What is the Kodály Method?
Discover the Kodály method, a dynamic and collaborative approach to music education that combines body movements, singing, and ear training exercises.
Along with melody and harmony, rhythm is part of the core foundation of all music. Whatever the genre, era, instrument, player or context of music – it’s the rhythm that provides the driving force to keep our ears tuned in and satisfy our deep instinctive appreciation of music more than anything else.
Because rhythm is such a fundamental aspect of music, ear training for rhythm is relevant and can be hugely beneficial to musicians and music fans from all corners of the musical universe. From the bass player providing that funky bassline in a band and the drummer keeping a rock-steady beat, to the composer looking for a catchy riff to perk up a section of his score, or the passionate dancer who wants their performance to be so tightly attuned to the backing music the audience can’t help but sit up and take notice, rhythm ear training is key.
The bass guitar and other bass instruments are often classed as part of the ‘rhythm section’ in a band or ensemble, and players of bass instruments are relied on to provide the rhythmic bed on which the rest of the music depends. Our Bass Tone series helps bass players find the optimal sounds for their instrument in different situations, and helps other musicians and music fans to appreciate the variety of ways the bass contributes to music. |
Watch a short video introducing the music theory behind rhythm:
The overall pace of the rhythm of music is called the tempo and no study of rhythmic ear training would be complete without also developing a reliable and accurate sense of tempo. | |
Along with percussion instruments, bass instruments are probably those most commonly associated with rhythm. While most instruments contribute primarily in terms of melody and/or harmony, bass instruments straddle the pitch and the rhythm camps, contributing as much through when they play notes as by which notes they play. Whether you’re a bassist yourself or not, ear training for bass will improve your understanding of its essential contribution to most music. | |
The percussion family of instruments features all the most purely rhythmic of instruments. If you’re interested in developing your sense of rhythm, stripping away the pitch and harmony aspects of music can make devoted ear training easier – and focusing your attention on percussion instruments is a great way to do that. You can delve into percussion ear training with a look at the rock drum kit, the orchestra percussion section, simple hand-held instruments – or even just the clapping of your hands! |
Inside Musical U you’ll find a set of ear training modules for tightening up your sense of rhythm, along with learning to write down rhythms you hear and read rhythms from notation in an easy way.
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This roadmap will help you “get rhythm”, meaning both that you’ll understand rhythm and improve your own sense of rhythm. Good rhythm is often associated with drummers and bassists but having strong rhythm skills is in fact important for every musician.
By the end of this roadmap you will have a solid sense of the pulse of music: an “inner metronome”. You will be able to read and write rhythm notation for the kinds of pattern you hear and play in real music. You will also get familiar with the lively art of syncopation which can bring vitality and expressive power to your playing.
Learn about rhythm and how it can help your musicianship.
After completing this module: You will understand the importance of rhythm and how to identify and play simple rhythms yourself.
Learn about syncopation and the pulse, upbeats and downbeats, tempo, and straight vs. swung jazz rhythm.
After completing this module: You will understand simple rhythms, downbeats and upbeats, and straight vs. swung jazz rhythm.
Discover two methods you can use to speak out a rhythmic pattern from written notation or know how to write down a rhythm you’ve heard: the count chant method and the Kodály method.
After completing this module: you will understand two methods for speaking out rhythmic patterns.
Practise your basic rhythm skills. Identify core rhythm concepts that you have learned so far like syncopation, tempo, and the pulse.
After completing this module: you will be able to identify syncopation and tap or play along with rhythm examples.
Practise making the connection between heard rhythms and traditional score notation, so that you can easily read or write down rhythms.
After completing this module: you will be able to read quarter, 8th and 16th note rhythms from notation and write them down when you hear them.
Apply your rhythm skills to identify, notate, and practice popular global rhythms including Rock, Pop, Jazz, and Latin beats.
After completing this module: you will be able to play and notate popular rhythms from around the world.
Discover the Kodály method, a dynamic and collaborative approach to music education that combines body movements, singing, and ear training exercises.
Professor Henkjan Honing, a leading researcher of biomusicology, shares results from his research on how human musicality works and where it comes from.
Learn to play off, between, and around the beat! Our all-in-one syncopation guide will have you creating masterpieces with intricate rhythms in no time.
Open your ears to the beautiful complexity of polyrhythms, and learn how you can internalize these rhythms and put them to use in your own songwriting.
Melody often gets all the attention in the world of improvisation, but rhythm is equally important! Learn about how to start improvising with rhythm.
Learn how to count rhythms using the Kodály method. Includes a chart with the Kodály rhythm syllables, audio clips and score notation to help you practice.
6/8 is a popular time signature in pop and rock songs. Find out more about how to count and hear 6/8 with multiple examples of popular songs that use it.
It seems like the shortest words have the longest definitions. When we look closer into the common word “beat,” we open a Pandora’s box of musical meaning.
Have you ever wondered how musicians read or write rhythm notation, or how to count rhythms 1, 2, 3, 4? Here’s the full scoop and exercises to try.
Grid notation is an easy, visual way to understand drum beats and create your own rhythms. Learn the basics of this notation with Groove Pizza!
The popular Foundations of A Musical Mind course is back – and enrolment is now open! Reserve your place and get ready to level up your musicianship.
Learn about an intuitive, highly effective model for counting rhythm, and how it can help you easily notate and play complex patterns in music.