Have you seen Kodaly teachers using rhythms without note heads?
Are you wondering how effective or important stick notation is?
I’ll admit I am an instrumentalist first.
So when I saw Kodaly general music teachers using notations with only sticks, I thought they were crazy.
After going through my levels and teaching both ways, I realize this tricky tool is actually quite useful.
There is some debate around this technique, which is why I decided to look at Kodaly stick notation.
Kodaly stick notation is a teaching tool used in the younger grades to learn rhythm. It removes the note heads and lets the students focus on the stems. The idea is that the stems are what’s important in the beginning rhythms, and so the students don’t need to be distracted by other things.
Let’s dive into this unusual teaching technique.
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Pros And Cons Of Kodaly Stick Notation
It’s important to start with an open mind.
Stick notation isn’t required, and it may not be missed if you skip it.
But there are some pros to using this technique.
In this section, I’ll go over the main pros and cons of stick notation.
Pros
It simplifies the rhythms.
We all know how easily distracted kids are.
By removing the heads in stick notation, the kids have fewer things I need to focus on.
This leaves them, in the younger grades, with only the stems to look at.
For this reason, stick notation is less distracting for the kids.
It writes faster.
Writing rhythms, especially for younger kids, takes quite a bit of time.
By removing the note heads, the students can write faster.
On a personal note, it’s way faster for the teacher to write the rhythms out using only stick notation too.
It allows for manipulatives with popsicle sticks.
The Kodaly method is famous for reaching different learning styles and using manipulatives.
Popsicle sticks are a great way for students to write the quarter note and eighth note rhythms.
But this only works if we’re not using note heads.
Stick notation is perfect for this.
Students can do quarter rest with popsicle sticks as well, but they have to do it as a quarter rest Z.
It avoids confusion with build and unfilled note heads.
It’s important to catch problems early on, and one of the most common rhythm problems is the note has been filled or unfilled.
We know that an unfilled note head indicates a half note, but the students often forget.
In the early years, it may be easier just to skip that problem entirely and work on it when they’re older.
Cons
Real music uses note heads.
To many, this feels like an extra step because real notation always uses note heads.
If the students are going to learn it anyway, why not just start right away?
It doesn’t apply past quarter notes, eighth notes, and quarter rest.
We need note heads once we get to half note to show the unfilled notehead.
This means that you’ll only be able to use stick notation for a short period of time.
Why learn something you’re never going to use again in a year or half a year?
It’s just a confusing extra step.
Some music teachers believe you’ll actually create more confusion in the long run by using stick notation.
Students may end up seeing stick notation as a completely different rhythm set than quarter notes and eighth notes with their note heads.
This extra step, while logically helpful, is actually more confusing and a waste of time.
What Do I Think About Kodaly Stick Notation?
As with most things in teaching music, I believe that both answers are correct.
If you don’t want to use stick notation, just teach with regular rhythms, and your students will turn out fine.
By the same token, if you want to use stick notation and give your students a little extra time and help, go with that.
Your students will turn out fine.
The important thing is being consistent once you make a choice.
Personally, I use stick notation with my first graders only.
We don’t use it long, and I use it as a temporary tool.
Kodaly Stick Notation Font
To write with stick notation by hand is very simple.
Writing with it on the computer is much more difficult.
But if you find a good Kodaly stick notation font, your life will get much easier again.
There are many out there, but these are a few I find most helpful and easy to use.
For help installing a font on your device, follow this YouTube video.
Commonly Asked Questions
How do I read stick notation? – It’s just like reading quarter notes and eighth notes without the note heads.
The different rhythm syllables you use are up to you, but traditionally it’s Ta and Titi.
In this system, the quarter rest is either shown with the normal symbol or a simple Z.
How do I write stick notation? – Perhaps the best strength of stick notation is how easy it is to write.
Just use the stems without the note heads for quarter notes and eighth notes.
The image above shows how they look in stick notation.
Don’t forget to occasionally show the stems upside down as you’d see in real notation.
What are some stick notation examples? – The image above shows what the rhythms look like in stick notation.
Check out the fonts above as well for more ways to write it down easier.
Final Thoughts
Kodaly stick notation is a useful tool any music teacher can pick up to help their students.
It helps by removing the distractions of note heads and making writing and working with manipulatives easier for the younger students.
However, you don’t need to use stick notation if you don’t want to.
Look at your students and at your own style of teaching and decide what’s best for them.
You’re the expert in your classroom, and no one should tell you differently.
Make an intentional choice and stick with it.
Your students will be amazing either way.
