In our last episode before the summer break I want to share a lesson from my video course Kodály Kickoff for Piano Teachers. This course is, naturally, available to all Doremi members but did you know it’s one of the few courses inside Doremi that you can buy separately.

PLUS I’ll be running live online coaching sessions in August for members AND anyone who has registered for the Kickoff course. So if you want to use your Kodály knowledge in a piano lessons setting, or maybe you’re new to the Kodály Approach - grab this course and book yourself onto one of my live coaching sessions. Just visit doremiconnect.co.uk/kick

And because it’s Kodály, it’s going to be fun, creative and playful.

1. Improvisation
2. Story telling
3. Part work
4. 12-bar Blues
5. Pre-defined movement
6. Safari by June Armstrong
7. Magic Beans by Ben Crosland

Links

African Dawn by June Armstrong https://youtu.be/3RmwIPBOAiM

Gazelles Standing by June Armstrong https://youtu.be/zQ6RogwenU4

Thinking Out Loud by Ben Crosland https://youtu.be/sUsyameTEKI

If you’d like to see my lesson plans for teaching piano using the Kodály Approach then you need to check out Doremi Membership. Doremi Members get access to my Doremi Teach Piano curriculum, including video walkthroughs, downloadable lesson plans and resources and access to my live coaching and Q&A calls and online community.

There are teachers just like you already in the community ready to support you and share your questions, successes and stories. So come and join us at doremiconnect.co.uk/piano

I think we all recognise this question and we all dread it. 

But what happens when you’re a Kodály Piano Teacher?

In today’s podcast I’m going to talk about my experiences and observations getting my students to Graded exams and how parental expectations are managed.

You might be surprised! I certainly was.

Key Points:

• Why parents ask about grades
• What the parents really want to know
• How the Doremi microsteps help students and parents
• Taking the careful Doremi approach doesn't take longer
• Where we really benefit as a Kodály piano teacher

When Doremi Members start using my detailed lesson plans, a frequently asked question is how do you remember what to do?

It made me realise that so many of us feel we need to memorise our lesson plans and I reflected on my own journey, hang ups and misconceptions about memorisation.

In this week’s podcast I share those reflections and why memorising your lesson plan isn’t necessarily desirable or achievable.

Key Points:

• Why we feel the need to memorise
• Why it can cause problems
• How to avoid the need to memorise
• The benefits on not hiding your plans
• A sneaky peek at one of the Doremi Teach lesson plans

If you’d like to see my lesson plans for teaching piano or classroom music using the Kodály Approach then you need to check out Doremi Membership. Doremi Members get access to my classroom music curriculum, including video walkthroughs, downloadable lesson plans and resources and access to my live coaching and Q&A calls and online community. If it’s piano you’re after, you can become a Doremi Teach Piano member and get all that plus my Doremi Teach Piano curriculum. Again, lesson plans, resources and walkthroughs.

There are teachers just like you already in the community ready to support you and share your questions, successes and stories. So come and join us at doremiconnect.co.uk/music or if you’re a piano teacher doremiconnect.co.uk/piano

You know you want to teach using solfa, and you know that throwing them into the full diatonic scale is not the best way. But which subset of the tones, or toneset, do you teach first?

Here are my thoughts, including details on how to access a free mini course that’s usually just for Doremi members.

Oh and get ready for some controversy.

Key Points:

• Young beginners
• so-mi and la-so-mi
• Older beginners
• so-mi or mi-re-do or something else?!!
• When do we make an exception?
• Grab my free mini course at doremiconnect.co.uk/baby

Do you want more support with your Kodály curriculum? Why not join me inside Doremi Membership? It's where I hang out all the time supporting my members and sharing all my best stuff, including my own detailed Kodály curriculum and all the lesson plans and resources you need to deliver the best quality music lessons to your students.

doremiconnect.co.uk/music

I don’t know about you, but as a Kodály music teacher I actually teach in a lot of different settings.

I teach classroom music using my very own Kodály based Doremi Teach Music curriculum, and I also teach private piano lessons, again using my Kodály based Doremi Teach Piano curriculum. In fact it’s more than just that. I also teach adult musicianship and of course deliver teacher training and coaching to my Doremi members.

And despite each setting using the same approach, that is the singing based Kodály approach to music education, they can actually look quite different in some areas.

In this podcast episode I share my four top differences. 

Difference #1 - Pitch Awareness

Difference #2 - Practice

Difference #3 - Speed

Difference #4 - Notation

Do you want more support with your Kodály curriculum? Why not join me inside Doremi Membership? It's where I hang out all the time supporting my members and sharing all my best stuff, including my own detailed Kodály curriculum and all the lesson plans and resources you need to deliver the best quality music lessons to your students.

https://doremiconnect.co.uk/music

Maybe you’ve done some Kodály training but have been left highly motivated but not quite knowing where to start.

In today’s episode we’re going to walk you through some of the first planning tasks you’ll need to do to create your own Kodály curriculum

For more advice and support for teaching class music or piano using the Kodály approach visit https://doremiconnect.co.uk/captivate

Key points:

Good high level objectives for beginner musicians have the following seven qualities

1 - are a single musical element

2 - exist in all music

3 - are really specific

4 - can be easily explained

5 - have clearly defined prerequisites or none

6 - have a clear path to the next step

7 - exist alongside the practice and preparation of other objectives

Starting with a massive list of possible contenders, Helen will help you narrow them down to the key objectives for your curriculum.

Do you want more support with your Kodály curriculum? Why not join me inside Doremi Membership? It's where I hang out all the time supporting my members and sharing all my best stuff, including my own detailed Kodály curriculum and all the lesson plans and resources you need to deliver the best quality music lessons to your students.

https://doremiconnect.co.uk/music

Here's Helen's starting list of objective contenders - you can add to them if you can!

Beat, rhythm, scales, pitch, high, low, clefs, crotchets, quavers, key signatures, texture, timbre, phrasing, form, time signatures, Italian terms, swing, harmony, chords, ostinato, singing, instruments, forte, loud, piano, soft, crescendo, repeats, composition, improvisation, sight reading, unison, polyphony, composers, classical music, folk music, playground songs, listening, jazz, bars, bar lines, modulation, orchestra, opera, musicals, pop music, ukuleles, keyboard, percussion, duets, tempo, sharps, flats, major, minor, syncopation

Whether it's in a piano or other instrumental lesson, a singing lesson or in a class setting, this topic crops up all the time during my coaching calls inside the Doremi Membership.

For more advice and support for teaching class music or piano using the Kodály approach visit https://doremiconnect.co.uk/captivate

Key questions:

• How old are they? Primary, tweens, teenagers, adults?
• What level are they? Young beginner, older beginner, intermediate or advanced, transfer students?
• What are their strengths and weaknesses? Pulse, rhythm, pitch awareness, reading, musical phrasing, theory, key signatures, scales, aural exam preparation?
• What is your goal? Why Kodály? You'll have more success and add more value if you have a clear goal in mind.
• How much time have you got? How long are lessons and what else do you need to cover in that time? Is there an upcoming performance or exam, or are they changing teacher soon?

Do you wonder what on earth you can do when your students won't sing?

It's a frequently asked question inside Doremi Membership, for class teachers and instrumental teachers.

It's especially concerning for those of us who use a singing based approach to music education. I mean, what can we do if they won't sing?

In this episode I'm going to share my experiences and advice on how to deal with this in classroom music lessons, one-to-one piano lessons and also unbelievably in private singing lessons too!

Key points:

• Younger students might not even realise they aren't singing
• They can learn a lot just by listening and participating
• Choose a game involving part-work where the child who is "it" has to sing
• Even high schoolers who have opted for singing lessons can refuse to sing
• Anxiety plays a large part. They need to feel safe
• Don't pressurise them. Be patient and they will sing in the end

Today we're going to chat about aural skills and how you can help your students, and yourself, become a triple threat.

My name is Helen Russell from Doremi Connect and I’m going to help you achieve your goals using the Kodály approach. So if you’re interested in teaching musical skills and literacy through singing then this is the place for you.

A few years ago I was called up by the mum of a desperate Grade 8 cellist. Their exam was in a few weeks and their teacher hadn’t covered the aural element AT ALL.

Could I help?

Sadly, I was fully booked and the idea of missing family-time to cram some poor kid for Grade 8 was not appealing. So I pointed them to some books and online resources and wished them well.

All the time cursing their teacher in my thinking voice.

It broke my heart.

I wish I could tell you that this was an isolated incident but it was not. But it was probably the worst.

I have helped students with their aural when given more time. But their teachers are seriously missing a trick.

Aural skills are precious and essential.

Far more valuable than the few marks in an instrumental exam.

And they deserve more attention too!

When you think about learning an instrument, it feels like learners are split into three types.

#1 Playing by Rote

Whenever I have a beginner student who’s older than 5 or 6 they can usually play something already. And it’s almost always taught by their cousin.

I ponder on this cousin link a lot and have some theories - but I’ll save those for another time.

Rote teaching is great. Even in a formal lesson we can teach patterns and techniques by rote.

But with YouTube and other online apps, learning purely by rote is increasingly common.

#2 Playing by Ear

Growing up I was sooo jealous of those people who could play by ear.

Possibly because they were accessing cool pop music in a way that was off limits for me and my “proper” piano lessons.

They were so cool - sigh!

I was mystified and thought it would always be out of my reach. Spoiler: It’s not!

#3 Classically Trained

We’re always hearing that some pop star or other was “classically trained”. Really that just means they had a piano teacher, some piano books, diligently practised their scales and possibly did some grade exams.

This was me. Apart from the diligently practising their scales bit! Ahem!

Learning to read from the score but also becoming beholden to it. Unable to play without.

Apart from when my cousin taught me Tomorrow from Annie by rote - hang on - full circle!!

The Triple Threat

Imagine if you could do ALL THREE of these things?! You’d be, what’s known in showbiz, a TRIPLE THREAT!

And who doesn’t want that - for their students and for themselves!

And the secret? Aural skills.

Which of the three types of learners do you most associate with? I’ll be fascinated to see if there’s a pattern?

So what do we know?

#1 Aural skills are essential, desirable and hugely valuable. They deserve more than a "exam prep" after-thought.

#2 We can teach our students to become a triple threat by combining the three types of teaching and learning.

#2b It’s not too late to get that for ourselves too!

Happy Birthday

Have you had a student try and pick out Happy Birthday on their instrument?

It’s actually really hard!

It’s especially frustrating when they don’t have pitch awareness. Jabbing randomly at the keys seeking that elusive next note. When the pitch goes higher they still test notes that are lower.

Sure it’s hard to nail the EXACT interval, but they are so much more successful when they slow down, think about the direction and then move the right...]]>Welcome to Episode 21 of the Doremi Teach podcast.

Today we're going to chat about aural skills and how you can help your students, and yourself, become a triple threat.

My name is Helen Russell from Doremi Connect and I’m going to help you achieve your goals using the Kodály approach. So if you’re interested in teaching musical skills and literacy through singing then this is the place for you.

A few years ago I was called up by the mum of a desperate Grade 8 cellist. Their exam was in a few weeks and their teacher hadn’t covered the aural element AT ALL.

Could I help?

Sadly, I was fully booked and the idea of missing family-time to cram some poor kid for Grade 8 was not appealing. So I pointed them to some books and online resources and wished them well.

All the time cursing their teacher in my thinking voice.

It broke my heart.

I wish I could tell you that this was an isolated incident but it was not. But it was probably the worst.

I have helped students with their aural when given more time. But their teachers are seriously missing a trick.

Aural skills are precious and essential.

Far more valuable than the few marks in an instrumental exam.

And they deserve more attention too!

When you think about learning an instrument, it feels like learners are split into three types.

#1 Playing by Rote

Whenever I have a beginner student who’s older than 5 or 6 they can usually play something already. And it’s almost always taught by their cousin.

I ponder on this cousin link a lot and have some theories - but I’ll save those for another time.

Rote teaching is great. Even in a formal lesson we can teach patterns and techniques by rote.

But with YouTube and other online apps, learning purely by rote is increasingly common.

#2 Playing by Ear

Growing up I was sooo jealous of those people who could play by ear.

Possibly because they were accessing cool pop music in a way that was off limits for me and my “proper” piano lessons.

They were so cool - sigh!

I was mystified and thought it would always be out of my reach. Spoiler: It’s not!

#3 Classically Trained

We’re always hearing that some pop star or other was “classically trained”. Really that just means they had a piano teacher, some piano books, diligently practised their scales and possibly did some grade exams.

This was me. Apart from the diligently practising their scales bit! Ahem!

Learning to read from the score but also becoming beholden to it. Unable to play without.

Apart from when my cousin taught me Tomorrow from Annie by rote - hang on - full circle!!

The Triple Threat

Imagine if you could do ALL THREE of these things?! You’d be, what’s known in showbiz, a TRIPLE THREAT!

And who doesn’t want that - for their students and for themselves!

And the secret? Aural skills.

Which of the three types of learners do you most associate with? I’ll be fascinated to see if there’s a pattern?

So what do we know?

#1 Aural skills are essential, desirable and hugely valuable. They deserve more than a "exam prep" after-thought.

#2 We can teach our students to become a triple threat by combining the three types of teaching and learning.

#2b It’s not too late to get that for ourselves too!

Happy Birthday

Have you had a student try and pick out Happy Birthday on their instrument?

It’s actually really hard!

It’s especially frustrating when they don’t have pitch awareness. Jabbing randomly at the keys seeking that elusive next note. When the pitch goes higher they still test notes that are lower.

Sure it’s hard to nail the EXACT interval, but they are so much more successful when they slow down, think about the direction and then move the right way.

#microstepsalert

When they can hear the pitch changing, by singing or inner hearing then it’s a joy.

Even better - make sure they’ve worked with much simpler melodies from their very first lesson.

Gosh it’s easier to play by ear when there’s only two notes!

Do you know what? Teaching aural skills to all your students will help you become a triple threat too!

How to cheat at sight reading…

I don’t love "sight reading" books.

"What a shocker!" I hear you say. "Is there ANYTHING conventional you DO love?"

Haha, anyway - how I approach sight reading will have to wait for another email.

This email is about a time when I WAS using the graded sight reading books.

One of my students was preparing for an exam. And even though I don’t TEACH sight reading from these books, I do need my student to be familiar with the style in order for them to enjoy their exam.

So I open the book and show them the exercise. While they were preparing it, I was reading through the melody and sight SINGING it in my head.

I was using my inner hearing and aural skills to HEAR the music.

So actually, if this was MY music exam - when it came to performing the exercise, would I have been sight READING or playing by EAR.

This is what I mean by triple threat!

When you’ve been taught the Doremi way, you aren’t just limited to one skill. You’re using all your senses. All your skills. All of the time. Every task is supported by all those other skills that you’ve been developing all along.

You might find one is stronger than another. You might find you have a preference. But they are all there supporting each other like a highly functioning team.

And that’s where the magic happens.

And guess what? That magic is available to you too?

When you teach this way, YOUR skills start to develop.

Not hot at aural? YOUR aural skills will improve!

Hate sight reading? YOUR sight reading will improve!

Uncomfortable singing? The simple songs you start with your students, and repeat over and over will improve YOUR singing voice.

Never been able to play by ear? Guess what!? Teach it, and it will come to YOU TOO!

I asked Doremi members what their experiences were and I loved hearing their stories. Although many were less than uplifting!

Angela recalled accompanying some ABRSM exams where it transpired that not one of the candidates had any idea there was even an aural part of the exam or what it meant! Argh!

Emma was never taught sight singing, despite studying singing. And sadly that was reflected in her sight singing exam mark too.

But also some positives...

Rachel attributes her Triple Threat status to improvising chords in a worship band combined with her Kodály-inspired A-Level music lessons where they were lucky enough to get one hour of aural training every week!! Yup, that'll do it Rachel!!

Es remembers the moment one of her choristers learnt to listen after recognising his voice was out of tune on a recording. Hooray!

One of Rachel's five year olds described singing in your thinking voice as "hiding the singing" Sooooo cute!

Please keep them coming. I love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

Make sure you let us know what you think of the episode and do share it with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

For more free resources and webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk and sign up to our daily emails.

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

You’ve been listening to the Doremi Teach podcast with Helen Russell from Doremi Connect. Helping you achieve your music teaching goals with the Kodály approach.

No Robbers

No robbers out today

No robbers out today

We are singing on our way

No robbers out today

Hello there and welcome to the Doremi Teach podcast. If you’re interested in teaching musical skills and literacy through singing then this is the place for you. My name is Helen Russell from Doremi Connect and I’m going to help you achieve your goals using the Kodály approach.

Benefits of No Robbers

• This song is really useful for developing pulse or steady beat·
• The game involves marching so the pulse is experienced kinaesthetically
• The rhythm is simple, ta and titi or crotchets and quavers, so it’s a great song for working on rhythm later
• The toneset is mi–so with a range of a Minor 3rd so ideal for little voices and for reluctant teachers
• Its so-mi motif is the easiest for beginner singers to pitch accurately because it is used naturally in playgrounds all over the world, ner-ner ner-ner
• It’s ideal for teaching the piano as we can play on any two black keys a skip apart
• It’s easy to transfer to tuned percussion – just find a minor third like D with F, E with G, A with C or B with D
• I also use it to experience forte, the loud dynamic

The Game

The game is super simple. It’s just marching around the room singing.

However before you start, remember small children will march faster than adults. We want the march to match the beat so you’ll need to sing faster than you would on your own.

A top tip if you’re not sure how fast to sing is to ask a student to march first, then join in with their tempo.

I also like using untuned percussion to mark the beat aurally while you all march and sing.

This is not a lullaby, so sing loudly forte but remind the children that doesn’t mean shouting!

Make sure you let us know what you think of the episode and do share it with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

For more free resources and webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk and sign up to our daily emails.

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

You’ve been listening to the Doremi Teach podcast with Helen Russell from Doremi Connect. Helping you achieve your music teaching goals with the Kodály approach.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Good Night

Good night, sleep tight

Friends will come tomorrow night

Hello there and welcome to the Doremi Teach podcast. If you’re interested in teaching musical skills and literacy through singing then this is the place for you. My name is Helen Russell from Doremi Connect and I’m going to help you achieve your goals using the Kodály approach.

Benefits of Good Night

• This song is really useful for experiencing soft singing, piano since it’s a lullaby
• The rhythm is simple, ta and titi or crotchets and quavers, so it’s a great song for working on rhythm later
• The toneset is mi–so with a range of a Minor 3rd so ideal for little voices and for reluctant teachers
• Its so-mi motif is the easiest for beginner singers to pitch accurately because it is used naturally in playgrounds all over the world, ner-ner ner-ner
• It’s ideal for teaching the piano as we can play on any two black keys a skip apart
• It’s easy to transfer to tuned percussion – just find a minor third like D with F, E with G, A with C or B with D
• Later iterations of the game involve rocking the baby to experience the beat kinaesthetically

The Game

All the students lie on the floor for a pretend sleep while the teacher softly sings the song.

After each repetition, say “It’s morning, wake up!” and the students must stand up and have a stretch. Then “Bedtime, back to sleep” and they lie down while you sing again. They find this very amusing!

In the future, to practise beat, you can rock the baby to the beat. No baby wants to be rocked to the rhythm if they are supposed to be going to sleep!

Later, while rocking, you could clap the rhythm. For some students this is an easier microstep towards performing beat and rhythm simultaneously.

When you sing, make sure you sing softly, piano, so you don’t wake the baby. Remember that soft singing is not the same as whispering.

Make sure you let us know what you think of the episode and do share it with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

For more free resources and webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk and sign up to our daily emails.

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

You’ve been listening to the Doremi Teach podcast with Helen Russell from Doremi Connect. Helping you achieve your music teaching goals with the Kodály approach.

Mentioned in this episode:

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See Saw

See saw up and down

In the air and on the ground

Hello there and welcome to the Doremi Teach podcast. If you’re interested in teaching musical skills and literacy through singing then this is the place for you. My name is Helen Russell from Doremi Connect and I’m going to help you achieve your goals using the Kodály approach.

Benefits of See Saw

• This song is used to prepare pulse and pitch and I use it to present rhythm
• The toneset is mi-so with a range of a Minor 3rd so ideal for little voices and for nervous teachers
• It uses the so-mi motif, which is the easiest for beginner singers to pitch accurately because it is used naturally in playgrounds all over the world, ner-ner ner-ner
• It’s ideal for teaching the piano as we can play on any two black keys a skip apart
• It’s easy to transfer to tuned percussion – just find a minor third like D with F, E with G, A with C or B with D
• The game involves performing a rocking pulse action that stops at the end of the song so the pulse is experienced kinaesthetically
• The rhythm is very simple, just using ta and titi or crotchets and quavers so this will reappear throughout the curriculum as we prepare and present rhythm

The Game

Hold both arms outstretched to the sides to represent the seesaw. Then rock to the beat just like a seesaw.

Our seesaw is very musical. It only rocks when we sing. Spark their imagination by asking who they would like to put on the seesaw. Sometimes they choose their friends, siblings, sometimes cartoon characters or toys.

The trick with this game is to freeze at the end of the song. The beat stops, the seesaw stops and the students must hold their position until we sing again.

As an adult, it doesn’t sound very interesting, but the students love it and will play over and over!

Make sure you let us know what you think of the episode and do share it with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

For more free resources and webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk and sign up to our daily emails.

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

You’ve been listening to the Doremi Teach podcast with Helen Russell from Doremi Connect. Helping you achieve your music teaching goals with the Kodály approach.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Queen Queen Caroline

Queen Queen Caroline

Washed her hair in turpentine

Turpentine made it shine

Queen Queen Caroline

Hello there and welcome to the Doremi Teach podcast. If you’re interested in teaching musical skills and literacy through singing then this is the place for you. My name is Helen Russell from Doremi Connect and I’m going to help you achieve your goals using the Kodály approach.

Benefits of Queen Queen Caroline

• Develops pulse or steady beat kinaesthetically
• It’s use of the speaking voice also makes it very attractive for teachers who aren’t yet confident using their own singing voices in the classroom
• The actions change each phrase to help prepare our students for phrase analysis
• The rhythm is really simple, just using ta and titi. It’s not the best choice for presenting rhythm because the longer words are spread across two beats but it’s great for practising.
• They learn a new word turpentine but make sure they know NOT to put it in their hair!

The Game

Use a different pulse or beat action for each phrase

“Queen Queen Caroline” – mime putting on a crown four times

“Washed her hair in turpentine” – mime shampooing your hair

“Turpentine made it shine” – stroke your hair four times

“Queen Queen Caroline” – mime putting a crown on four times

Make sure you let us know what you think of the episode and do share it with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

For more free resources and webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk and sign up to our daily emails.

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

You’ve been listening to the Doremi Teach podcast with Helen Russell from Doremi Connect. Helping you achieve your music teaching goals with the Kodály approach.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Tick Tock

Tick, tock, tick, tock, goes my little clock

All day long it just goes tick tock

Hello there and welcome to the Doremi Teach podcast. If you’re interested in teaching musical skills and literacy through singing then this is the place for you. My name is Helen Russell from Doremi Connect and I’m going to help you achieve your goals using the Kodály approach.

Benefits of Tick Tock

• This song is used to prepare beat and dynamics (loud and soft)
• The toneset is mi-so-la with a range of a Perfect 4th so ideal for little voices and for nervous teachers
• It uses the so-mi motif, which is the easiest for beginner singers to pitch, and the so-la-so-mi motif
• It’s ideal for teaching the piano as we can play on black keys, where the high hand will bounce between so and la
• Easy to transfer to tuned percussion
• The rhythm is very simple, just using ta (crotchets) with a single titi (quavers) for “little” so it’s easy to sing but I don’t use it for working on rhythm skills
• With the tick tock motif, it’s a great way to prepare two-time or duple metre and time signatures later on

The Game

Make a tick tock sound and make a waving action pivoting at the elbow, like a metronome or upside-down pendulum.

Keep that going while you sing the song

Prepare for work on dynamics (loud and soft) by singing softly when it’s a little clock. Then sing again as a big clock, louder. You can explore the size-dynamic connection with tiny clock and massive clock. Anything you like – be inventive and most importantly get the students involved with the creativity.

Make sure you let us know what you think of the episode and do share it with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

For more free resources and webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk and sign up to our daily emails.

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

You’ve been listening to the Doremi Teach podcast with Helen Russell from Doremi Connect. Helping you achieve your music teaching goals with the Kodály approach.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Cuckoo

Cuckoo, where are you?

Here I am, I see you!

Hello there and welcome to the Doremi Teach podcast. If you’re interested in teaching musical skills and literacy through singing then this is the place for you. My name is Helen Russell from Doremi Connect and I’m going to help you achieve your goals using the Kodály approach.

Benefits of Cuckoo

• This song is used to prepare pitch and introduce part work with Question and Answer
• The toneset is mi-so with a range of a Minor 3rd so ideal for little voices and for nervous teachers
• It uses the so-mi motif, which is the easiest for beginner singers to pitch accurately because it is used naturally in playgrounds all over the world, ner-ner ner-ner
• It’s ideal for teaching the piano as we can play on any two black keys a skip apart
• It’s easy to transfer to tuned percussion – just find a minor third like D with F, E with G, A with C or B with D
• The game involves solo singing
• The rhythm is very simple, just using ta and titi or crotchets and quavers so this will reappear throughout the curriculum as we prepare and present rhythm

The Game

There are two characters in this song. The cuckoo, who is hiding, and someone looking for the cuckoo.

Once the song is known well you can choose two students to sing the two parts.

One is the guesser, who sings the question and is looking for the cuckoo. They must keep their eyes closed.

The other is chosen secretly, and is the cuckoo. They will sing the solo.

The guesser sings the opening question, either as a solo or with the class, and then has to identify the cuckoo just from the sound, and direction, of their voice.

I like to use a bird finger puppet to select the cuckoo. They then hold it behind their backs. This way it’s really clear who the cuckoo is, and the other students must stay quiet.

Top tip: the answer phrase for this song has a tricky turn of phrase, so make sure the students get plenty of opportunities to listen to it before you ask them to sing. I do this by letting them sing the question while I sing the answer and hide the cuckoo puppet.

Make sure you let us know what you think of the episode and do share it with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

For more free resources and webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk and sign up to our daily emails.

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

You’ve been listening to the Doremi Teach podcast with Helen Russell from Doremi Connect. Helping you achieve your music teaching goals with the Kodály approach.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Listen Listen

Listen, listen, here I come

How many beats upon my drum?

Benefits of Listen Listen

• This song is used to prepare pulse with a drum or other untuned percussion
• The toneset is do-re-mi-so with a range of a Perfect 5th so good for little voices and for nervous teachers
• It starts with the so-mi motif, which is easy for beginner singers to pitch accurately
• It also contains so-mi-re-do so can be used later on when practising mi-re-do motifs
• The rhythm is mostly simple but includes ti-tika, which is a more advanced rhythm so I wouldn’t use this for rhythm work initially
• The fun game involves counting and taking turns with an untuned percussion instrument

The Game

This is a very simple game. You sing the song, and then tap a steady beat on hand drum or other untuned percussion instrument.

The students must count how many beats you played on your drum.

It’s tempting to tap throughout the song, but it’s better to wait until the end so it’s clear how many beats they are expected to count.

Start with four beats and then vary, but don’t do too many or they will lose count

You can give the drum to a student to tap – remember the beat is steady and even.

Alternative Game:

Listen, listen, here I come

Someone special gets the drum

The game for this involves one student tapping the drum throughout the song, then choosing another special person to take a turn.

You could pass the drum around the circle while you sing again, and that would select your next drummer.

Make sure you let us know what you think of the episode and do share it with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

For more free resources and webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk and sign up to our daily emails.

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

You’ve been listening to the Doremi Teach podcast with Helen Russell from Doremi Connect. Helping you achieve your music teaching goals with the Kodály approach.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Copy Cat

Copy cat, copy cat

Sitting on the door mat

Hello there and welcome to the Doremi Teach podcast. If you’re interested in teaching musical skills and literacy through singing then this is the place for you. My name is Helen Russell from Doremi Connect and I’m going to help you achieve your goals using the Kodály approach.

Benefits of Copy Cat

• This song is used to prepare pulse or rhythm, and taking turns
• The toneset is mi-so-la with a range of a Perfect 4th so ideal for little voices and for nervous teachers
• It uses the so-mi-la-so-mi motif, which is easy for beginner singers to pitch accurately because it is used naturally in playgrounds all over the world, ner-ner-na-ner-ner
• The rhythm is very simple, just using ta and titi or crotchets and quavers so this will reappear throughout the curriculum as we prepare and present rhythm
• The game involves solo singing and improvising actions
• It’s great to get your students moving around and the actions can be as energetic as you want
• I also include this in my piano curriculum

The Game

The game for this varies as the curriculum progresses

Level 1: A simple copy cat game

The teacher sings the song while doing a pulse action, and the students copy.

It’s not so simple though, because the students must only sing and do the action when it’s their turn. When the teacher is singing the students must stand still and silent.

This is actually way harder than you’d think, and is a great way to practise patience and turn taking.

An extension to this is to get the students to choose the pulse action. They can either lead the game by singing the solo, or “gift” their idea to the teacher or a friend.

Remember to make your pulse actions large so the students don’t accidentally slip onto the rhythm.

Level 2: Simon Says

Once you have completed Doremi Teach: Music module RedB and have presented the concept of steady beat you can expand on the game.

The students ONLY copy if your actions show the steady beat. If they show something else (use the rhythm of the song but don’t tell them that!) then they must stand still and no sing.

Level 3: Rhythm Actions

Once you’ve presented the concept of rhythm, you can change the rules so they ONLY copy if your actions show the rhythm.

Make sure you let us know what you think of the episode and do share it with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

For more free resources and webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk and sign up to our daily emails.

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

You’ve been listening to the Doremi Teach podcast with Helen Russell from Doremi Connect. Helping you achieve your music teaching goals with the Kodály approach.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Lemonade

Soloist – Here I come

Class – Where from?

Soloist – Worcester

Class – What’s your trade?

Soloist – Lemonade

Class – Bring us some don’t be afraid

Hello there and welcome to the Doremi Teach podcast. If you’re interested in teaching musical skills and literacy through singing then this is the place for you. My name is Helen Russell from Doremi Connect and I’m going to help you achieve your goals using the Kodály approach.

Benefits of Lemonade

• This song is used to prepare pitch and introduce part work with Question and Answer
• The toneset is mi-so with a range of a Minor 3rd so ideal for little voices and for nervous teachers
• It uses the so-mi motif, which is the easiest for beginner singers to pitch accurately because it is used naturally in playgrounds all over the world, ner-ner ner-ner
• It’s easy to transfer to tuned percussion – just find a minor third like D with F, E with G, A with C or B with D
• The rhythm is very simple, just using ta and titi or crotchets and quavers, so again, easy to sing
• The game involves solo singing

The Game

There are two parts to this song. The class and the soloist, or the lemonade seller.

Once the song is known well you can choose a student to be the soloist

The students stand in a circle, with the soloist in the middle. At the end, the students hold out their cupped hands and the soloist chooses one student and “pours” the lemonade into their cup.

This student is now the new soloist and they swap places.

This song is a challenge for the soloist as they must sing first rather than respond, which is more usual. You can sing “Off you go” on the starting pitch to help the soloist get started if they are reluctant.

Watch out for the soloists changing the starting pitch of the song. The class should match pitch with the soloist.

To create variety and develop improvisational skills, the students can change the name of the location and the type of drink. But they need to make sure their new choice fits the song so as a stepping stone to complete improvisation you can discuss some choices they could make that would fit. For example cherryade and orangeade will both work. Coca cola is popular but doesn’t rhyme, so you can decide if that matters and whether it’s a good talking point.

Make sure you let us know what you think of the episode and do share it with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

For more free resources and webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk and sign up to our daily emails.

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

You’ve been listening to the Doremi Teach podcast with Helen Russell from Doremi Connect. Helping you achieve your music teaching goals with the Kodály approach.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Hello there and welcome to the Doremi Teach podcast. If you’re interested in teaching musical skills and literacy through singing then this is the place for you. My name is Helen Russell from Doremi Connect and I’m going to help you achieve your goals using the Kodály approach.

I'll admit, I'm a bit nosy. And I bet you are too! That's why this episode I'm going to share the audio from the video walkthrough of the very first lesson in Doremi Teach: Music.

Over the last ten episodes I've shared songs and rhymes to use at this level, but this is a full walkthrough showing how to bring all of those together into a coherent lesson.

It's a demonstration, interspersed with tips and explanations.

My Doremi Teach members get access to the video version, which is helpful when the songs have actions. They also get the downloadable lesson plans and resources.

So let's get started on our first module, exploring voice types.

Main Objective: to experience different voice types

Plus we’ll be introducing most of the songs we’ll be using this term.

• Hello Everyone
• Balloons
• We Are Dancing in the Forest
• Engine Engine
• Zoom Zoom Zoom
• Chop Chop Choppity Chop
• Jelly on a Plate
• Over in the Meadow

Make sure you let us know what you think of the episode and do share it with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

For more free resources and webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk and sign up to our daily emails.

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

You’ve been listening to the Doremi Teach podcast with Helen Russell from Doremi Connect. Helping you achieve your music teaching goals with the Kodály approach.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Hey Hey

Hey, hey look at me

I am singing can you see

Hello there and welcome to episode 10 of the Doremi Teach podcast. If you’re interested in teaching musical skills and literacy through singing then this is the place for you. My name is Helen Russell from Doremi Connect and I’m going to help you achieve your goals using the Kodály approach.

Hey Hey is one of the many songs and rhymes that feature in the Doremi Teach: Music curriculum. This one first features in the first Module exploring voice types but is reused over and over as we develop pulse, pitch and rhythm. Check out doremiconnect.co.uk for more details.

Benefits of Hey Hey

This song is used to prepare pulse and pitch and allows for improvisation

The toneset is mi-so with a range of a Minor 3rd so ideal for little voices and for nervous teachers

It uses the so-mi motif, which is the easiest for beginner singers to pitch accurately because it is used naturally in playgrounds all over the world, ner-ner ner-ner

It’s ideal for teaching the piano as we can play on any two black keys a skip apart     

It’s easy to transfer to tuned percussion – just find a minor third like D with F, E with G, A with C or B with D     

The game involves performing a variety of pulse actions so the pulse is experienced kinaesthetically     

The students choose the actions so there’s an element of improvisation

The rhythm is very simple, just using ta and titi or crotchets and quavers so this will reappear throughout the curriculum as we prepare and present rhythm

The Game

The first singing is straightforward, but then you change the action. So instead of singing we could have clapping and then you clap the pulse as you sing.

Hey, hey, look at me

I am clapping can you see

We could have waving, jumping, hopping, anything you like.

Get the children to suggest an action and then make it work! Remember to do really large actions for pulse actions so that they don’t accidentally perform the rhythm.

Make sure you let us know what you think of the rhyme, and if you use it in your lessons. You can get in touch with us through our website at doremiconnect.co.uk

Do share us with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

For more resources and free webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk/freetraining for our latest opportunities.

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

You’ve been listening to the Doremi Teach podcast with Helen Russell from Doremi Connect. Helping you achieve your music teaching goals with the Kodály approach.

Tap, tap, tap

Tap, tap, tap

Who is that?

Only the witch's big black cat

Sh, sh, sh

Who is there?

Only a ghost behind the chair

Hello there and welcome to Episode 9 of the Doremi Teach podcast. If you’re interested in teaching musical skills and literacy through singing then this is the place for you. My name is Helen Russell from Doremi Connect and I’m going to help you achieve your goals using the Kodály approach.

Tap Tap Tap is one of the many songs and rhymes that feature in the Doremi Teach: Music curriculum. This one features in the first Module exploring voice types. Check out doremiconnect.co.uk for more details.

Benefits of Tap Tap Tap

• This song is used to explore different voice types and develop solo singing skills       
• The toneset is mi-so-la with a range of a Perfect 4th so ideal for little voices and for nervous teachers  
• It uses the so-mi and so-mi-la-so-mi motifs, which are the easiest for beginner singers to pitch accurately because they are used naturally in playgrounds all over the world, ner-ner ner-ner-ner
• In addition to the singing voice, it also uses the whispering voice so perfect for 4 to 7 year olds exploring their voices
• The form of the song is Question and Answer and the game is a guessing game where a student has to identify another by their voice, so even reluctant singers will want a turn to be “it”
• The rhythm is mostly very simple, just using ta and titi or crotchets and quavers although there are some semiquavers in there too, so I don’t usually use this for rhythm work

The Game

Everyone sings the questions but you choose two soloists to sing the two answers. A guesser is selected to close their eyes and identify which children were the soloists.

It’s so simple and is great value because three children get a role each time you sing.

This song is brilliant for getting the children to sing solo without realising. They don’t think about the fact they are singing on their own, only the fact that they are getting a turn at being the cat or the ghost.

A great opportunity for them to develop by stealth and you also get the chance to assess their sense of beat and pitch accuracy.

Make sure you let us know what you think of the rhyme, and if you use it in your lessons. You can get in touch with us through our website at doremiconnect.co.uk

Do share us with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

For more resources and free webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk/freetraining for our latest opportunities.

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

You’ve been listening to the Doremi Teach podcast with Helen Russell from Doremi Connect. Helping you achieve your music teaching goals with the Kodály approach.

Over in the Meadow

Over in the meadow in the sand in the sun

Lives an old mother turtle and her little turtle one

Dig said the mother, I dig said the one

So they dug all day in the sand in the sun

Hello there and welcome to episode 8 of the Doremi Teach podcast. If you’re interested in teaching musical skills and literacy through singing then this is the place for you. My name is Helen Russell from Doremi Connect and I’m going to help you achieve your goals using the Kodály approach.

Singing using picture books is a wonderful way to engage children, both with reading and with music, and there are so many to choose from.

Over in the meadow is a folk song based on a counting poem written by Olive Wadsworth in the 1800s. There are many picture book versions with slight variations so find your favourite and get singing. I use one published by Walker Books but it seems to be out of print. Doremi member and Kodály expert Anne Ralph has recommended the Barefoot Books edition.

Over in the Meadow is one of the many songs and rhymes that feature in the Doremi Teach: Music curriculum. This one features in the first Module exploring voice types. Check out doremiconnect.co.uk for more details.

Benefits of Over in the Meadow

• This song is used for younger children to practise listening to live music, your singing.   
• The toneset is do-re-mi-fa-so-la with a range of a Major 6th so ideal for all teachers
• The melody is mostly stepwise so it’s easy to sing and to listen to
• The rhythm is also very simple, just using ta and titi or crotchets and quavers       
• I wouldn’t expect young children to sing this accurately but as they get older and improve their range and dexterity it would make a beautiful performance piece

So get out there, find a copy of the book and get singing!

There are lots of other picture books that are great for singing. If you have another sat on your shelf, don’t be shy, bring it out and excite and inspire your students.

Make sure you let us know what you think of the rhyme, and if you use it in your lessons. You can get in touch with us through our website at doremiconnect.co.uk

Do share us with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

For more resources and free webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk/freetraining for our latest opportunities.

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

You’ve been listening to the Doremi Teach podcast with Helen Russell from Doremi Connect. Helping you achieve your music teaching goals with the Kodály approach.

Cobbler Cobbler

Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe

Get it done by half past two

Half past two is much too late

Get it done by half past eight

Hello there and welcome to episode 7 of the Doremi Teach podcast. If you’re interested in teaching musical skills and literacy through singing then this is the place for you. My name is Helen Russell from Doremi Connect and I’m going to help you achieve your goals using the Kodály approach.

Cobbler Cobbler is one of the many songs and rhymes that feature in Doremi Teach: Music the membership community for teachers just like you, interested in using the Kodály approach in your classroom. Members can access downloadable lesson plans, video walkthroughs, live support sessions and a vibrant social and support network of like-minded teachers. Check out doremiconnect.co.uk to see what we have to offer.

Uses of Cobbler Cobbler

• This song is really useful for developing pulse or steady beat·       
• The game involves hammering with a pulse action so the pulse is experience kinaesthetically   
• The rhythm is simple, ta and titi or crotchets and quavers, so it’s a great song for working on rhythm later
• The toneset is mi-so with a range of a Minor 3rd so ideal for little voices and for reluctant teachers       
• Its so-mi motif is the easiest for beginner singers to pitch accurately because it is used naturally in playgrounds all over the world, ner-ner ner-ner
• It’s ideal for teaching the piano as we can play on any two black keys a skip apart
• It’s easy to transfer to tuned percussion – just find a minor third like D with F, E with G, A with C or B with D       
• I also use it to experience tempo, as I’ll explain in the game shortly
• Oh and they never know that a Cobbler is someone who makes and mends shoes, so that’s a new word for them

The Game

The children are going to mend their shoes with a hammer. It’s up to you whether you imagine a shoe or get them to take off their own, dirty, shoes. You can guess what I prefer! Plus of course some of them take forever to take them on and off!

So hold your hand flat as if you’re holding a shoe, then with the fist of your other hand hammer to the beat.

To practise with both sides of the body, swap hands. I tell them to put their imaginary shoe down, swap hands with their imaginary hammer, then pick up the other shoe. That seems to be the most reliable way of swapping hands.

After a few weeks of steady hammering I venture into tempo preparation with a story about our cobbler.

Today our cobbler is very tired. They only have one pair of shoes to mend and they have all day to do it. How will they hammer? Slowly. Let’s sing and hammer slowly.

Oh no, they’ve just spotted a box of shoes under the table, they’ve got loads of shoes to mend but no time. How will they hammer? Fast. Right, but not so fast that they make a mess of the shoes. They still need to be careful.

Let’s sing and hammer a little faster.

Make sure you let us know what you think of the rhyme, and if you use it in your lessons. You can get in touch with us through our website at doremiconnect.co.uk

Do share us with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

For more resources and free webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk/freetraining for our latest...]]>Welcome to Episode 7 of the Doremi Teach Podcast, with Helen Russell from Doremi Connect. Today we’re going to share a song that helps develop a sense of pulse or steady beat

Cobbler Cobbler

Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe

Get it done by half past two

Half past two is much too late

Get it done by half past eight

Hello there and welcome to episode 7 of the Doremi Teach podcast. If you’re interested in teaching musical skills and literacy through singing then this is the place for you. My name is Helen Russell from Doremi Connect and I’m going to help you achieve your goals using the Kodály approach.

Cobbler Cobbler is one of the many songs and rhymes that feature in Doremi Teach: Music the membership community for teachers just like you, interested in using the Kodály approach in your classroom. Members can access downloadable lesson plans, video walkthroughs, live support sessions and a vibrant social and support network of like-minded teachers. Check out doremiconnect.co.uk to see what we have to offer.

Uses of Cobbler Cobbler

• This song is really useful for developing pulse or steady beat·       
• The game involves hammering with a pulse action so the pulse is experience kinaesthetically   
• The rhythm is simple, ta and titi or crotchets and quavers, so it’s a great song for working on rhythm later
• The toneset is mi-so with a range of a Minor 3rd so ideal for little voices and for reluctant teachers       
• Its so-mi motif is the easiest for beginner singers to pitch accurately because it is used naturally in playgrounds all over the world, ner-ner ner-ner
• It’s ideal for teaching the piano as we can play on any two black keys a skip apart
• It’s easy to transfer to tuned percussion – just find a minor third like D with F, E with G, A with C or B with D       
• I also use it to experience tempo, as I’ll explain in the game shortly
• Oh and they never know that a Cobbler is someone who makes and mends shoes, so that’s a new word for them

The Game

The children are going to mend their shoes with a hammer. It’s up to you whether you imagine a shoe or get them to take off their own, dirty, shoes. You can guess what I prefer! Plus of course some of them take forever to take them on and off!

So hold your hand flat as if you’re holding a shoe, then with the fist of your other hand hammer to the beat.

To practise with both sides of the body, swap hands. I tell them to put their imaginary shoe down, swap hands with their imaginary hammer, then pick up the other shoe. That seems to be the most reliable way of swapping hands.

After a few weeks of steady hammering I venture into tempo preparation with a story about our cobbler.

Today our cobbler is very tired. They only have one pair of shoes to mend and they have all day to do it. How will they hammer? Slowly. Let’s sing and hammer slowly.

Oh no, they’ve just spotted a box of shoes under the table, they’ve got loads of shoes to mend but no time. How will they hammer? Fast. Right, but not so fast that they make a mess of the shoes. They still need to be careful.

Let’s sing and hammer a little faster.

Make sure you let us know what you think of the rhyme, and if you use it in your lessons. You can get in touch with us through our website at doremiconnect.co.uk

Do share us with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

For more resources and free webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk/freetraining for our latest opportunities.

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

You’ve been listening to the Doremi Teach podcast with Helen Russell from Doremi Connect. Helping you achieve your music teaching goals with the Kodály approach.

Bee Bee Bumblebee

Bee, bee, bumblebee

Stung a man upon his knee

Stung a pig upon his snout

I declare that you are out

Bee Bee Bumblebee is one of the many songs and rhymes that feature in Doremi Teach: Music the membership community for teachers just like you, interested in using the Kodály approach in your classroom. Members can access downloadable lesson plans, video walkthroughs, live support sessions and a vibrant social and support network of like-minded teachers. Check out doremiconnect.co.uk to see what we have to offer.

• The game develops pulse or steady beat kineasthetically
• It’s use of the speaking voice also makes it very attractive for teachers who aren’t yet confident using their own singing voices in the classroom
• The actions change each phrase to help prepare our students for phrase analysis
• The rhythm is really simple, just using ta and titi. However it’s not the best choice for presenting rhythm because the longer words are spread across two beats. Although the first phrase could be isolated for this use
• It’s about a bee, so we get to use a bee puppet and also warm up our voices making buzzing sounds

The Game

Use a different pulse or beat action for each phrase

 “Bee bee bumblebee” flap your hands like wings

“Stung a man upon his knee” tap your knee – you could use your bee puppet to tap your knee

“Stung a pig upon his snout” tap your nose – you will need to explain that a snout is the pig’s nose

"I declare that you are out” point to each student in turn

You can decide what to do with those that are out. Do they sit out the next turn, do they just react but actually stay in, do they become the next counter or sit at the front demonstrating the actions? You choose.

Make sure you let us know what you think of the rhyme, and if you use it in your lessons. You can get in touch with us through our website at doremiconnect.co.uk

Do share us with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

For more resources and free webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk/freetraining for our latest opportunities.

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

You’ve been listening to the Doremi Teach podcast with Helen Russell from Doremi Connect. Helping you achieve your music teaching goals with the Kodály approach.

Jelly on a Plate

This rhyme is really useful for preparing and practising different voice types

• It uses the speaking voice, singing voice and whispering voice so I use it frequently in the first term when we’re exploring voice types
• It’s use of the speaking voice also makes it very attractive for teachers who aren’t yet confident using their own singing voices in the classroom, there’s just a bit of singing in one verse
• The actions change each verse to help our students to feel the form of the rhyme and unconsciously experience the changes in the actions with the voice types
• The rhythm is really simple and we could also match the action to the pulse although it’s not the main objective of this rhyme and to be honest I get a better imaginary wobble on my jelly with a faster wobble
• The sung verse has a toneset of mi-so-la and with a small range of a Perfect 4th so even reluctant singers shouldn’t have a problem

The Game

Use a different action and voice for each verse.

For jelly, use your speaking voice and hold an imaginary plate of jelly giving it a good wobble

For sausage, use a louder speaking voice but not shouting. Hold your hand in a fist as if you’re holding the handle of a frying pan, shaking it over the hob

For ghostie, use a whispering voice. Hold your hands in front of you as if you’re under a sheet, like a spooky ghost

For popcorn, using a singing voice. Point your index finger of each hand vertically upwards and move them up and down to represent the popcorn popping.

Feel free to create your own actions, or get the children to choose, but then stay consistent so they feel the security of a game they know.

Make sure you let us know what you think of the rhyme, and if you use it in your lessons. You can get in touch with us through our website at doremiconnect.co.uk

Do share us with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

I’ll see you soon here, on Facebook, Twitter or at doremiconnect.co.uk to help you achieve your music teaching goals using the Kodály approach.

For more resources and free webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk/freetraining for our latest opportunities.

You’ve been listening to the Doremi Teach podcast with Helen Russell from Doremi Connect. Helping you achieve your music teaching goals with the Kodály approach.

Chop Chop Choppity Chop

This rhyme has so many uses

• It’s so interactive, our students get to choose which vegetable go in the pot and decide if their imaginary soup is delicious or disgusting
• It uses the speaking voice so perfect for that first term when you’re exploring voice types
• It’s use of the speaking voice also makes it very attractive for teachers who aren’t yet confident using their own singing voices in the classroom
• The actions help our students to feel the pulse or beat kinaesthetically
• Its metre is simple compound or 6/8 so when they’re much older and are preparing this metre it could stage a comeback. You never know, they can surprise you and love a bit of a retro flashback to their younger years. I’ve used it with older students and linked to chopping trees in Minecraft or even Fruit Ninja or Beat Saber.

The Game

Use a chopping action with a flat vertical hand, the knife, striking a flat horizontal hand, the chopping board.

The children can choose ingredients for the pot. You decide if they have to be sensible vegetables or if you can trust them to be a bit more creative with ice-cream and radishes. Watch out though, they will definitely want to include slugs and worms so you decide if you want to tolerate that level of silliness. I do, but you might not.

For an extra challenge you can change the chopping action to match the size or stability of the vegetable. So instead of a hand you might use your whole arm, or a tiny finger, or maybe those pesky peas are rolling around so you can’t catch them.

Make sure you let us know what you think of the rhyme, and if you use it in your lessons. You can get in touch with us through our website at doremiconnect.co.uk

Do share us with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

I’ll see you soon here, on Facebook, Twitter or at doremiconnect.co.uk to help you achieve your music teaching goals using the Kodály approach.

For more resources and free webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk/freetraining for our latest opportunities.

Zoom Zoom Zoom

This song has so many uses

• Many parents will know this song from baby groups where the babies can be lifted into the air at the blast off. In my classes we do the same with a soft toy and often use a lycra sheet to blast one lucky finger puppet into the atmosphere! It’s one of my students’ favourites. I haven’t asked the puppets!
• The lycra game includes movement so gets the children out of their seats and stretching their legs
• The lycra game also requires co-operation and sharing. The children have their space around the lycra and in order to get the puppet to fly they must work as a team
• It uses the singing voice and the speaking voice so a great one for that first term of lessons where our students are discovering what their voices can do
• The countdown helps our students to experience the beat and when you allow them to take a solo turn it’s a great opportunity to assess their ability to maintain the steady beat and to draw their attention to its importance when they don’t
• The solo section is also a great opportunity for the other children to remember NOT to sing, thus developing their impulse control and their inner hearing
• The toneset is do-re-mi-fa-so-la with a range of a Major 6th so very achievable for young voices and for reluctant teachers
• The melodic motifs could be used with older children but by the time we reach those tonesets they are possibly too old for the game. But you never know, they can surprise you and love a bit of a retro flashback to their younger years

The Game

Hold a large lycra sheet around the edges. Mine sheet is a 1.5 x 2m rectangle

Place the unsuspecting puppet in the centre of the sheet and sing the song while holding the sheet steady or maybe dancing a little on the spot.

For the countdown pulse the sheet upwards on each count but gently enough so the puppet stays in the middle. Then on blast off lift the sheet up faster and the puppet will fly into the sky. Hopefully landing back on the sheet if everyone has worked together. But often someone will have to let go to retrieve the toy for the next round.

After a few weeks you will be able to select children to perform a solo countdown. Some will speed up and you’ll need to remind them that a Rocket countdown has to stay steady so everyone knows when to blast off.

Make sure you let us know what you think of the song, and if you use it in your lessons. You can get in touch with us through our website at doremiconnect.co.uk

Do share us with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

I’ll see you soon here, on Facebook, Twitter or at doremiconnect.co.uk to help you achieve your music teaching goals using the Kodály approach.

For more resources and free webinars on teaching music through singing make sure you visit doremiconnect.co.uk/freetraining for our latest opportunities.

Engine Engine Number Nine

This rhyme has so many uses

• It’s great for the relaxation segment of your lesson after your students have focused for a few minutes and need to reset, or to help you transition to a new activity
• The game includes movement so gets the children out of their seats and stretching their legs
• The game involves turn taking as different children get to be the engine driver
• It uses the speaking voice so perfect for that first term when you’re exploring voice types
• It’s use of the speaking voice also makes it very attractive for teachers who aren’t yet confident using their own singing voices in the classroom
• The actions help our students to feel the pulse or beat kinaesthetically and later we will use train icons when we visually represent the beat
• We can also use it later on when we’re exploring rhythm

The Game

You’ll definitely want to change the town from Worcester to your own town. Try not to squeeze in too many syllables though – look around your area for something suitable, or use Playground or something neutral.

Once the students have learnt the rhyme ask them to improvise some train actions. It’s almost inevitable that someone will do a chugging train action where their bent arms represent the side rods that drive the wheels.

Let’s make a train and chug around the room. I’ll be the engine driver.

Lead the children round the room while continuing to chug with their arms, and ideally marching with their feet too. When they get to the toot phrase, they can pretend to pull on the whistle cord.

There’s only so long that this will be interesting though. So once you’ve modelled a good walking speed you can allow a student to be the engine driver. And after each repeat you can peel the front child off, they go to the back and we get a new driver.

So here’s an additional phrase to make the change

“Sarah goes to the rear, Matthew is my engineer”

Clearly with a class of 30 not every child will get a turn each week so you’ll need to manage that to maintain a sense of fairness.

Remember that children have much shorter legs than adults, so you need to ensure that your walking and rhyme speed is fast enough for them to be able to walk to the beat. Otherwise they will take extra steps and some of the kinaesthetic benefit will be lost.

You’ll also notice that the driver might go too fast for the class, or one of the carriages isn’t concentrating and you might get a split in the train. So watch out for that too.

Make sure you let us know what you think of the rhyme and if you use it in your lessons. You can get in touch with us through our website at doremiconnect.co.uk

Do share us with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

I’ll see you soon here, on Facebook, Twitter or at doremiconnect.co.uk to help you achieve your music teaching goals using the Kodály approach.

We Are Dancing in the Forest

This song has so many uses    

• It’s great for the relaxation segment of your lesson after your students have focused for a few minutes and need to reset
• The game includes freestyle dancing so every child can get moving and express themselves
• The game also includes solo work and improvisation
• It uses the singing voice and the speaking voice so a great one for that first term of lessons where our students are discovering what their voices can do
• The toneset is mi-so-la, with a range of a Perfect 4^th so ideal for little voices and for reluctant teachers
• And it contains the slsm motif that we will need when our students are a little older and preparing and practising la. This is why I also use it with my piano students too

The Game

At the end of the song, everyone says Wolf are you there? And one volunteer, or the teacher initially, says some reason why not – eg No, I’m brushing my hair

After a couple of turns the wolf says Yes, I’m coming to get you.

Now the original game is tag. The child that gets tagged becomes the new wolf. However you may not want to have them running around and it can elicit screaming from some classes. That’s why I sometimes change the game to a Freeze game. The children have to freeze like a tree. Now in musical statues the child that moves would be out. However they all want to be the wolf so they all “accidentally” move. So instead the wolf has to choose the very best tree to be the next wolf, the child who is the most still. This freezing game also works in one to one instrumental lessons. I use it with my piano students. Because there’s no chasing around we just pretend to be a really still tree and then swap roles.

Interestingly I have had students who really struggle to come up with suggestions for games, even simple things like choosing a colour for an imaginary balloon can be a challenge. But with this game I find they are much better. I think perhaps because they are drawing from their morning routine. The first time you play it, you be the wolf so you can model different answers for them to draw from.

Make sure you let us know what you think of the song and if you use it in your lessons. You can get in touch with us through our website at doremiconnect.co.uk

Do share us with your colleagues if you’ve found it helpful

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with music and singing.

I’ll see you soon here, on Facebook, Twitter or at doremiconnect.co.uk to help you achieve your music teaching goals using the Kodály approach.