Rhythm Syllables

The benefits of teaching rhythm syllables to children are well documented to improve reading.

Imitate, isolate, diverge: every generation will change it to fit the standards for their generation!

Resources

Beat Competence - STEADY BEAT

Making music with rhythms is a team effort.

Interview with Zoltan Kodaly

RHYTHM SYLLABLES AND THE KODALY APPROACH
by Darren Wicks

Rhythm syllables are a tool for teaching and internalizing a strong sense of rhythm. Using the rhythm syllable method, commonly occurring rhythmic patterns are given a particular name that aids in their reading and performance. This idea is not strictly confined to Kodaly teaching. Both African and Indian music employ a system of rhythm syllables. The Hungarian system was adapted from the work of the French musician and teacher, Emile-Joseph ChevÈ (1804-1864).
Strictly speaking, rhythm syllables are not names, but expressions of duration. They are effective because they linguistically represent real sound - that is, they sound like the rhythms they represent. With rhythm syllables it is possible to chant a rhythm pattern so that it is in time and in rhythm. Ordinarily this would be impossible using the theory names of each note (crotchet, quarter note, etc.). Rhythm syllables are spoken, never written down as words. Their written form is the rhythm symbol itself.
Rhythm syllables are partly necessitated by the developmental nature of Kodaly teaching. For a child, ta is a much more logical and more effectively internalized name for a crotchet or quarter note simply because both names are made of a number of syllables, yet in actuality the crotchet is really one sound over one beat.
Here are the commonly used rhythm symbols and there corresponding rhythm syllables:

  • crotchet or quarter note = ta
  • 2 quavers or eight notes = ti-ti
  • 4 semiquavers or sixteenth notes = tika-tika
  • eight note+2 sixteenth notes = ti-tika
  • 2 sixteenths + an eighth = tika - ti
  • minim or half note = too
  • dotted crotchet + quaver... dotted quarter+eighth = taam- ti
  • dotted eighth + semiquaver = tim-ka

USING THE SENSE OF TOUCH
by Bonnie Lomax

I use Kodaly rhythm syllables ta and ti-ti in 1st grade. We go from words to ta's by deciding how many sounds (syllables) are in the word. The children find this much easier if they 'put the word in their hand'. They tap two fingers in one hand and say the word.
We also write the rhythms with our bodies. In 1st grade I use four pieces of blue paper cut into puddles (beat) and the children write the rhythm for "Rain, Rain Go Away." One child stands on a puddle for a ta and two children together with arms ON, not over, each others shoulders stand on a puddle to make a ti-ti. We use also use dog bones for beat or whatever fits the song. By 2nd grade the students no longer need the beats and can write rhythms with their bodies using some pretty creative notation.

Practice Beat Competance with Dance

Dance Basics - Watch Video's of Dancers

Alley Cat
Balloon Dance
Chicken Dance
Electric Slide
Friendship Dance
Ghost Busters
Hora
Macarena
Men In Black
Mexican Hat Dance
Rise (Mr. Big Stuff)
Rocky Top
Train
Virginia Reel
Whoomp!"

Rhythm and Literacy

Rhythm Syllables

What do Whole-Language teachers and Music teachers have to learn from one another?
(adapted from a Research Forum article published, 1994, Lanley, BC School District)
When considering " literacy ," we often assume that we are considering knowledge of communication through the written word. However, the reading and writing of music are also communication skills that fall within the notion of "literacy." Music is a kind of language (some even term it the "Universal Language") with its own logic and syntax. A pedagogy has evolved to teach the skills of reading and writing music with its own methodology and developmental scope and sequence.
While music reading and writing skills are quite different from language reading and writing skills, the early development of musical literacy can also be a powerful tool in developing language literacy. Studies have shown that the study of music increases academic achievement on a number of different fronts, including language and writing skills. This seems to support the idea that the development of music and language literacy in our students may mutually reinforce each other. Perhaps the differences between the skills of reading and writing music and language are not as great as they appear at first glance. ~ Kit Eakle

MUSIC AND READING CONNECTION

Native languages influence the way people group non-language sounds into rhythms. Exposure to certain patterns of speech can influence one's perceptions of musical rhythms.

SOCIAL RHYTHM RESEARCHERS

TEACHING READING THROUGH SONGS

READING RHYTHM

RHYTHM SYLLABLES

RHYTHM DICTATION

Teaching "Whole Music" Literacy

Why not use the first syllable of the correct name?

Music has a national character music echoes speech .

Conversational Sulfege

Journal of research in Music Education

Reading Rhythm Syllables

Teaching "Whole Music" Literacy by Kit Eakle kit@musickit.com www.musickit.com

What do Whole-Language teachers and Music teachers have to learn from one another? (adapted from a Research Forum article published, 1994, Lanley, BC School District)
When considering " literacy ," we often assume that we are considering knowledge of communication through the written word. However, the reading and writing of music are also communication skills that fall within the notion of "literacy." Music is a kind of language (some even term it the "Universal Language") with its own logic and syntax. A pedagogy has evolved to teach the skills of reading and writing music with its own methodology and developmental scope and sequence.

From: "Gregg A. Collins" Oct 1997

We use a variety of methods for labeling rhythm figures. We also all agree that if the children internalize the rhythm, it doesn't really matter what we label them....

From: Marcia Oates

My approach is similar. I teach my students a variety of strategies for reading rhythms . For quarters and paired eighths, they use two-syllable and one-syllable words. I let them choose words from specific categories (students' names, favorite foods, etc...). For quarters and halves, we might use the words "long" and "short", or "meow" and "bark", etc.

The key to success is, in my opinion, that the strategy doesn't become an end in itself. As soon as possible, my goal is for students to play rhythms correctly without saying anything. When practicing rhythm reading, we read each example first using the word cues. Then we try to play the rhythm while moving only our lips. The final step is to play the rhythm together, without using any cues at all. Pretty soon, we can drop the cues altogether.

Another fun alternative to drilling rhythm reading is rhythmic dictation. I use a metronome and start with two-note examples, then three notes, then four....

My students are always amazed that they can do this!

Gregg

Rhythm Syllables

Date: Sat, 1 Nov 1997

Subject: - Re: Rhythm

Laurie Zentz wrote me a letter asking me why I read "Cuckoo, where are you?" as "quart quart eighth-eighth quart." I figured that while I'm at it, I may as well post the message to the whole group, just in case I didn't get my point across the first time.

It seems to me that it is twice as much work, for both the student and myself, to deal with two names for each note value. For reading rhythms, any one-syllable name for each note value would suffice, so why not use the first syllable of the correct name?

The Montessori system of teaching reading might be a good analogy. According to the Montessori teachers, in order to read the word "man," all you have to know is that the first letter has an /m/ sound, the second letter has an /a/ sound, and the third letter has an /n/ sound. You don't have to know that the first letter is an em, the second letter is an ay, and the third letter is an en. In fact, it might be better if you DIDN'Tknow that!

So instead of calling the letters em, ay, and en, Montessori teachers call those letters /m/, /a/, and /n/.

I'm curious about what my music theory professor would say about all this.

He wishes to limit his analytical symbols to Roman numerals followed by Arablic numerals, and he is very much in disfavor of the exotic terms which are brought in by veterans of other music theory classes.

("Neopolitan is an ice cream, you idiot!") In one session, he went on to express his opinion of the Cutesy anatomical names which parents teach their children, only to have to un-teach those names when it comes time.

He has a similar opinion of parents telling their children that there is a Santa Claus, only for their children to suffer trauma when the inevitable security leak happens.

I realize that the meaningful words advocated in the Colley (1987) study are easy for children to learn. It would be nice if triplets were commonly called Washingtons and quadruplets were commonly called Mississippis; that would resolve our dilemma.

Rhythm Syllables
Journal of Research in Music Education

Date: Sat, 1 Nov 1997

Colley, B. 1987. A comparison of syllabic methods for improving rhythm literacy.

Journal of Research in Music Education 35, 4: 221-235.

This is the article which I was referring to, which compared alternative methods of teaching rhythm. Second- and third-graders were divided into four groups--a control group, a group which used Kodaly syllables, a group which used Gordon syllables , and a group which used meaningful words, such as "Washington" and "Mississippi." The four groups were pre-tested and post-tested on recognition, dictation, and performance. The most significant finding was that the Washington-Mississippi group scored best in the performance post-test.

Sometimes, even university professors are not above applying words to rhythms. In the Mozart G major concerto, my violin teacher asks me to think "Thomas" when a phrase ends on a descrescending trochee, and "Robertson" when a phrase ends on a descrescending dactyl.

Even after reading the Colley article, I continue to have my students read "eighth" for an eighth note, "quart" for a quarter note, and "half" for a half note. I argue that calling a spade a spade might pay off more richly in the long run.

In other words, I'm too opinionated to listen to the facts.

Practice Rhythmic Dictation Games, rhythm syllables, and literacy.

Rhythm game Rhythm dicatation game steady beat instruction Music K-12 Music Makes You Smarter

ALSO SEE READING RHYTHM | RHYTHM AND LITERACY | RHYTHM SYLLABLES

Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 22:29:06 -0500
Subject: MFC- Rhythm dictation"

"Marcia Oates" wrote:

Gregg brought up the subject of rhythm dictation. One of my favorites! I especially like the way this appeals to the "left-brained" highly mathmatical (future engineers?) in my classes. They are thrilled to find something in my class that actually has a "right and wrong answer"!!!!

Seriously, my kids love dictation . I have one of Cheryl Lavendar's Rhythm Bingo Games and it is a great lead in to the dictation process. Dictation is great practice for when my students begin to notate some of their own compositions.

MUSIC | RHYTHM DICTATION | BINGO

5th grade rhythm games by Mrs. C on 11/05

My kids love rhythm bingo. I usually clap the first round ofrhythms for them and the "winner" gets to come up front and be the next caller. If they are nervous about being put on the spot, I let them have a friend come up and help. After the first round, I am off the hook!

We also do a rhythm relay. Divide into 2 teams. Each team has 4 kids sitting in chairs one behind the other with one hand on the shoulder of the person in front of him/her. The 2 teams are now in parallel lines, but close enough that you can reach them both at the same time. The kid in the front chair is facing the chalk/white board. The 2 teams are now in parallel lines, but close enough that you can reach them both at the same time. The leader, (me again for the first round), chooses a 4 beat rhythm from a set of flashcards, or the rhythm bingo cards mentioned above. The leader silently taps the chosen rhythm on the shoulders of the 2 players in the back at the same time and each one passes it forward. The person in front then jumps up and notates the rhythm on the board. The team that gets it correct first, wins the point and then everyone rotates forward one seat until everyone has had a chance to play. Good Luck!

Rhythm Bingo by Kristin Goodwin Grades: 4-6 Objectives:

Students will:

1. Identify types of notes and rests; treble and bass clefs.

Activity: rhythm bingo

Preparation: Make up bingo cards using the word "music" across the top instead of "bingo." Make the center a free square and the rest of the squares (bingo card should be 5x5) should contain different notes and rests and clefs and anything you want to review.

Process: Pass out bingo cards and a small piece of paper (to rip up for game pieces.) Play bingo as usual.

The kids love games!

HINT: When teaching the sixteenth note syllable, there are several choices, such as 'ti-ka' or 'ti-ri.' I learned somewhere that it is easier to see which students are saying it correctly if you use 'ti-bi.' The reason is because you can see their lips moving each time, where as with some others you cannot. This helps if you have lots of students in one room saying it at the same time!

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Rhythm Using the Sense of Touch Multisensory Approach

Bonnie Lomax says : I use Kodaly rhythm syllables ta and ti-ti in 1st grade. We go from words to ta's by deciding how many sounds (syllables) are in the word. The children find this much easier if they 'put the word in their hand'.

They tap two fingers in one hand and say the word. We also write the rhythms with our bodies. In 1st grade I use four pieces of blue paper cut into puddles (beat) and the children write the rhythm for "Rain, Rain Go Away." One child stands on a puddle for a ta and two children together with arms ON, not over, each others shoulders stand on a puddle to make a ti-ti. We use also use dog bones for beat or whatever fits the song. By 2nd grade the students no longer need the beats and can write rhythms with their bodies using some pretty creative notation.

You Don't need Drums just sticks and a suitcase will work just fine. Sivamani - Solo Performance at Berklee College of Music
Orff Schulwerk Ta Ta Ti-Ti Ta will work just fine :-) instruments