Relative system of sommization as a factor in raising the level of school music education

The article deals with the musical and pedagogical concept of the Hungarian composer, pedagogue, folklore specialist Kodály Zoltán that had great influence on the development of general musical education of Ukraine in the second half of XX century. The aim of the research is to reveal the main principles of the relative system of solmization that was scientifically substantiated by Kodály Zoltán for further improvement of the teaching and educational process as well as the perspectives of applying the relative method at musical art lessons under the conditions of the ―New Ukrainian school‖ concept. The article gives grounds for the main elements of Kodály Zoltán‘s concept, the main principle of which is the formation of children‘s musical skills on the national song basis with the application of relative solmization. The author performed a systematic analysis of the relative method of solmization that fosters the development of vocal and choral skills, metric and rhythmic sense, musical memory, creative thinking as well as activization of schoolchildren‘s musical skills. The author also analysed the sequence of studying the degrees as well as metric and rhythmic units in 1-5 forms of Hungarian schools, revealed the meaning of manual signs, practical singing activity according to the method of modal solmization. Scientific novelty of the research lies in singling out progressive historical achievements in the field of general musical education in the second half of XX century and the claim that relative system of solmization can become an effective means of developing musical skills of primary school learners.