Solfa Ear Training Activities for Piano Teaching

Singing in piano lessons has many benefits.

It fine-tunes a musician's ear-training skills. This enables them to play melodies by ear as they recognize intervals quickly. It also speeds up the ability to transpose music to different keys. I've found that my piano students who are willing to sing as they play self-correct errors in their playing more quickly than those who don't.

Ear Training Solfa Videos for Piano Students

Following are video resources that introduce and strengthen singing skills in a fun way. They make great group or private piano lesson starters or can also be done independently by piano students during lab.

Whacky Do Re Mi Solfa

Do Re Mi Solfa from the Sound of Music - 1 octave scale with lyrics & solfa hand signs

Sing along with the video as you do the solfa hand signs.

Do Re Mi Sol Challenge Video - Solfa patterns on the staff for echo practice

As you watch the video echo the patterns. For a challenge touch your body parts to match the pentascale notes as you sing.

1 Do-Toes

2 Re-Knees

3 Mi-Waist

4 Fa-Shoulders

5 So-Head

So Mi La Challenge Video - Solfa patterns on the staff for echo practice

As you watch the video echo the patterns. For a challenge touch your body parts to match the notes as you sing.

3 Mi-Waist

5 So-Head

6 La-Reach Hands above your head.

Solfege Song Echos Video

Echo the solfa patterns.

1- Sing

2- Play the echo pattern on the tone bells.

3-Play the echo patterns on the piano (C scale). 

4- Can you echo the patterns by ear without watching?

Ear Training Solfa Online Music Games 

Phil Tulga Sequencing with Simon Do Mi So Do

Click the link to practice echoing patterns with PhilTulga's ear training game that uses Do-Mi-So-Do. 

Theta Ear Training Tonic Finder

Click the link and play the Tonic Finder gamer to practice hearing the tonic (first note of scale) in a song.

Hint:  As the song plays, click on the piano keys to hear which note from the options below sounds like "Do" or "home."

Theta Ear Training Two Tones (Minor: Do Re Me Fa So)

Click the link to play "Two Tones" and practice hearing and playing a series of notes from the minor scale. Hint: Sing the scale when you begin. The 3rd note "Mi" is flat in the minor scale and is called "Me" (pronounced "May")in solfa.  Do, Re Me, Fa, So.

Theta Ear Training Two Tones (Major: 1:Do So Do 2:Do Fa Do 3: Do Fa So Do)

Click the link to play "Two Tones" and practice hearing and playing a series of notes from the major scale. 

Tone Savvy Melodic Ear Training

Click on the link to practice identifying the notes you hear. 

Start with Do(1)-Mi (3)-So(5). Then add more pitches as it becomes easier for you.

Imagine #s on each note of the scale (1,2,3,4,5) or use solfa names (Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, etc.)

Theta Melodic Drops L1:1,5,8, L2:1,4,8 L3:1,4,5,8

Hear notes played separately. Identify the interval by number. Hint: Sing the scale notes and count how far apart the pitches are.

Theta Harmonic Balloons

Challenge: Hear notes played at the same time and identify the interval.

Related Posts:

The Value of Singing in Piano Lessons: Ear Training

Do Re Mi Ice Cream Improv

Good Better Best Melodic Dictation