Download Teaching Solfege Through Anchored Media

Melinda Van Aalsburg
EDFL 4210 Spring 2012
Dr. Sewell
April 14,2012
This is a lesson meant for a middle school general music
class who has already studied basic music theory and is
ready to move onto basic singing principles. It can,
however, also be used in elementary classes as well as
any choir class.
Assumptions before beginning this lesson
1. Students have already been taught note
names and their
location on a music staff.
2. Students should know the difference
between a sharp note and a flat note.
3. Students should also be familiar with how
notes correspond to a traditional keyboard.
We will be learning solfege syllables that we
will use to sing our C Major Scale
Review the notes in a C Major Scale and their corresponding notes on
the piano.
Each note of the scale has a solfege
syllable that we can use to represent it
instead of using letter names or
numbers.
What do we need solfege for?




We already use letters to represent note names
We already use numbers to represent rhythm and
note length
These words are all one syllable which makes them
easier to transfer to music. (imagine having to sing
the word seven on one beat)
When singing notes that are sharp or flat we just
change the word a little but it remains one syllable.
Ex. When a Fa note is sharp we sing Fi instead
This keeps us from having to fit the words F sharp
on one beat.
Each syllable also has a
corresponding hand gesture.
She combines everything we’ve learned so far.
C Major Scale
Solfege Syllables
Hand Gestures and Gesture Placement
In the movie, The Sound of Music the main
character, Maria, teaches children to sing using
the solfege syllables we studied today.
Maria also gives definitions for the syllables to help the
children remember. Ex. So-a needle pulling thread
Ti-a drink with jam and bread
Not everything you sing will always sound like a scale.
Music mixes up the pitches and their syllables to make
different songs.
The solfege syllables and the notes they represent can be
combined hundreds of different ways.
Follow along as I sing and
use the hand signs.
These will be mixed up!
Your Turn!
Sing and use the
solfege hand signs
Assessment
Assessment can take place throughout the lesson
by observation from the teacher.
Assessment can also take place at the end of
class by asking the students to sing the scale
while using the syllables and gestures.
Assessment can take place by the teacher calling
on students individually and asking them for the
syllable and gesture that corresponds to a
specific note.
Works Cited:
Heidi. “Curwen Hand Signs.” Weekly Wrap Up-Halloween and Curwen
Hand Signs. Starts at Eight, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2012.
Piano C Major Scale. Perf. Morbyus Music. Youtube.com, 30 Nov.
2008. Film.
Piper, Carla. “Melody.” Unit Four: The Elements of Music.
Soundpiper.com, 2008. Web. 14 Apr. 2012.
The Curwen Hand Signs for Singing. Perf. Professional Mom.
Youtube.com , 19 Nov. 2009. Film.
The Sound of Music. Dir. Robert Wise. 20th Century Fox, 1965. Film.