Seven steps, in the order Deborah Skydell teaches them, with the songs that carry each new note. Every step also lists the songs that still work with 4th and 5th graders.
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Where solfège lives
Solfège taught as its own unit is a hard sell in any grade, and a very hard sell in fifth. Taught inside a song students are already singing, it stops being a worksheet and becomes the thing they are doing.
That is how the library is built. Every song is tagged with the one new note it introduces, so you choose a song, teach the game, and the note arrives inside it. Pick the next song up the sequence and the next note arrives the same way.
"Good music teaching is not about music. It's about creating joy, humor, and love in the classroom. Music is simply the way to get there."
The sequence
Each step adds a single note to what students already know. The songs listed under each are the ones that still work at grade 4 and up, so a class starting late can begin at step one without singing kindergarten repertoire.
The first two notes. A falling minor third, the interval children already sing in the playground.
Songs that work as high as grade 4 and up:
Songs with Motions or Body Percussion
Plus 2 more songs in the library that introduce sol and mi in the earlier grades.
Added above sol, so three notes are in play.
Songs that work as high as grade 4 and up:
Ball Bouncing, Circle Games
Circle Games · Do-Based Pentatonic
Songs with Motions or Body Percussion
Hand Claps
Circle Games
Plus 6 more songs in the library that introduce la in the earlier grades.
The resting note. Songs start to feel finished.
Songs that work as high as grade 4 and up:
Circle Games
Plus 4 more songs in the library that introduce do in the earlier grades.
Fills the gap between do and mi. The pentatonic scale is now complete.
Songs that work as high as grade 4 and up:
Hand Claps, Partners · Do-Based Pentatonic
Do-Based Pentatonic
Hand Claps, Partners
Stick Games With Partners
Circle Games
Circle Games
Plus 7 more songs in the library that introduce re in the earlier grades.
The first note below do. Melodies gain range downward.
Songs that work as high as grade 4 and up:
Circle Games
Hand Claps
Circle Games, Passing on the Beat · La-Based Pentatonic
Do-Based Pentatonic
La-Based Pentatonic
Hand Claps, Partners · Do-Based Pentatonic
Games for Practicing Music Skills, Passing on the Beat
Songs with Motions or Body Percussion
Plus 4 more songs in the library that introduce low sol in the earlier grades.
The first note outside the pentatonic scale.
Songs that work as high as grade 4 and up:
Play Acting
Circle Games
Songs with Motions or Body Percussion
Circle Games
Circle Games, Passing on the Beat
Games for Practicing Music Skills
Circle Games, Passing on the Beat
Stick Games With Partners
Circle Games, Passing on the Beat
Plus 3 more songs in the library that introduce fa in the earlier grades.
Completes the diatonic scale downward, and opens up major-key repertoire.
Songs that work as high as grade 4 and up:
Circle Games, Passing on the Beat
Ionian (major)
Songs with Motions or Body Percussion
Groups of Four, Skipping to the Phrase · Ionian (major)
Groups of Four, Hand Claps
Circle Games, Passing on the Beat · Ionian (major)
Hand Claps, Partners
Circle Games, Passing on the Beat
Partners, Songs with Motions or Body Percussion · Aeolian (minor)
Circle Games
Passing on the Beat · Ionian (major)
Songs with Motions or Body Percussion
Plus 2 more songs in the library that introduce low ti in the earlier grades.
Once low ti is in place, the remaining notes fill in: ti on 5 songs, high do on 4, and low la on 3. By then students are reading full diatonic melodies.
Every song demonstrated on video, with the score and teaching notes
Try before you decide
Both are upper elementary, and both are open to everyone with no account.
A stick-passing game in partners. The teaching notes cover the failure modes as well as the steps, including agreeing on the stick angle before anyone taps so fingers do not get crushed.
Watch it, with lyrics and score →The hand clap your upper elementary students may already know from the playground. The clapping pattern is easier to learn from the bunny animation than from the score.
Watch it, with lyrics and score →Questions
Try it free for seven days. Every song is demonstrated on video and comes with the score and notes on how to run the game.
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See the full song browser by solfège step