Body Solfege

Solfege is a system in which every note of a scale has its own syllable. This helps teach children to sing and match pitch. It also helps children identify and understand patterns of tones. Your toddler or preschooler does not need to know the definition of "pitch," "scale," "pattern," or "tone," at first. This can be a fun song, and you can introduce the terms later.

Do

Re

Mi

Fa

Sol

La

Ti

Do

Body Solfege Song

Sing the lyrics below as you move to the body solfege. Each line is the next pitch in the scale.

Do Touch your toes.

Re Raise higher

Mi Above your knees

Fa Farther up

Sol Rub your stomach

La Sing La La La

Ti Tippy-toes

Do Woah Woah Woah!

Teaching Tip: Demonstrate this song with the motions a couple times. When your child feels comfortable, he or she will join in. It's okay if all the words or motions are not done correctly at first!

Teaching Tip: You can practice simply singing the solfege syllables (not the lyrics to the song) going from low to high and back to low again. Your child can hear how the scale goes up and comes back down.

More Solfege Ideas for Preschoolers

Let your child listen to and dance to The Sound of Music's Do, Re, Mi. Here is a link to the YouTube video of the 1965 Sound of Music Do, Re, Mi.

Sing With Bella from Youtube has a cute video with motions to The Sound Music's Do, Re, Mi. Sing with Bella's Do, Re, Mi YouTube video is a great way to introduce the solfege hand signs!

Incorporate instruments if you can. If you have a piano or keyboard, can you help your child poke the C scale and sing the solfege?

Minor Scale Solfege

Teach the minor scale in the same way as the major scale except replace Mi with Me, La with Le, and Ti with Te. The motions are the same except wiggle your hands on the minor notes of the scale to represent that it is different from the major scale.

After singing the scales, ask your child which one sounds happy? Which one sounds sad?

You can tell your child that songs are written in keys that use the major or minor scales. Moosicology Shows on YouTube has a wonderful video for little ones to help them distinguish between major and minor keys. Moosicology's Learn the Major and Minor Keys with this song is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers!

Body Solfege Order and Matching Cards

After your child has mastered the song and motions, you can use these Body Solfege Cards to practice the order and to match to the solfege syllable. For example, you could mix up the order of the cards with the pictures and toddlers through elementary could practice putting the solfege in order from lowest to highest or highest to lowest. Elementary age children can match the pictures to the syllable card.

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Infant Toddler/Preschool Elementary