In order to realize his aspirations for reform and to elaborate them in detail, Kodály mobilized a large group of supporters. They acquainted themselves with French, English and German systems of music education. Combining the virtues of these systems with their own teaching experiences and original ideas, a pioneer group of Hungarian music teachers began to elaborate and put into practice a new music teaching methodology.

Teacher's manuals, song collections and articles by Jenö Adám, Lajos Bárdos, György Kerényi, Benjamin Rajeczky and Erzsébet Szönyi played an important role in explaining and publicizing the new method. The concept and system later identified with the name of Zoltán Kodály were first introduced into the curriculum of Hungarian school music teaching in 1943.

After 1945 the democratic school reform made it possible for the new method to become general practice in music teaching throughout Hungary. The 1964 Budapest Congress of the International society for Music Education held up Hungary's methods and achievements as worthy examples to be followed by the music teachers of the world. Since that time, music teachers have come to Hungary from many countries to study the Hungarian model. In turn, experiments have been launched in many countries to adapt and implement the Kodály concept.