Everyone knows the Do Re Mi song from the Sound of Music (ok. maybe not) and this famous song is actually really good for teaching children how to read and sing musical notes. Do Re Mi or ‘Tonic Sol-fa’ is a traditional and very effective way to teach the concept of intervals and the sound of each note of the scale. It helps build an understanding of how to pitch notes and know how they should sound.
It is best to introduce the sol-fa names by learning to recognize the intervals in familiar nursery songs. Start by teaching your little one So-Mi, which in the scale of C is G and E and sounds like “cuckoo” or “see-saw.” Most children’s xylophones or chime bar sets have the notes marked on them, so this helps to begin with. Babies start to hum these notes naturally before they even know any songs. So – Mi is the first interval that children can pitch and sing easily and most simple nursery rhymes are based upon it.
