Hi Friend,

Thank you for joining me on our teaching journey—woo hoooooo! 🎉

🎵 Teaching Tip: Singing Instructions & a Game 🎵

A highly esteemed music teacher and I were chatting yesterday about musical patterns in children’s songs. Here's a thought she shared:

• Sol, Mi, and La are the most commonly used notes in children's songs, so start with these pitches first in their musicianship training.

• Mi, Re, and Do often appear at the end of children's songs, so use these later on in their musicianship training.

How can we use this to make learning even more engaging for our little musicians?

My Fun Approach: Singing Directions during Simon Says!

I sing instructions instead of saying them during Simon Says. Here's how it works:

1️⃣ Normal Instructions:
I use Sol and Mi to sing the instructions:
🎶 S S M, S S M → Simon Says, clap your hands
🎶 S S M, S S M → Simon Says, pluck the G

2️⃣ When I Don’t Say “Simon Says”:
I switch it up but still use Sol and Mi:
🎶 S M → Stand up
🎶 S M → Bow G

3️⃣ The Trick (for the super-smart kids!):
I sneak in a perfect cadence using Do:
🎶 S D → Sit down
(It feels like a musical “The End,” so they instinctively do it—even if I didn’t say “Simon Says”!)

💡 Why It Works:

• Engages kids by keeping them actively listening.

• Adds a fun challenge to help them become more musically aware.

• A playful way to reinforce their learning in a creative, musical way!

🎻 Bonus: Adapt It for Violin Lessons!

You can easily adapt this approach to violin lessons, making it just as fun for your students! 🎶

Try it out in your lessons and see if your students fall for the perfect cadence trick! 🎵😂

Looking forward to hearing how it goes!

Warmly,
Laura
Founder & Creator of the Stringosaurus Resources Hub