Why do we begin all our classes with a singing circle?

In Musikgarten, we begin each class, regardless of level, with a singing circle.  This enables us to develop beat, meter, tonality, and patterns. 

These musical elements are key to success and are advanced through activities such as:
Tapping the beat while singing - to foster beat competence
Adding a simple body movement, such as rocking from side to side - to lay the foundation for understanding meter
Inviting the children to sing the resting tone at the conclusion of each song - to create an understanding of tonality (the key in which the piece was composed)
Listening to and echoing patterns - to provide the first steps to music literacy 
For more information, you can visit http://singingsusan.com or http://musikgarten.org

What is solfege or solfeggio?

Solfege, solfeggio, or solfa, is a system of attaching short (easy-to-say) syllables to the pitches (notes) of a musical scale.

It is the “use of the sol-fa syllables to note the tones of the scale; solmization.” (www.YourDictionary.com)  I first heard of solfege when I watched the movie The Sound of Music, in which Julie Andrews taught the children in her care the song, “Do, Re, Mi.”  Later I learned of solfege from my son, Curtis, who had studied this in depth at the American Boychoir School in Princeton from 6^th through the 8^th grade.  If you take a major D scale, and sing up 7 pitches, you would sing Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti and then Do again for the higher D.  The note names would be D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D.

“The seven syllables commonly used for this practice in English-speaking countries are: do (pronounced dough), re, mi, fa, sol, la, and ti which may be heard in "Do-Re-Mi" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's score for The Sound of Music (Wikipedia)”

With the above, I’m referring to the traditional Western diatonic scale.  If you want to study different kinds of scales, Wikipedia has a volume of information on the many different kinds of scales, probably more than you would want to know.  The one we Americans are most familiar with is the diatonic scale that exists of whole notes and half notes (or whole tones and semitones).

Musikgarten uses the solfege syllables for its tonal patterns, such as “sol-mi-do.”  Also, we use what is called a moveable “do,” not the fixed “do.”  Our “do” will change, depending on the key in which we are singing or playing an instrument.  This helps with sight-singing, and with understanding and learning intervals in music.  My next blog will be about intervals (the distance from one pitch or note to another).

Show Your Child a Major Third

Musikgarten is a joyful and fun place where toddlers, and preschoolers, and young children experience and learn music fundamentals together.

If you have a piano or keyboard, show your child where the D above middle C is.  Most children's singing range is in the key of D.  Then find F# (sharp).

Play D and F# together.  Ask your child to sing and hold the D while you sing the F# at the same time.  This will take some practice for most people.  Try it every day for 5 days.

Why we use hoops and scarves in a music class with young children

Exploration of the space defined by the hoop is helpful to the child in order to establish the boundaries within which s/he can move.  Moving a hoop up, down, and around the body further identifies its space, contributing to the building of body image.  Later on, around age 5, a child needs to learn the concept of high notes versus low notes.  A hoop is perfect for learning this concept in a very concrete way.

With scarves, spatial concepts are clarified and directionality (up/down, side/side) is greatly enhanced.  The light, flowing movement of the scarf also leads the child naturally to expressive movement, and children need to move in order to learn.  Source:  Musikgarten, Music Matters

Which comes first - writing music or reading music?

Writing music comes first for children starting at age 4.  If a children writes a symbol that represents a sound, the child can "read:" what he or she has written.  Reading what someone else has written is far more difficult for the child, even though it is certainly possible for some children.
Around age 4, the hand of the child is physically ready to write, to leave a mark, to express his or her own thoughts.  Writing is a simpler process than reading, because the sound to be written is known to the writer.  Reading, however, is more complex since it involves the analysis of each graphic symbol into its unique sound.  The act of decoding (reading) is a translation of someone else's thoughts, which represent an unknown, whereas writing language is self-expression - recognizable by the writer (or the child who wrote it).  I like to have 4 year olds draw their own notes for the sounds we know so well.  We begin with Sol, Mi, and Do, starting at the top of the page and descending to the middle, and then to the bottom.    This prepares them for the act of decoding musical notation at the appropriate time!   (source: Musikgarten/Music Matters)

Impulse Control

Many activities and songs used in the Musikgarten curriculum help children learn impulse control.  One song in particular that we enjoy is called 7 Jumps, and helps children wait with anticipation and joy.  Another one is called "Walk and Stop."  Many activities involve waiting for your turn, and the children learn this quickly and without complaining.

Intervals and Resonator Bars

We can teach musical intervals using resonator bars, and it's fun!