The melodic dic a ion in he adi ions o Russian music educa ion
Dzhumano a, Lolaa
aMoscow P.I. Tchaiko sky Conse a o y, Depa men o heo y music, Cen al Music
School (college), Russia.
Abs ac
In Russia sol eggio became an academic subjec a he ime o ounda ion o
Sain -Pe e sbu g and Moscow conse a o ies. Coming om Wes e n Eu ope,
in Russia sol eggio gained i s own adi ions o eaching. The e we e
es ablished h ee main ac i i ies – ocal and in ona ion exe cises, hea ing
analysis and dic a ion. They we e de ined by he scien is o he ХХ h cen u y
–p o esso o Moscow Conse a o y I.V. Sposobin.
I is a melodic dic a ion ha became a comp ehensi e model o he
de elopmen o p ospec musicians’ skills. The eason is in he combina ion
o a ious asks, such as he abili y o hea , ealize, memo ize and eco d a
ela i ely comple e musical pa based on a ce ain numbe o eplays. O e
he yea s o e olu ion in he Russian eaching school he dic a ion ob ained
logical ep esen a ion, enabling o each and pe cei e music, onal and
a onal. The same dic a ion signi ican ly di e s in he Russian adi ion om
i s F ench analogue.
The epo desc ibes he e olu ion in he h ee-le el sys em o music
educa ion, compa ing i o he adi ions o o he coun ies.
Keywo ds: sol eggio, a melodic dic a ion, a comp ehensi e ask, mul ile el
musical hinking.
h
2nd In e na ional Con e ence on Highe Educa ion Ad ances, HEAd’16
Uni e si a Poli ècnica de València, València, 2016
DOI: h p://dx.doi.o g/10.4995/HEAd16.2016.2576
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Dzhumano a, L.
1. In oduc ion
The melodic dic a ion as one o he sol eggio cou se ac i i ies has i s na ional adi ions in
Russia. I was N.A. Rimsky-Ko sako who i s spoke abou he need o eco d music
episodes om memo y. His wo ds e e ed o eaching sol eggio in wo open
conse a o ies: i s in Sain -Pe e sbu g, and hen in Moscow. The necessi y o eco d
music episodes om memo y ( oday i is called a melodic dic a ion) is p ima ily ela ed o
acqui ing he skills o hea ing, memo izing and w i en ep oduc ion o he music ex using
no es. This skill is especially opical o hose s udying « ee c ea i i y» ( oday –
composi ion). V.Sposobin, p o esso o he Moscow Conse a o y, de ined in he 1930s
h ee majo ac i i ies o he sol eggio cou se: sol- a o ocal-in ona ion skills, hea ing
analysis and dic a ion. While he i s ac i i y is he closes o i s «sou ce» - sol eggio,
o igina ing om I aly as exe cises o singing, hea ing analysis is he mos p o essional
aining o musicians’ hea ing, combining bo h hea ing and unde s anding he sound
e ical (in e als, cho ds) and equi ing he knowledge o musical heo y. The leas
o dina y ac i i y is he melodic dic a ion. Wha a e he me hodological adi ions o w i ing
a dic a ion in Russia?
2. Dic a ion as a comp ehensi e ac i i y
While eco ding a melodic dic a ion, he w i e uses hea ing, memo y, music ma e ial
analysis, me e -and- hy hmical skills, music basics, knowledge in he heo y o music. The
composi e o ma o his complex wo k equi es ho ough p epa a ion. I is qui e easonable
ha dic a ions a e w i en s a ing om he i s s age o he h ee-le el sys em o music
educa ion and inishing in he i s yea o highe educa ion. I is o be no ed ha o some
musicians (conduc o s and music his o ians), becoming a pos -g adua e s uden also
in ol es an examina ion on Sol eggio as a dic a ion, since i shows he le el o
de elopmen o he candida e’s hea ing, memo y, music heo y and unde s anding.
A he same ime he ange o asks o w i ing dic a ions a di e en s ages o educa ion
conside s manageable complexi y o he le el. I akes in o accoun he ac ha small kids
do no ha e he skills o w i ing no es, so dic a ions o 5-7-yea -old child en a e gi en
o ally as sho (2-4 ba s) melodic mo i s, which should be sung/played on he
ins umen /clapped a e lis ening o hem once o wice. These a e he so called melodic
and hy hmical dic a ions. A melodic dic a ion equi es o child en accu acy in ep oducing
in ona ion hy hm. He e child en show no only hei hea ing abili ies, bu also he quali y
o hei music memo y.
In he p ima y music school i is necessa y o each child en pe cei e a dic a ion as a
ou ine sol eggio class ac i i y. This ou e se ing means egula memo y aining. Owing o
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The melodic dic a ion in he adi ions o Russian music educa ion
he basis o he majo /mino key in he Russian sys em o music educa ion, he opical
ques ions include he speci ics o he onal de elopmen in his dic a ion: which deg ee he
dic a ion s a ed wi h, which i inished wi h, wha skips we e he e in he melody, wha
melodic idioms we e included, wha speci ics we e no iced in he hy hmical g oo e.
Ano he ea u e is including he heo e ical ma e ial s udied in class in o he dic a ion. All
he abo e ques ions enable o ain analy ical app oach o he melody hea d.
In he middle music school, eache s no mally gi e a mono hema ic dic a ion wi h he
leng h o 8 ba s, which aims o acili a e s uden s’ unde s anding o he simples s uc u e o
he music pe iod o epea ing/non- epea ing/uni ied o ma . The melody hea d mus be
no ed down a e 6-8 eplays, du ing which hey iden i y he key, me ic signa u e, melodic
s uc u e, caesu as, hy hmical and melodic speci ics. I is i al o eco d a dic a ion.
The classical adi ion o w i ing a dic a ion means eco ding i om memo y, and no
aking o sho hand no es ollowing he pe o mance. The p ocedu e o w i ing a dic a ion
emphasizes in eg al pe cep ion o he musical piece, including in e ac ion o all i s pa s.
The e o e, a i icial di ision in o smalle pa s (sequences o no es, hy hmical scale, ba s)
may be only a empo a y echnique o ind ou and sol e p oblems. The in eg i y o
pe cep ion is he main di e ence om he p ocedu e o w i ing a dic a ion in F ance, whe e
a dic a ion is played in ull a he beginning and he end o w i ing, while in he middle
se e al ba s a e played 2-3 imes in a ow. Howe e , he Russian sys em does no exclude
eco ding he no e ex by pa s, bu only p o ided ha he s uc u e o he dic a ion is clea ,
and he numbe o ba s is hus e iden .
In he music college he ask is o each s uden s w i e 1/2/3- oice dic a ions using
ch oma isms o ansi ions and modula ions o o he keys. I is also impo an o hea he
ypes o co ela ion be ween oices in a polyphonic dic a ion (di ec , pa allel, indi ec ,
opposi e), be knowledgeable abou homophonic-ha monic and polyphonic composi ion,
unde s and he p inciples o w i ing ch oma ic sounds. The issues o he dic a ion s uc u e
(analy ical app oach) a e always opical.
A comple ely di e en dic a ion pe cep ion is p ac iced a highe educa ional
es ablishmen s. All he echnical memo y and hea ing aining should be le behind. The
aim o he conse a o y dic a ion is o eco d a polyphonic dic a ion wi h a changeable
numbe o oices aking in o accoun gen e and s ylis ic ea u es o he music ma e ial. I is
cu ious ha o he i s ime p ospec unde g adua es encoun e s ylis ic dic a ions and
gen e pe o mance a he en ance examina ion, whe e, pianis s, o example, a e eques ed
o w i e down he dic a ion in P oko ye ’s o Rakhmanino ’s s yle as a piano minia u e.
Conduc o s and music his o ians eco d 3- oice dic a ions wi h expanded onali y and
elemen s o polyphonic imi a ions.
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Dzhumano a, L.
Na u ally, he ques ion is: wha ma e ial may be used o gen e and s ylis ic dic a ions. In
he educa ional p ac ice o he i s wo s ages o he h ee-le el sys em o music educa ion
dic a ions a e mainly ins uc i e, since hey mus «wo k» o sol ing speci ic heo e ical
di icul ies and a he same ime hey mus be s uc u ally comple e. Music pieces a e o en
inapp op ia e he e. A highe educa ional es ablishmen s he si ua ion is he opposi e: he
ma e ial o en includes agmen s o he con empo a y wo ks. The aim is o each and
pe cei e a con empo a y minia u e, because i has a well-de eloped music language, using
mode n no a ion p inciples, and gi es ano he ho izon al and e ical горизонтали.
Undoub edly, some o he mos sui able minia u es he e a e such pieces as hose om
“Mic ocosm” by B. Ba ok. Howe e , o achie e gen e di e si y i is much mo e in e es ing
o use agmen s om chambe and ocal, cho us o symphonic music.
3. Dic a ion as a esul o wo king on ocal-in ona ion and hea ing skills
A dic a ion could ha e ailed as he ac i i y i he e was no wo- old p epa a ion o
sol eggio: ocal-in ona ion skills and hea ing analysis.
Conside ing memo y de elopmen , i is o be kep in mind ha ini ially he child’s musical
memo y is de eloped by signing song-melodies and lea ning hem by hea . A his s age
he basics o he analy ical app oach o a music agmen is made. How many ph ases a e
he e in he song? In he ex hey a e usually di ided by a caesu a. Which o hem epea ?
Wha is he di e ence be ween hem? Does he s op on he uns able deg ee in he middle o
he song sound as comple e? Whe e can we pu a « ull s op» in he musical de elopmen ?
Ob iously, in he end, whe e we come o he key no e. All hese ques ions and answe s a e
o lis en and hea he music ex a en i ely and dis inc i ely. I is clea ha he ma e ial o
singing and lea ning by hea is becoming mo e and mo e complex a each s ep o
de elopmen . Memo y aining is in place ill he beginning o he highe school sol eggio.
Ano he impo an aspec o p epa ing o w i e a dic a ion is hea ing analysis. This o m o
wo k may include a ious models o hea ing: s a ing om sepa a ely played sounds in/ou
o a key, associa i e melodic idioms (auxilia y and ansi idioms, leading no es,
e acho ds, skips wi h illing e c.), in e als and cho ds in/ou o a key, ha monic ou -
oice sequences and sepa a ely played al e ed cho ds. The skills o his hea ing analysis
may be use ul o he melodic dic a ion.
4. Issues o he onal hinking in he melodic dic a ion
In Russia Kodály Me hod did no become widely sp ead, simila ly o he sys em o he
absolu e «C». The ypical ea u e o he Russian sol eggio is p obably i s base on he key
and onali y, which is he ounda ion o he u u e model changes. This sequence makes
he Russian sys em di e en , o example, om he Danish one, whe e J. Je sild ou lines
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The melodic dic a ion in he adi ions o Russian music educa ion
a ious onali ies ia nume ous op ions o e acho ds and hei u he combina ion. In his
espec we a e close o he esea ch done by E. and F. Galo é Mo a, whe e hey g adually
build up he onali y (based on he example o C majo ), and hen hey build he expanded
basic iad. I is also simila in e ms o he p inciple o highligh ing hy hmical componen
o ac i a ion. In «Sol eggio» Galo é Mo a ends o he ollowing in eg a ion o he
hy hmical and melodic pa s (melody and i s hy hmical accompanimen ).
Since dic a ions a e w i en in di e en keys, he eedom o o ien a ion is equi ed.
The e o e, p epa a ion in sol- a is no only o lea n music agmen s by hea and analyse
hei s uc u e, bu also o ac i ely ansla ing hem in o di e en keys. The knowledge o
he quin cou se o pa allel keys is ad an ageous.
The basis on he key and onali y has long been he ounda ion o s uden s’ hea ing skills,
so a he s age o he highe school sol eggio going beyond onali y o i s expansion en ails
di icul ies in w i ing dic a ions. The way ou may be in he ea lie in oduc ion o he
con empo a y music in he examples o sol- a. Fo example, i is sui able o commence he
in oduc ion wi h he mode n in e p e a ion o he onali y wi h music by S. P oko ye ,
D. Shos ako ich, and R. Shched in. I can be used a college sol eggio classes. In his case
sample dic a ions may include «Polyphonic dic a ions» by N. Kachalina. Ano he
in e media y op ion o wo king on onali y expansion is he use o ins uc i e dic a ions,
based on he p inciple o epea ing a onal ph ase o a sen ence by sha pening o la ening.
This idea was used in he «Polyphonic dic a ions» by A. Myasoyedo .
5. Inno a i e me hods o wo king o he melodic dic a ion in highe
educa ion
The speci ic ea u e o he melodic dic a ion in highe educa ion is o go beyond he
dia onic key in ch oma ic. Such a goal seems o be qui e a new phenomenon, p omo ed in
sol eggio o he las 30 yea s. O en, he app oach o he onal pe cep ion changes: so-
called " onal limi ed ansposi ion" eplaces he adi ional majo and mino keys. Knowing
he Oli ie Messiaen's onal sys em in ol es hei ac i e use in p ac ice. In he me o-
hy hmic pa o dic a ion changes in melodic in e al sizes, which could be uns able,
comes o eplace he s abili y ba . The hy hmic simplici y o he bea pa e n al e s o
unusual di isions. Numbe o oices may change h oughou he dic a ion, ha usually due
o he cha ac e is ics o he gen e o musical ma e ial. A ex u ed design o he no e ex ,
depending on he gen e o dic a ion, becomes a na u al equi emen .
A d ama ically inc eased complexi y qui e na u ally has caused di icul ies in w i ing
dic a ions o s uden s. Mul ipola di icul ies in ol e complex o p epa a o y wo k and
new o ms o dic a ions.
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Dzhumano a, L.
The need o pe cei e complex musical ma e ial equi es mo e se ious o ms o memo y
de elopmen . An inno a ion in he ield o musical dic a ion became a " isual-au al
dic a ion" (N.Kachalina), which goal was o apply isual image y o he hea ing skills
de elopmen . In pa icula , s uden s a e sugges ed isually memo izing music, which can
hen be played on an ins umen o be w i en in musical no a ion. Needless o say, his
o m o dic a ion assumes in ensi ica ion o in e nal hea ing pe cep ions.
Ano he ype o ac i a ion o he hea ing is he so-called " imb e dic a ions" (T.Li ino a),
ha in ol es he musical no a ion o he piece o music om polyphonic dic a ion
pe o med by adi ional and mode n ensembles. The ask o such a dic a ion is hea ing in
polyphonic ex u e he imb e line o one ins umen .
In an e o o go beyond he dia onic, he aining dic a ions o high a is ic pe o mance
ha e been de eloped by A. Myasoedo . He uses onal shi s on a sho ph ase, which can
be a iably shi ed a semi one up o down while main aining o changing he key. Any
ch oma ic mo emen allows o ix a en ion on he he e and now playing onali y,
gene a ing associa i e-au al pe cep ion o any onali y as such, wi hou ega d o he
ela ionships wi h o he s.
I would be w ong o say ha new o ms o wo k on melodic dic a ion had a ec ed only
sol eggio in high school. A ligh e sion imb e exe cise can be ound in college and music
school whe e in e ac i e melodic dic ion is cul i a ing. Mul imedia capabili ies allow
child en o p ac ice w i ing melodic dic a ion in a play ul way by inse ing sui able puzzle-
ba in he igh places wi h missing pa s.
In conclusion, i should be emphasized ha he objec i e o he dic a ion is ne e o ind
d awbacks in music educa ion, as i is equen ly seen in es examina ions. I is a he he
abili y o hea he musical ma e ial, unde s and i and li e ally ep oduce i wi h no es.
Howe e , his ask can be implemen ed only unde he ha monious in e ac ion be ween
academic subjec s, included in o he sys em o music educa ion.
Re e ences
Alexand o a, N., Maslie a, N. (2013) Timb e dic a ions. No osibi sk.
Dzhumano a, L., Zhu o a, E. (2014) T adi ions and inno a ions in Music Theo y
Pedagogy in Russia (To he ques ion o In e ac ion o Eas and Wes ). Eigh Eu opean
Music Analysis Con e ence. Abs ac s, p.96, Eu oMAC Leu en
Galo e y Mo a, E. y F. (1988) Sol eig. Llengua ge musical. Ba celona.
How o each sol eggio in he XXI cen u y. (2006) Moscow: Classic-XXI.
Je sild, J. (1966) Ea aining. Basic ins uc ion in melody and hy hm eading.Hansen.
Kachalina, N. (1988) Polyphonic dic a ions. Moscow: Muzyka.
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The melodic dic a ion in he adi ions o Russian music educa ion
Myasoyedo , A. (2007) Polyphonic dic a ions. Moscow: Muzyka.
Li ino a, T. (2012) Timb e sol eggio. Sain -Pe e sbu g.
T iz (1997). An App oach o sys ema ic inno a ion. GOAL/QPC Resea ch Commi ee.
Volume 1 o Resea ch Repo , 2.
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