Are you interested in learning about what instruments to use in a Kodaly-inspired classroom?
Do instruments even align with what Kodaly teachers do?
As someone with a Kodaly certification and as a music teacher who regularly attends workshops and professional development, I hear stereotypes about the different methods all the time.
One of the common ones about Kodaly is that he didn’t want teachers to use instruments.
This isn’t the case at all.
Still, I can see where this belief comes from, which is why I decided to bust this myth and talk about Kodaly instruments.
Kodaly did believe in using instruments in the music classroom, though he believed in the importance of singing first. Common Kodaly instruments include:
- Recorder
- Piano
- Violin
- Non-Pitched Percussion
- Orff Instruments
Check out the rest of the post for more details.
Table of Contents
Why Do People Believe Kodaly Didn’t Like Instruments?
When you dig into the Kodaly method, it’s easy to use where this wrong belief comes from.
Kodaly believed that singing is the first and more efficient tool for teaching musical concepts.
Research has backed him up in some ways on this.
Students develop an inner ear and aural understanding of musical concepts quicker when they use their voice to perform it.
This doesn’t mean that instruments don’t help; they do!
But with Kodaly-inspired teaching, singing needs to come first.
With such a belief and often limited time with students, Kodaly teachers will often fall into a habit of using singing almost exclusively.
This habit is where the stereotype comes from.
In reality, Kodaly was a big fan of his contemporary Carl Orff’s work with instruments and exploration in the elementary music classroom.
Kodaly advocated for the recorder and the Orff instruments to be used once a concept was understood with singing first.
What Instruments Did Zoltan Kodaly Play?
Don’t forget, Kodaly was himself an instrumentalist. Many of his compositions were also orchestral in nature.
Kodaly was an avid performer and could play piano, violin, viola, and cello at high levels.
He also sang in choirs as a young child.
He was no stranger to instruments, so it makes sense that he would support the inclusion of instruments in the music classroom.
Common Kodaly Instruments In The Music Room
Though he didn’t talk about all the instruments popular today, such as ukuleles, boomwhackers, etc., there were several that remained common in a Kodaly classroom.
You may also want to check out boomwhackers lesson plans.
Disclaimer: Links to products and resources may be affiliate in nature, which means we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Still, each product is one I’ve used and believe in.
Recorder
The recorder is one of the most common and treasured (or hated) classroom instruments.
With roots in the Renaissance, this instrument gained popularity as an affordable way to introduce wind instruments.
At Dynamic Music Room, we have a ton of recorder resources. Check out the menu items above.
For those looking for a good set of recorders, I always buy the Yamaha YRS-24B.
Piano
Playing piano in the elementary music room has fallen out of favor lately, but there are still many who do.
This may be more for older students, but all musicians will agree the piano has evolved as the quintessential tool for music-making.
There are a ton of resources out there for learning and teaching piano.
As far as online learning goes, it doesn’t get much better than FlowKey.
They have hundreds of songs and many great teaching tools.
I use them myself, and I love it.
Check out some of their stuff for free at the link.
Violin
The violin isn’t as popular now as it was decades ago, but it’s still an awesome instrument to teach young ones.
This may not be what you’re looking for, though I urge you to consider getting one yourself to play with your students.
Any chance you can show them real instruments in person is a chance to inspire.
I’m not good at playing the violin (at all), but my students love the chance to watch me, an expert, learn something new as well.
This Mendini full-sized violin is an affordable but nice sounding one for new players (like myself).
Non-Pitched Percussion
Non-pitched percussion instruments are great ways to practice rhythm and explore different timbres with students.
These are the most common instruments found in any music classroom, whether you’re on a cart or in your own room.
They’re often easy to transport and quite affordable.
Non-pitched percussion instruments include:
- Drums
- Shakers
- Tambourines
- Guiro
- Rattles
- And more
It’s often best to buy them in bulk, but if you’re strapped for a budget (like everyone is), consider getting a bundle such as this Benelet Natural Wooden Musical Kit, which has all these types of percussion inside.
Orff Instruments
Orff instruments or classroom xylophones are great for use in the general music classroom.
They create an awesome sound (if you buy good ones) and introduce melodic and harmonic ideas without the complexity of the keyboard or the air control of the recorder.
Despite the fact that they were developed by Orff, Kodaly was a fan of these.
There are a ton of poor quality ones out there, so be careful.
Sonor xylophones are the brand I trust and use (and for some reason, there’s always on sale at the link).
These are expensive, but you’ll want to get all these types eventually:
- Glockenspiel
- Soprano, Alto, and Bass Xylophones
- Soprano, Alto, and Bass Metalophones
- Contrabass bars
Final Thoughts
There may not be any specific Kodaly instruments, but that’s because the method fits perfectly with any classroom instrument.
Yes, the Kodaly method emphasizes the importance of singing first, but that doesn’t mean you can’t play them.
Kodaly was an instrumentalist himself and supported the use of instruments in the classroom…as long as they learned the concepts by singing first.
You may also enjoy Kodaly body percussion lessons.
