separate techniques and Kodály’s method are still used by many teachers all over the world. Peter DeVries, an Australian music teacher, says that pedagogues including him are passionate about this method as it improves children’s singing, rhythmic skills, develops music literacy, and enhances perceptional functioning in general. Some teachers, emphasises DeVries, take one aspect of Kodály’s concept too literally as it is the only one important and concentrate on it. What is essential in every approach is to study it fully and comprehend the usage and possible advantages it can bring into the process of studying. Education should rely on a variety of techniques to involve different systems of the human body in memorising and enjoying the learning.

Moreover, DeVries mentions that young children, according to his experience, are accepting and learning folk songs better than teenagers that are oftentimes far-fetched for them. Children, especially in the teenage period, are very dependent on modern tendencies, they prefer to listen to famous artists and their songs. It is important to keep education related to a student despite the fact of changing age and preferences. For instance, popular music with decent quality can become a part of the music programme. The progress and modern tendencies are hard to stop or control; instead, teachers should adapt the techniques to the modern world and save common ideas of educational models.

Another study by Laura Dunbar and Shelly Cooper researched how the Kodály method enhances disciplinary literacy. Disciplinary knowledge is a deep understanding of the subject including the right perception of how information in this sphere is created, shared, and assessed. The authors of the research emphasised the importance of the approach in achieving musical independence by developing music grammar knowledge and being able to read notation in new contexts. Kodály’s approach also improves audiation that allows the educators to imagine the sounds of notes in their head before performing them aloud. The usefulness of the method is proved within decades and is followed by many teachers and instructors in various countries.

Therefore, Zoltán Kodály’s philosophy is based on the principles of making music easily accessible for all social categories, sharing cultural heritage, and learning music via folk songs. The teachers, according to Kodály’s approach, should be interested in the music sphere and well prepared to share with students a rich and exciting world of music. Singing, reading, and writing notes are the first steps of the programme before playing musical instruments. Early start of music education with movements, games, solmization, and developing music literacy enhances student’s knowledge, imagination, audiation, and cognitive abilities. Even though some modern specialists claim folk songs are not always well integrated among teenagers, Kodály’s method remains widely used by professionals and is recommended mostly for children in primary schools. Adapting the method to the current circumstances and children’s preferences is essential for education in any sphere. The philosophy of the Hungarian composer and teacher is flexible and has basic aspects that can be easily implemented in modern society even with some modifications.

Comparison and Specific Applications of the methods

Three approaches by talented musicians can be implemented in various spheres of music education. In this chapter, the similarities and differences of the Suzuki and Orff methods and the most natural fields for all method’s implementation will be discussed. For instance, the Suzuki and the Orff methods, created in the same decade, represent different ideas of children’s music education. Both authors received their education in Germany, started a pedagogical career in the 1920s, and developed a new approach to music learning for the time they lived in. Shinichi Suzuki and Carl Orff both designed the instruments and materials sized for a child and created a child-centered approach instead of trying to fit him into an adult world. Both composers and pedagogues believed that the complicity of the lessons should increase gradually to make the process of learning comfortable and gradual. Moreover, Suzuki and Orff put into a central place children’s environment as one of the major aspects of learning even though Suzuki wanted to create a musical atmosphere surrounding a child from an early age, while Orff believed the imitation of children’s daily activities forms a proper background for their learning.

There are more differences between the two authors’ approaches as the main goal of Suzuki was to train professional musicians using the mother-tongue approach, participation of the family, and daily rehearsals. Even though Suzuki wanted the process of learning to be entertaining for a child, a certain number of repetitions, a background of listening exercises, family control do not create full freedom for a learner. It will be more appropriate to claim that the Suzuki method prepares and forms high-quality music professionals. Orff’s aim was never to teach music as a subject or a separate topic. Carl Orff wanted to educate people with the help of music, dancing, and language to develop their knowledge, imagination, and cognitive skills. That is why Orff’s approach has fewer rules and borders, it does not attach to a certain children’s age, and teachers whilst planning the lesson can use their creativity and experience. Suzuki method is more down-to-earth as it has a plan of exercises recorder for parents, children, as well as manuals for teachers. If Suzuki concentrates first on learning music by ear and then adds reading notes, Orff unites all activities together making music education multifunctional and entertaining.

The most suitable philosophy for singing education in elementary schools is the approach by Zoltán Kodály. Hungarian composer finds human voice the most natural and logical way to begin any music education, and the basics of his programme focus mostly on singing exercises. Kodály was sure that the most rapid and easiest way to involve someone into the musical world is to let him discover the abilities of his voice. Singing is the essence of Kodály’s method, and following his approach has no restrictions or exact rules which means the method can be used in several countries with different heritage, cultures, and customs.

Orff-Schulwerk’s approach is the one suitable for instrumental music teaching in elementary schools as it developed the children-sized instruments with variable music needs. For instance, the teacher or a pupil can change a bar on the instrument to switch between the pentatonic, major, or minor scales. The smaller variant of the instruments is essential for pupils as the proportions of their hands and equipment parts create comfortable conditions and a feeling of unification with the music world. Students can also play melodies, accompaniments on different instruments made from various materials. The child’s acquaintance with enormous sounds that can be produced by his movements allows him to feel free in creating music, experiment, and develop experience in the sphere. The union of children’s natural activities such as movements, dancing, playing, body percussion exercises, and imitation after teachers or peers creates a comfortable environment for young educators and easily involves them in the process of learning.

Suzuki’s method originally was created for the violin even though nowadays a variety of techniques exist for other instruments. However, a method created by a Japanese composer focuses on music education from the age of 2-3 years old and is involved in the process of learning family and relevant domestic atmosphere. To accomplish all the aspects of Shinichi Suzuki, a school needs to organise family meetings and mutual traditions to support the teaching method. That is why Orff’s approach is proposed as the one that is easier to realise, maintain, and follow.

Carl Orff’s philosophy will be also the most suitable for middle and lower grades of elementary school. It does not demand a certain number of practice exercises or necessary acquaintance with reading and writing music notes as in Suzuki and Orff methods respectively. Orff’s approach is the most natural and light method for children to start introducing them into the music environment. In everyday life, they play games, feel free to move and experience new sounds and objects, repeat all details of adults’ behaviour, speech, manners, and character, and cooperate with peers. Carl Orff’s method includes all these aspects and gives freedom for structuring lessons to the teachers and a certain amount of freedom to the children. It is also essential that instructors cooperate with children in a usual atmosphere, on the floor. The fact that the teacher goes down to the child (not the child who tries to reach the teacher) to become his friend and tutor disposes pupils to the studying.

Research by Odeh and Zboon proved the implementation of Orff’s approach among primary school students in Jordan enhanced social interaction skills. The format of learning music in a group of peers that has mutual goals and orientations can improve the social skills of a child. Such cooperation can also develop a sense of responsibility, help a child progress leadership skills, and learn to build trustworthy interrelations with other peers in the group.

Kodály’s pedagogy can enhance pupils’ interest in music as it requires both entertainment and learning aspects. Primary school is the intermediate step between childhood and adultery, and programmes mostly focusing on imitating children’s natural activities fit the first years of elementary school. In the middle years of primary school, it is essential to teach students to plan their life, estimate risks, achieve goals, take responsibility, and participate in individual tasks as confident as in a group environment. Zoltán Kodály created a decent approach allowing children to stay creative and open-minded while gaining disciplinary knowledge, improving audiation, imagination, and learning to read and write notes. Achieving goals whilst staying in a positive and enjoyable atmosphere can keep students of primary school motivated and interested in music classes.

All three methods are significant for primary school education as they represent well-thought systems that lead to successful outcomes. The major issue while choosing between them depends on the end goal the selector wants to achieve at the finish line. If students are not beginners and are already familiar with the music, and their families want them to get a professional music education, learn to play an instrument, the Suzuki method fits such requests. The most solid, serious method involving all spheres of life, Suzuki’s philosophy will lead a child to a master level of playing the instrument.

On the other side, if music education is a part of general education, Orff’s and Kodály’s methods will create a smooth and natural atmosphere for a pupil at the same time teaching and developing him. Kodály’s method could be more suitable for the middle years of primary school as it requires more learning and discipline. However, all the methods are developing children’s cognitive abilities, coordination, sense of music, and interconnection with peers. That is why Suzuki’s, Orff’s, and Kodály’s approaches are essential methods of elementary school music teaching that should be widely implemented by teachers, instructors, and other music educators.

Conclusion

As discussed previously, all three methods provided by Suzuki, Orff, and Kodály represent various approaches and achieve different goals in primary school music teaching. Every philosophy is a decent programme that leads to successful results whilst developing a child from multiple sides. In this paper, the historical origins, the main aspects of the methods were estimated as well as the implementation of these methods worldwide.

The Suzuki method is similar to the Orff method by designing smaller versions of instruments and materials for children, gradually increasing the complicity of the exercises, inventing child-centered approaches, put special significance in the learning environment. The differences in the methods represent various goals of the philosophies: teaching a professional versus educating a human with the help of music, dance, and language. The ways of applying the methods are also distinct from each other: Suzuki’s approach symbolises the early beginning of studying, family participation, learning by ear before reading and writing notes, and daily practices. Orff-Shulwerk’s philosophy is more relaxed with rules, creates an enjoyable atmosphere of the classes, involves a multidisciplinary approach including movements and language usage.

The comparison of the methods also shows that the most suitable approach for singing classes is Kodály’s method. The latter is the one that focuses on vocal exercises the most and underlines singing as the most natural and logical start of music education. However, instrumental music teaching will be achieved by Carl Orff’s method as it is distinguished from other approaches by providing many children-sized instruments with different functions and sounds.

The most suitable for middle and lower grades of elementary school is Carl Orff’s approach as it is the most natural method for children to start introducing them into the music environment. It does not require an exact number of practices or music grammar learning and allows them to play games, feel free to move and experience new sounds and objects, repeat all details of adults’ behaviour, speech, manners, character; and cooperate with peers. The method that can attract pupils’ interest is believed to be Kodály’s pedagogy as it has an adequate combination of entertainment and learning new material. Being taught by this method, children can stay creative and open-minded in accordance with gaining disciplinary knowledge, improving audiation, imagination, and learning to read and write notes.

The significance of all three methods for primary school music education is undeniable. The main question is the final goal of the study and the type of school using the method. Suzuki’s approach better fits narrow music education or families that aim to reach professional outcomes in learning to play a musical instrument. Orff’s approach suits elementary school children with no previous experience in music. Young pupils will adapt to the school format faster if the Orff-Shulwerk philosophy is used. Kodály’s method is a golden middle for primary school education as it unites interesting and natural activities for children with learning to read and write notes. All three approaches are decent programmes that deserve investigation and implementation with possible modifications to modern society.

Works Cited

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