Minds On

Today’s vocabulary

Press the following tabs to access today’s vocabulary.

A sequence of sounds (pitches) and silences.

The element of music that relates to the highness or lowness of a tone or sound.

So and mi are solfège syllables. Solfège is a method in which each step in a scale has a special syllable called a solfège syllable (or sol-fa syllable). The syllables do, re, mi, fa, so, la, and ti are the pitches of the scale.

A rhythmic or melodic pattern that repeats. An example of a simple rhythmic ostinato might be “ta, ta, ti-ti, ta”. A melodic ostinato might be “so–so–mi–mi–so–so–mi”. Also explore oral prompts; rhythmic pattern; solfège.

Let’s get started!

Check out the following conversation about word patterns and ostinato.

Two teachers are talking. The first teacher says: Pumpkin, cherry, apple pie. Pumpkin, cherry, apple pie. The second teacher responds: Hi Teacher A! What are you doing? The first teacher says: I am making a word pattern using different types of pie. Check it out. Pumpkin, cherry, apple pie. Pumpkin, cherry, apple pie. The second teacher responds: How does your word pattern work? The first teacher says: I picked my favourite pies and put them together. In music, when we repeat a pattern over and over it’s called ostinato.

Explore the following image to check out Teacher A’s word pattern.

A row with four squares. In the first square is a picture of a pumpkin with the word pumpkin underneath. There is a hyphen between the second p and the k. In the second square is a picture of a cherry with the word cherry underneath with a hyphen between the two r’s. In the third square is a picture of an apple with the word apple underneath with a hyphen between the two p’s. The fourth square has a picture of a pie with the word pie underneath it.

How many sounds are in the word “pumpkin”?

Press the ‘Answer’ button to learn how many sounds there are in the word pumpkin.

There are two sounds in the word pumpkin.

In music, two sounds on a beat is called ti-ti. Ti-ti can be represented like this:

Two straight vertical lines with a horizontal line on top connecting them

How many sounds are in the word “pie”?

Press the ‘Answer’ button to learn how many sounds are in the word pie.

There is one sound in the word pie.

In music, one sound on a beat is called ta. Ta can be represented like this:

A straight vertical line

Explore the following image to check out Teacher A's word pattern with ti-ti and ta added.

Two teachers are talking. The first teacher says: We’ve learned that two sounds on a beat is called ti-ti and one sound on a beat is called ta. Let’s think about the words in our word pattern: pumpkin, cherry, apple, pie. The second teacher responds: “Pump-kin,” “cher-ry,” and “ap-ple” have two sounds. “Pie” has one sound! The first teacher says: That’s right, Teacher B! That means pumpkin, cherry, apple pie is ti-ti, ti-ti, ti-ti ta! The second teacher responds: Oh, that’s so cool! Ti-ti, ti-ti, ti-ti, ta! Ti-ti, ti-ti, ti-ti, ta!

One row with four squares. In the first square there are two vertical lines connected by a horizontal line at the top. Underneath is the word pumpkin. There is a hyphen between the second p and the k. Underneath the word is a small heart. In the second square there are two vertical lines connected by a horizontal line at the top. Underneath is the word cherry with a hyphen between the two r’s. Underneath the word is a small heart. In the third square there are two vertical lines connected by a horizontal line at the top. Underneath is the word apple with a hyphen between the two p’s. Underneath it is a small heart. The fourth square has a vertical line with the word pie underneath and a small heart underneath the word.

Access the following audio to explore what Teacher A's word pattern sounds like as a rhythm.

Word Pattern Rhythm

Action

Get ready, get set…

Pie

We can add pitches to our rhythm patterns.

Pitch is the high and low sounds that make up a song or a piece of music.

A melody is a group of different pitches with one following the other.

The song, “Great Big House in New Orleans” is a melody.

Great Big House in New Orleans,

Forty stories high,

Every room that I’ve been in,

Filled with pumpkin pie.

Check out the following audio to explore “Great Big House in New Orleans.”

Great Big House in New Orleans

Let’s give our pitches names.

So will be the high pitch. Mi will be the low pitch.

So and mi can be represented in different ways!

Voices can be used to sing so and mi.

Explore the following audio of someone singing so and mi.

So and Mi

Instruments can be used to play so and mi.

Explore the following audio of instruments being used to play so and mi.

Instruments

Movement can be used to show so and mi.

Person standing with legs apart and their hands over their head. A person sitting cross-legged with their hands resting on their knees.

High pitch

The dancer is standing. Their arms are stretched above their head.

Low pitch

The dancer is sitting cross-legged. Their hands are resting on their knees.

Try It

Try it

Choose two movements to represent so (high pitch) and mi (low pitch).

How else might someone use their body to represent so and mi?

Press the ‘Option’ button to access another suggestion.

Raising arms about the head for so (high pitch) and touching the top of the head for mi (low pitch).

How might someone represent so (high pitch) and mi (low pitch) using their shoulders and waist? How might someone represent so and mi using their waist and knees?

If possible, try out your so and mi movements.

Say so as you do your so movement, and mi as you do your mi movement.

Let’s practice!

One kid with their hands on their hips and another kid tapping their shoulders.

Let’s practice using our bodies to show so and mi.

Choose a movement that is high for so. Then choose a movement that is low for mi.

Explore the following audio and then try it yourself.

So and Mi Practice 1

Shoulder tap

so

so

so

so

Hands on hips

Let’s try another pattern!

Explore the following audio and then try it yourself.

So and Mi Practice 2

Shoulder tap

so

so

Hands on hips

mi

mi

Okay, last one!

Explore the following audio and then try it yourself.

So and Mi Practice 3

Shoulder tap

so

so

Hands on hips

mi

mi

Great job! This time come up with your own so mi pattern.

Complete the So Mi Pattern in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.

So Mi Pattern

Your so movement

______(Blank)

Your mi movement

______(Blank)

Press the ‘Activity’ button to access So Mi Pattern. 

Activity(Open PDF in a new window)

Go!

Let’s return to our pie pattern in the Minds On section.

One row with four squares. In the first square there are two vertical lines connected by a horizontal line at the top. Underneath is the word pumpkin. There is a hyphen between the second p and the k. Underneath the word is a small heart. In the second square there are two vertical lines connected by a horizontal line at the top. Underneath is the word cherry with a hyphen between the two r’s. Underneath the word is a small heart. In the third square there are two vertical lines connected by a horizontal line at the top. Underneath is the word apple with a hyphen between the two p’s. Underneath it is a small heart. The fourth square has a vertical line with the word pie underneath and a small heart underneath the word.

This time we’ll add so and mi.

Step 1: Add our rhythm.

There are four boxes with the rhythms of “pumpkin, cherry, apple, pie” represented as stick notations: ti-ti, ti-ti, ti-ti, ta.

Step 2: Let’s plan our so mi composition by adding s and m below each rhythm on the line.

Underneath each of the stick notations are a short dash to indicate if the word has one sound our two. Under the ti-ti notation, there are two short dashes. Under the ta notation, there is one short dash. In the first box, the letter s is written on the two dashes. In the second box, the letter m is written on the two dashes. In the third box, the letter s is written on the two dashes. In the fourth box, the letter m is written on the one dash. These letters represent the pitches so (s) and mi (m).

Add so and mi to the chart. (We can use pies as pitches because our rhythm is about pies!)

Underneath the stick notations and the letters s and m, there are two rows. The top row is labelled so. The bottom row is labelled mi. Underneath the first notation, there are two images of pie that are in the top row. Underneath the second notation, there are two images of pie that are in the bottom row. Underneath the third notation, there are two images of pie that are in the top row. Underneath the fourth notation, there is one pie image that is in the bottom row.

We created a melody using the pitches so and mi. The rhythm goes like this: ti-ti, ti-ti, ti-ti, ta. The melody goes like this: So-so, mi-mi, so-so, mi

Access the following audio to explore the melody.

Melody

Let’s use our pie pattern to sing the melody. Pumpkin, cherry, apple pie.

Access the following audio to explore the melody with words.

Melody with Words

Repeat the pattern to create an ostinato. Pumpkin, cherry, apple, pie. Pumpkin, cherry, apple, pie.

When musicians use different pitches to create a pattern, this is called a melodic ostinato.

Consolidation

Putting it all together

Create a so mi pattern for the following pie pattern.

Explore the following audio to access the pie pattern.

Pie Pattern

A row with four squares. The first square has a vertical line. Underneath it is the word peach and there is a small heart underneath the word. The second square has two vertical lines connected by a horizontal line at the top. Underneath it is the word lemon with a hyphen between the e and m. Underneath the word is a small heart. The third square has two vertical lines connected by a horizontal line at the top. Underneath it is the word spinach with a hyphen between the n and the a. Underneath the word is a small heart. The fourth square has a vertical line with the word pie underneath it. Underneath the word is a small heart.

Follow the steps to create your own rhythm pattern.

Press the ‘Hint’ button to access a hint about your rhythm pattern.

‘Ta’ gets one pie. “Ti-ti” gets two pies.

Complete the Pie Pattern Rhythm Chart in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.

Pie Pattern Rhythm Chart
A vertical line. Two vertical lines connected at the top by a horizontal line. Two vertical lines connected at the top by a horizontal line. A vertical line.

so

mi

Press the ‘Activity’ button to access Pie Pattern Rhythm Chart. 

Activity(Open PDF in a new window)

If possible, share your melodic pattern with a partner.

Explore the ostinato with words, instruments, singing, and/or body movements.

Portfolio

Review your learning

Share what you learned about today using the words pitch (so, mi), melody, and ostinato.

You can choose to:

  • use pictures and label the important parts of your learning using the words pitch, melody, ostinato.
  • tell someone what you learned using the words pitch, melody, ostinato.
  • write about your learning using the words pitch, melody, ostinato.
  • make a recording of your learning using the words pitch, melody, ostinato.

Reflection

How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity? Which of the next four sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

I feel…

Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.