Y1. Lesson 20. So & mi
Prior learning: High & low sounds
Duration: 30 minutes
Materials:
Keywords: Beat, rhythm, singing, chanting, partners, rhymes, circle games.
Difficulty: 
Prepare
Present
so & mi
Practise
ta & ti-ti, finger staff
Melodic development
Students discover that musicians have special names for high and low notes.
- Students are seated and attentive.
- Lead the class in singing Goodnight.
- Ask if there are high and low notes.
- Ask students to show the hand signs for high and low notes and to sing the song again using the words high and low and to show hand signs.
- Explain that in music, a high note is called so and a low note is called mi. Write the words on the board.
- Sing the song using so and mi and use hand signs. The class should repeat after you.
Rhythmic development
Students discover how so & mi can be written below time names.
- Ask students to sing Goodnight with beautiful singing voices.
- Students should clap the song's rhythm and sing the time names of ta and ti-ti.
- Write the rhythmic syllables on the board.
- Ask students to sing again using so and mi and hand signs.
- Write the solfa names beneath each time name.
- Ask students to sing the song using solfa names and show the hand signs as you point to the board.
- Choose a student to come and point to the song on the board as the class sings again.
Creative movement
Students act out the motions described in this popular classroom song.
- Students form a circle.
- Lead the class in singing the song and demonstrating the body actions.
- First, bend at the waist and turn around - if possible, then touch your toes!
- Next, shake your head and then your leg.
- Finally, touch your elbow, ear, eye and nose.
- It is not vital that every movement is prescriptive. It is more important that students sing in tune and have fun!
Questions
- Which word in the song rhymes with toes?
- Most notes in this song have time names of ta. Where in the song is the time name ti-ti?
Listening
Students listen to songs that have parts missing and discover what they are.
- Students are seated and attentive.
- Explain that students are music detectives and have a new task!
- Explain that they will listen to some music, but some parts will be missing.
- Play the first track on the player.
- Ask students the name of the song.
- Ask students to sing along with the track, even when there is a missing part.
- Once secure, play the next track and repeat the procedure.
- This exercise is perfect for inner hearing.
Visual learning
Students discover where so & mi live on a five-line finger staff.
- Students are seated and attentive.
- Project the graphic and ask the class about what they believe is being shown.
- Correct answers would include 'five-finger staff' and "so and mi".
- Ask students if so and mi are sitting in lines or spaces.
- Receiving correct answers of spaces, ask which number space is so sitting in.
- Ask which number space is mi sitting in.
- Ask a volunteer to point to so and mi.
- Remind students that so and mi are copycats and that if so is in a space, then mi is in the space below.
Instruments
Students
- Ask students to watch as you play Goodnight on the xylophone (or similar tuned percussion instrument)
- Ask students if mi is higher or lower than so [lower].
- Instruct students to watch carefully as you move from so to mi.
- Ask students if you missed out a note between so and mi [yes].
- Teach that so and mi have a special name for the gap between them called a skip.
- Explain that in music mi will always be a skip lower than so.
- Play the two notes again and draw attention to the skip between so and mi.
- If you have a piano in the classroom the skip can also be shown to good effect.
Part work
Students move to the beat and use finger cymbals on the first beat of every bar.
Dr James Cuskelly and students of St Joseph's School, Stanthorpe.
- Students are seated. Have two pairs of finger cymbals (or small handbells) on the desk.
- Choose a student, give them a pair of finger cymbals, and hold the other pair yourself.
- Lead the class in singing Starlight.
- On the first beat of every bar, the student and you will sound the finger cymbals.
- The class should sway back and forth to the song's beat or keep the beat on their knees.
- At the song's conclusion, the student holding the finger cymbals will make a verbal wish.
- The value in this part work lies in the student singing and keeping the beat on their instrument.
Assess
Suggested lessons
Y1. Beat II
Y1. Beat III
Y1. Beat IV