Teacher Sign Up

How Dual Coding and Cognitive Load Theory Shape Our Music Lessons – Blog

Blogs

1 August, 2025 By SoMi Academy

🧠 The Problem

As music teachers, we all know how hard it can be to create and deliver fun, engaging, thorough and impactful lessons that students can relate to, express-themselves-through, and where they retain what they have learned. Then we asked ourselves, building on our Kodály teaching foundation, “are there any science-backed methodologies or models that we could use to create and deliver better lessons?” – the answer was, yes! Throughout our journey down this deep, deep rabbit hole we discovered and began to utilise (even though, unbeknownst to us, we already had – more on that later!) Dual-Coding and Cognitive Load Theory (CLT). 

🖼️ What is Dual Coding?

Dual-Coding Theory suggests that we both learn and retain information better when it is presented through both verbal (or auditory) and non-verbal (visual) channels. These two systems create separate “memory traces”, which aids recall and deepens understanding.

“If the same information is coded in both a verbal and an imaginal memory system, then it has two chances of retrieval, instead of one.”

Paivio, A. and Clark, J. (1991). Dual coding theory and education. Educational Psychology Review, 3(3), pp.149–210. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01320076 

🧩 What is Cognitive Load Theory?

Cognitive Load Theory, introduced by John Sweller (1988), posits the theory that our working memory has limited capacity, so effective teaching should avoid overloading it. Instead, learning, and presentation of information, should be ‘chunked’ – broken into manageable steps (chunking) and, funnily-enough, should be supported with tools like visuals, physical movements and sound together (Dual-Coding) to reduce mental strain and boost understanding.

“Instructional methods should avoid overloading [working memory] to maximise learning.”
— Society for Education and Training (2024)

Williams, D. (2022). The importance of cognitive load theory | Society for Education and Training. [online] Society for Education & Training. Available at: https://set.et-foundation.co.uk/resources/the-importance-of-cognitive-load-theory 

🤯 We Used The Science Already (And You Probably Did Too)?!

Now, I said earlier that, in some ways and, unbeknownst to us, we already utilised Dual-Coding and CLT, and you might be wondering “how?” – the answer is through the Kodály teaching methodology that we’ve used from the very beginning!

🎼 What Is the Kodály Method?

The Kodály methodology draws on various European approaches and was developed collaboratively by multiple contributors. I’m confident that most of you will be familiar with at least one element that the Kodaly methodology uses, even if you don’t know their names, you’ve probably seen The Sound Of Music (1965) – “Doe, a deer, a female deer. Ray, a drop of golden sun. Me, a name I call myself. Far, a long, long way to run. Sew, a needle pulling thread – this is so famous I don’t need to go on! (fun fact: The solfa element used in the Kodaly approach which started way back in the 11th century in Italy!) So, the Kodaly Teaching method is a music education approach developed by Hungarian composer and educator Zoltán Kodály, and his colleagues, friends, and students, in the 1940s (it was being developed earlier than this too). This method emphasises singing, solfa (Do-Re-Mi), hand signs, rhythm syllables, and active music-making to develop musical literacy and inner hearing. Kodály believed music learning should begin young, be based in the voice, and follow a child-developmental and culturally grounded progression.

🔗 Do They Really Align?

Yes! Even though the Kodaly Approach predates both Dual-Coding and Cognitive Load Theory (by a minimum of 30-40 years) the methodology aligns with, and, in some ways, embodies these approaches perfectly;

  1. The use of solfa, hand signs, rhythm syllables, and visuals mirrors Dual Coding, combining sound, sight, and movement to strengthen memory. 
  2. The step-by-step, spiral progression reflects Cognitive Load Theory, as it breaks learning into small chunks, reduces overload, and compounds (builds on prior knowledge) – making complex musical elements feel accessible and intuitive.

🗣️ My Own Take (Bear With Me!)

I’m going to draw my own conclusion here (strap in!) and say that, although Zoltan Kodály may not have known ‘the science’, he knew, just as the above researchers and scientists (John Sweller, James M. Clark and Allan Paivio, respectively) posited and proved, that Dual-Coding and “Chunking” (CLT) are natural learning adaptations for humans. You know this too, for example, if you remember somebody’s mobile phone number, or any long string of numbers in-fact, I can almost guarantee that you remember it in a particular way, not just as a long string – say it out loud now and see. When you say it, is it rhythmic (like “789…177…345…26”)? If it is then, we could say that it’s, wait for it, chunked (CLT). Also, when you navigate through all of the apps on your phone at light speed, flying from Messages to YouTube to Notes to Reminders, with a quick Weather check in between, and then onto closing all of your apps on the multi-tasking screen, is that all done through you reading the labels of each app? No. It’s done through an amalgamation of app colour, location, app name (beneath the app) and the icon – it’s all dual-coded, otherwise, could you navigate that quickly? Could a driver see a sign and react as quickly as is needed if it wasn’t for dual-coding? The list goes on and on and you get where I’m going with this, but Kodály knew this too (albeit he never used a smart phone!).

🎓 How Do We Use All of This In Our Lessons?

Now we know the science and that we used (as you probably do too), albeit accidentally, and applied it anyway through the Kodály Approach the question is, how do we use this to create and deliver meaningful, well-structured, thorough lessons that give students linear-progression and compound their learning? 

We work backwards.

🔁 Working Backwards, What?!

Our ensemble or “band-style” lessons are short, high-impact 30-minute sessions, so we need to make the most of our time. These aren’t sit-down theory lessons (no disrespect, as a certified theory junkie). They’re full-body, sound-first, movement-rich sessions where students are playing together, creating together, and making musical decisions in real time in a real world musical environment.

🎯 The Study Piece as the Anchor

The study piece (whether it’s Stand By Me, Hound Dog, or a Taylor Swift ‘classic’) acts as the end goal, and everything in the lesson works backwards from that, not just musically, but pedagogically. We take the ‘final piece’, or study piece, and, using Cognitive Load Theory (there it is again, now that we know what to call it!) deconstruct it into chunks: intervals, rhythms, chords, and melodies. These are then isolated, practiced, and then unconsciously applied and further practiced through the students playing the study piece as a band – immersion.

🌊 Immersion > Explanation

We don’t front-load students with vocabulary or notation, with the exception of ‘Do, Re, Mi’ and rhythm solfa (‘te-te’, ‘tiri-tiri’, ‘ta’ etc) – again Dual-Coding an image with a sound (it’s everywhere!). Instead, we let them play first and learn through doing – again, immersion and we pepper in the knowledge as we go – but all delivered in a structured way, don’t worry, there’s nothing haphazard about it! When a student sings a phrase with solfa and later sees it in colour-coded notation, the connection is felt before it’s labelled. 

🙋‍♀️ Real-World Example: Empowering the Student

  • A student, a keys player, who has only just seen the instrument – literally the first lesson and they’ve only been there for four minutes – can, using dual-coding, accompany the singer during a vocal warm-up, playing a major scale; then they feel empowered. 
  • When a drummer, again brand new to the instrument, can “sight-read” a notated line, with a little prompting and rhythm solfa preparation, it feels like a musical hack – bear in mind, some of these students are seven years old!

This is all Dual-Coding and Cognitive Load Theory in action – and then it is all combined through the study piece to create something that is greater than a sum of its parts.

🧠 Supporting SEND Through Music: Play, Purpose, and Progress

While our approach has its roots in Kodály, and is backed by Cognitive Load Theory and Dual-Coding research, we’ve found that these principles aren’t just powerful for general learners – they are transformational for children with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities). In fact, we believe that immersive, play-based, and dual-coded musical learning offers therapeutic benefits that extend far beyond traditional classroom outcomes.

🎨 Why It Works for SEND Learners

SEND children often face unique challenges with attention, processing speed, communication, and social interaction. Traditional didactic approaches can overwhelm, isolate, or frustrate these learners. But our approach is multisensory, chunked, playful, and inclusive by design:

  • Dual-Coding makes abstract ideas concrete – By associating pitch with colour (green = Do, red = So – Dual-Coding), movement (hand signs), and sound (solfa), children don’t need to rely on complex symbolic thinking or notation. Instead, they engage with music through familiar visual entry points that they use in the classroom (colours).
  • Chunking helps manage cognitive load – Concepts are introduced gradually and sequentially, preventing overload. Students learn rhythm, pitch, and technique in short, repeated bursts, with plenty of time for success and reinforcement.
  • Immersion builds confidence before explanation – Instead of requiring students to understand before they play, we let them play first. This provides a low-pressure entry point where music-making becomes instinctive and joyful, even before the “labels” come in.
  • Learning through play is healing – For some children-and this is largely anecdotal and observation based-especially those with trauma, anxiety, or neurodivergence, play is not just a learning strategy – it’s a form of therapy. Music-making in a safe, collaborative, affirming environment can regulate emotions, support sensory needs, and boost social connection.

    Chauhan, N., Sachdeva, D., Malhotra, S. and Gupta, N. (2024). Play Therapy: An Analytical Mode of Therapy in Children. Journal of Indian Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 20(2). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/09731342241238524 

🧩 Inclusivity Isn’t a Bolt-On

Our lessons don’t need to be “adapted” for SEND students – they’re built with accessibility and neurodiversity in mind. Every visual, sound, movement, and structure is designed to reduce barriers and support every type of learner from the outset. That’s the power of universal design – and it’s why SEND children often thrive in our ensemble-based, Kodály-infused environment.

“Music education in school can be highly valuable to children with special educational needs as both activities and the role of the child can be adapted to meet their individual strengths and needs.” Elisabeth (Hubertina) Dumont (2021). Exploring the potential of special music education in child development. Research Publications (Maastricht University). Doi: https://doi.org/10.26481/dis.20210210ed 

🛠️ SEND Is a Priority, Not a Category

Ultimately, this is about more than pedagogy. It’s about creating spaces where every child feels safe, successful, and heard. So, when we say this approach works for all learners, we mean it, because it’s working every day for some of the children who need it most.

💻 How Our EdTech Tools Make It Stick

This doesn’t happen by accident. We have created, and use, a suite of purpose-built EdTech tools to embed these learning chunks deeply:

  • Our AI Listening Lesson Generator (Model Music Curriculum aligned) which creates listening-based challenges and call-and-response material for our Echo Game and aural training – identifying major/minor keys, instrument roles, and timbre, all grounded in the actual real-world pieces and songs along with wider contextual questions about history and subject matter. Also, by September 2026 this will be a fully-fledged bespoke AI Lesson Generator that can create customised lesson plans for the entire academic year in seconds (I’ve been working on, and have seen, the code and scaffolding for this tool and it’s going to be revolutionary!).
  • Our Interactive Score Player shows every instrumental part of the study piece with dual-coded pitch (colour-coded solfa), rhythm syllables, and visual notation. Students can watch, listen, and follow along, reinforcing pitch, rhythm, and structure visually and aurally – again, a Dual-Coded presentation with the ‘chunked’ rhythm solfa (‘te-te’ for quavers etc) and pitch solfa (‘Do, Re, Mi’).
  • Our yet-to-be-released Digital Pitch Pipe is a simple, browser-based tool designed to help classroom teachers confidently select starting notes when teaching songs. It works seamlessly alongside our teaching resources, including interactive dual-coded songs and CPD videos, giving teachers the tools they need to lead musical learning without needing specialist training. Teachers can; tap to play any note in a range of age-appropriate keys (Do – Ti or A – G), quickly find starting pitches for warmups, songs, or solfa exercises, use it as part of a whole-class music session or small-group singing.

The tools above help us move toward achieving our goal of making music teaching more accessible, intuitive, and empowering – especially for non-specialists. 

📦 Our Lesson Structure In, You Guessed It, “Chunks”!

A typical “chunked” structure looks like this;

Warm-Up

Start by singing the  solfa scale using movable do ( introduced to the British choral tradition by Sarah Glover and developed by John Curwen) with hand signs and solfa. This tunes the voice, brain, and ear – grounding pitch in physical movement, symbols, and sounds (hello again, Dual-Coding…you get the picture by now!).

Echo Game

Using our Listening Lesson Generator, students echo chord types, intervals, or rhythm patterns played by the teacher or triggered via the screen. We focus on critical listening without overloading – just one element at a time (…”chunking”).

Rhythm Reading

Using rhythm syllables (ta, ti-ti, etc.) and stick notation, students perform rhythms without pitch to manage cognitive load. Dual-coded visuals support this – colour-coded beats, symbols, and rhythm solfa on screen or paper.

Ensemble Play

This is the “band” moment, what we’ve worked backwards from, as discussed above. Students bring it all together: chordal accompaniment, melodic lines, rhythmic support – all directly drawn from the study piece (for example, Yellow by Coldplay). Our Interactive Score Player shows their part clearly, as well as the teacher demonstrating, so they can hear and see the structure while playing.

Cool Down

Ssdasdasdasdasdasdasdasdasd – add cool down asap!

🧪 Why It Works?

This immersive structure not only echo’s how children naturally learn, from language to socialising – through play, sound, and collaboration, but also leverages science (Dual-Coding and CLT – again!) and tech to support that process. We chunk, we dual-code, and we always work backwards from the end goal. Students leave each lesson playing something real, feeling successful, and building a toolkit that grows over time.

🎤 To Wrap-Up (Finally!)

So, very-long-story-short, yes, we use CLT, Dual Coding, not only through Kodály, but now we know the science and have deconstructed Kodály’s building blocks, also purposefully – but still in a way that makes it feel invisible. Fun. Engaging. Purposeful. That’s how we teach smarter – by designing lessons that feel like music, because they are music.

All-in-all, we want to teach music holistically like-a-language, because it is a language*, so we teach it in a fun, no-pressure, immersive and stimulating environment, where the aim isn’t to learn an instrument, but to play music together. I’ll leave you with the words of famed linguist Stephen D. Krashen;

“…I have concluded that we acquire language in only one way: by understanding messages, or obtaining “comprehensible input” in a low-anxiety situation.” 

Krashen, S.D. (2004). The power of reading: Insights from the research. Westport, Conn. Libraries Unlimited.

👨‍🏫 About the Author

Craig Andre-Walsh is a Co-Founder of SoMi, serving as Chief Technology Officer and Instrumental Curriculum Design Lead. With over 20 years of experience in the music industry – as a teacher, session musician, touring artist, and curriculum designer – Craig brings a unique blend of real-world musicianship, technological innovation, and forward-thinking educational design. His current focus lies in building tools that integrate AI, EdTech, and Kodály-inspired pedagogy to make music education more immersive, accessible, and impactful for all learners.

📚 References / Further Reading

Register Now.

Teacher Sign Up Pupil Sign Up