Why do we learn solfeggio in First Notes?

Solfège, also known as solfeggio, is used universally in music education from preschool through college to help students develop their sense of pitch, allowing them to distinguish and and sing musical intervals accurately.

Ear training with Solfeggio at a young age prepares a child to sing fluently at an early age and master other instruments, especially string instruments that require precise tuning of finger position.

The Solfège syllables that we teach

Solfeggio assigns syllables to each note of the musical scale: Do - Re - Mi - Fa - Sol - La - Ti - Do. 

• Do is the tonic or “home” note of the musical scale (“C” in the C-major scale)

• Re is a whole step above Do (“D”)

• Mi is a whole step above Re. (“E”)

• Fa is a half-step above Mi (“F”), and a natural “landing” note in many songs.

• Sol is a whole step above Fa (“G”)

• La is a whole step above Sol (“A”)

• Ti is a half-step above La (“B”), leading back to Do (“C”), completing the octave

We often begin with the interval “Sol-Mi-Sol” (like the first two notes of “This old man”) as this interval is often the most innate for very young children.

Solfège also promotes internal audiation, or the ability for a child to hear music in their brain, which is tremendously beneficial for reading and composing music later in life.

Rhythm is the foundation of virtually all music! Rhythm gives music feel, beauty, and connection to emotions.

The first and most important aspect of rhythm for children to learn is the steady beat. We emphasize steady beat in many of our First Notes activities through speaking rhythm syllables, tapping, clapping, marching, and use of small instruments.

You can help your child develop a sense of rhythm in class and at home by tapping on their backs or hands (infants) or holding their hands in yours as you tap or play the steady rhythm.

The rhythm syllables we teach include:

• Ta (also known as a quarter note)

• Ti (also known as an eighth note)

• Quarter rest (same interval as a Ta, but with no sound).

We teach combinations of rhythm syllables, such as:

• Ta Ta Ta Ta (steady beat)

• Ta Ta Ti-Ti Ta

• Ta Ta Ti-Ti Rest

Mastering the steady beat and basic rhythm patterns gives a strong foundation for children to be successful as early as kindergarten with singing, dancing, and instruments such as piano and violin.

Each season features new songs along with reinforcement of solfeggio and rhythm exercises. Each child’s progress is unique, but generally follows these phases:

• Absorption - Children listen, watch, and feel the live music performed by our teachers, while innately following the actions of their parents or caregivers who they attend class with. This phase is similar to a very young child being exposed to spoken language on the way to learning how to speak.

• Participation - Children begin to sing and follow class activities, but may need help from their parent or caregiver. For example, when playing a rhythm pattern on the drum, the caregiver may need to hold the child’s hands to them play the rhythm correctly.

• Independence - Children have learned to sing or play small instruments with accurate pitch and rhythm, and participate in other activities without assistance.