Solfege Pitches and Curwen Hand Signs

For singers, it is helpful to have a "cheat sheet" as a frame of reference for the Solfege scale.  For kinesthetic learners, it is helpful to use the Curwen hand signs when singing solfege. 
In Italy, beginning singers are taught to sing tunes entirely using solfege pitches which is quite remarkable. 

When practicing sight-singing, it is helpful to give yourself (your student) a key center (Do) so that he or she can learn to find the other pitches surrounding do.  In order to do this, you will need a helpful instrument such as a piano/ keyboard or pitch pipe.  Garage Band (both '09 and '11) have virtual midi keyboards for use.  Another suggestion is to download an application for your Iphone or Ipod that will give you a starting pitch.
(Ex: Virtuoso Piano free 3) from the Applications Apple Store

Preview of Kodaly websites: The following is an excerpt from the Solfege website (see link below)

Kodaly 101 - Classics for Kids - http://www.classicsforkids.com/teachers/training/Kodaly101.asp 

Hand Signals - http://www.classicsforkids.com/teachers/training/handsigns.asp 

Solfege website

"Singing and Solfege

Your students can learn about melodies and how to read music by using the one instrument we all have free access to - the voice!  Kodaly, Mary Helen Richards, Education through Music, and other music methodologies utilize hand signals along with learning to sing and read music.  Typically, music in Kodaly starts with the pentatonic (5-note) scale - do, re, mi, sol, la.  If you play just the black keys on your piano, you'll hear a pentatonic scale.  Below is an example of the hand signals used in a major scale.  "Do" is movable meaning that the key or home base of a scale is always do - but do can be any note.  

C Scale in Solfege

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