Mi-Do-Do Game | An Introduction to Solfege
from The Lesson Zone

Level
Grade 2-4

Objective
Students will become more familiar with the syllables of the solfege scale. This lesson is designed to fulfill Standard #5 of the National Standards for Music: Reading and notating music.

Materials
White board
White board marker

Lesson
Step 1
Draw an eight step staircase (sideview) on the white board. Write the solfege syllables below each step.

Step 2
Tell the students that, "Solfege is a method for teaching sight-singing in which each note of the music is performed with a special syllable called a solfege syllable. On the board I have written the seven basic syllables commonly used in solfege: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, and ti. The do that follows is the same as the other do, only higher." Play the two dos on the piano.

Step 3
Play the scale on the piano while singing the solfege syllables.

Step 4
Ask the class to sing the scale with you. Play the scale on the piano while singing the solfege syllables.

Step 5
Ask the class, "What is Solfege?"

Step 6
Tell the class, "A long time ago there used to be a bird called the Do-Do Bird. It lived on an island near Africa and didn't seem to fear the sailors. It was too dumb to run and was unable to fly making them easy to catch. Because of that the Do-Do Bird is now extinct."

"We are going to play a game. It's called the Mi-Do-Do Game. The goal is to make sure that you don't get caught being a Do-Do Bird."

Step 7
Tell the students, "I will sing and play three solfege syllables and you should repeat these syllables immediately after I sing them as long as I do not sing Mi-Do-Do. If you repeat me when I sing Mi-Do-Do, you are the Do-Do Bird. Try not to get caught!"

Step 8
Play the game. Giggle a little when someone gets caught. Play again.

Have fun!

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