Ear Training and the Kodaly Technique

Using the Kodaly technique and solfège (the do-re-mi system, also known as “relative solfa”) in an innovative way, with a more modern approach rapidly improves your ear training and aural skills in a really engaging way. If you are looking to improve sight singing, enter music examinations, or improvise, then solfège is a wonderful way to improve your inner musician. Structured solfège courses lead to rapid progress from the beginning. There are many solfège courses in the library, starting with “Introduction to Solfège” and advancing to diploma level aural tests. Traditionally, solfège activities are targeted towards younger learners, but NOT HERE! The songs used are very much aimed at teenagers and adults.

Introduction to Solfège – What is solfège?

Solfège is a system that uses the “Do-Re-Mi” version of the scale (yes, as you heard in The Sound of Music!). There are also specific hand signs that represent each solfège pitch. The great thing about solfège being used with in-depth pedagogy is that it (a) trains you to hear pitches and their relationships clearly in your mind (your “inner ear”) and (b) trains you to hear multiple notes at once. The latter is particularly useful if you are singing in harmony, trying to sing back the lower part of an extract in a music exam, spotting errors in notation, or improvising with a melody and bass line.