The Rhythm Forms of Philip Cady Hayden

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the teaching methods of Philip C. Hayden (1854–1925), an influential music educator during the early part of the twentieth century. Hayden is known for organizing the April 1907 meeting of music supervisors in Keokuk, Iowa, to demonstrate his teaching method that resulted in the formation of the Music Supervisors National Conference. He based his teaching on the premise that students should be educated in ear training before they are exposed to eye training. For this reason, he proposed teaching melodic concepts through the use of rhythm forms. The rhythm forms were based on frequently occurring tonal patterns paired with rudimentary rhythms. The seven rhythm forms employed by Hayden were presented in a sequential manner and advanced from easier to more difficult as the students progressed through the grades. One fundamental idea in the study of the rhythm forms was the use of the beat as a unit. This differed from previously established methods that did not group rhythms into patterns as related to the beat. The tonal patterns paired with rhythm forms were taught through imitation, dictation, and improvisation. Only after the students had abundant experience with a specified rhythm form, using imitation, dictation, and creation, were they allowed to read them in printed music. Through the use of the rhythm forms, Hayden believed that, by the eighth grade, all students should develop understanding of all musical elements through reading and dictation.