On… The China ParadoxThis article originally appeared in Tim Ingham’s latest MBW+ Review email, issued exclusively to MBW+ subscribers.
Source

Tips for Homebrewing InductorsHow hard can it be to create your own inductors? Get a wire. Coil it up. Right? Well, the devil is definitely in the details, and [Nick] wants to share his ten tips for building “the perfect” inductor. We don’t know about perfect, but we do think he brings up some very good points. Check out his video below.
If you are winding wire around your finger (or, as it appears in the video, a fork) or you are using a beefy ferrite core, you’ll find something interesting in the video.

Of course, the issue with inductors is that wires aren’t perfect, nor are core materials. Factors like this lead to inefficiency and loss, sometimes in a frequency-dependent way.
It looks like [Nick] is building a large switching power supply, so the subject inductor is a handful. He demonstrates some useful computational tools for analyzing data about cores, for example.
We learned a lot watching the tricks, but we were more interested in the inductor’s construction. We have to admit that the computed inductance of the coil matched quite closely to the measured value.
Need a variable inductor? No problem. Before ferrite cores, good coils were a lot harder to wind.

Strymon unveil PCH stereo DI box Strymon's latest release takes the form of a stereo DI box that’s been optimised for those connecting their pedalboards and keyboard/synth rigs to a PA, audio interface or full-range speaker system. 

Momo Behringer JT mini EditorVST and Standalone Editor and Soundbank for the Behringer JT mini Synth. Here are my MIDI Editor for the Behringer JT mini Synth. The JT Editor gives you direct access from the DAW to the Behringer JT mini parameters, allowing you to integrate it into the DAW project. In the PlugIn VST version you can record the controller movements and so the sound change can be saved. Editor Features: - Simple handling of the JT mini without menu surfing. - Complex sound changes can be made easily and quickly. - Change Behringer JT mini Sounds directly from Editor. - Many controllers can be automated. - X-Y modulation of all parameters. - You can random the Controllers of the Behringer JT mini Synth to produce new sounds. - You can use your Behringer JT mini as a sound module in your DAW. - A Editor sound bank with over 40 new sounds is included. The Editor are available for: - PC: As VST2 and Standalone for 32-bit and VST2, VST3 and Standalone for 64-bit Windows. - MAC: As VST2, VST3, AU and Standalone, compatible with MAC Intel and Silicon. Video: https://youtu.be/4Ntwg06dfKA Home: https://jt-mini-editor.jimdofree.com Read More

Erica Synths’ MIDI Dispatch is the new “command centre of your studio setup”Erica Synths’ new MIDI Dispatch acts as a “command centre” for your studio, and is the successor to its MIDI Thru Box.
The MIDI Thru Box was Erica Synths’ first-ever desktop unit, and this new, upgraded version offers improved functionality including a USB-C MIDI interface. The brand says that essentially, the MIDI Dispatch is an ultra-low latency splitter from one MIDI input to eight outputs, with advanced MIDI filtering options.

READ MORE: Eternal Research Demon Box conjures demonic soundscapes from thin air

The MIDI Dispatch lets you connect up to eight instruments to your MIDI keyboard, sequencer, and directly to your laptop via USB-C. You can configure each output separately for improved flexibility in the studio or a live setting.
Take a look at the demo video below to see how it can be implemented into your studio space:

In other news from Erica Synths, the brand recently revived the Formant – a modular analogue synth you could only build by following circuit diagrams from Elektor, an electronics-themed magazine from the 1970s.
Erica Synths has turned it into a modern DIY kit, and to promote its launch, it teamed up with British musician and YouTuber, Look Mum No Computer (aka Sam Battle) to preview the updated Formant at a live soldering marathon that took place at Battle’s This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete museum.
Earlier this year, Erica Synths also offered the first glimpse of its HEXDRUMS – an analogue drum machine made in collaboration with Canadian Eurorack module manufacturer, Hexinverter. In 2022, the company announced its closure, and Erica Synths later took over its catalogue. The brand has since re-released a number of its products, namely its drum modules.
The MIDI Dispatch is available now for €125.00. You can learn more or buy now directly from Erica Synths.
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Music Tectonics Creator Fair: Hypebot readers save 66%!The Music Tectonics Creator Fair is happening on November 4 at Santa Monica Pier. It's a unique opportunity to explore the future of music-making and learn about tools that can move your career forward.
The post Music Tectonics Creator Fair: Hypebot readers save 66%! appeared first on Hypebot.

UK Live Music Industry: A Year of Growth and Growing PainsNewly released data shows how the UK live music industry closed out 2024 on a high note with record-breaking consumer spending. Yet, it also reveals an increasing strain on the grassroots scene that we see in the U.S. as well.
The post UK Live Music Industry: A Year of Growth and Growing Pains appeared first on Hypebot.

What is phantom power (and when do you need it)?
Learn about what phantom power is, how it works, and when and why you need it when you're making music using microphones and other devices.

This synth takes biofeedback data from plants and fungi and turns it into sound – yes, reallySpecialist synth maker Instruō has launched a new, portable device that captures biofeedback data from plants, fungi, and other living organisms and turns it into sound.
The device, called Pocket SCÍON, has been designed in collaboration with Modern Biology (real name Tarun Nayar) – an artist who makes music with plants and mushrooms, best known for his popular ‘mushroom music’ videos that often go viral online.

READ MORE: Band invent bionic robot arm that lets plants play musical instruments

This mini synth is a scaled-down, transportable version of Instruō’s Eurorack SCÍON module, of which Modern Biology is a prolific user. It’s designed to be super user-friendly, so anyone can experiment with it regardless of musical knowledge or experience.
The biofeedback data captured by the Pocket SCÍON is used by the onboard sound engine to generate evolving soundscapes and a range of MIDI messages, according to Instruō. It has a stand-alone, plug-and-play interface, but users can also utilise its MIDI and OSC outputs to integrate Pocket SCÍON and biofeedback into their studios.
The synth offers four custom instrument sounds that are inspired by nature, and operates with a capacitive touch pad and sensor clips. It also offers five note polyphony. Take a closer look in the video below:

 
“I’ve been hosting events around the world for almost five years, using Instruō’s SCÍON device as the heart of a system that uses small changes in the bioelectricity of organisms to trigger note and rhythm changes on a modular synthesiser. I believe that this practice is a powerful way to help us reconnect with the natural world,” says Modern Biology.
“I’m asked almost every day, both online and in real life, ‘How can I do this myself?’ Just over a year ago I got in touch with Kian and Jason at Instruō and asked them if they’d like to work on a device together. Something affordable, portable, non-dependent on modular synths and simple enough for beginners, yet deep enough for serious musicians. After numerous in-person meetings, Zoom calls between Vancouver and Instruo’s HQ in Glasgow, and the hard work of the entire Instruō team, the Pocket SCÍON is here!”
The Pocket SCÍON is available now for £129. Find out more about the synth via Instruō, or learn more about Modern Biology.
The post This synth takes biofeedback data from plants and fungi and turns it into sound – yes, really appeared first on MusicTech.

Jr & Jr Studio Essentials mics from Warm Audio Warm Audio have introduced a trio of new microphones that build on the success of their WA-47jr, which has become one of the company’s best-selling models.

ZL Audio releases FREE ZL Splitter plugin for macOS, Windows, and Linux
ZL Audio has released ZL Splitter, a free multi-mode signal splitting utility for macOS, Windows, and Linux. This is the latest entry in ZL-Audio’s (and no, it’s not short for Zlatic Audio, although I wish it were!) growing lineup of open-source mixing tools, alongside the ZL Compressor and ZL Equalizer. ZL Splitter is designed to [...]
View post: ZL Audio releases FREE ZL Splitter plugin for macOS, Windows, and Linux

International music publishing association claims it has “extensive evidence of serious copyright infringement” by AI firms that have used popular songs to train generative modelsAn international music publishing company called ICMP claims it has gathered two years worth of evidence showing that AI firms have scraped copyright-protected music from millions of artists to train their generative AI models.
Similar claims have already been brought to lawsuits against firms like Udio and Suno by major labels (namely one in 2024), and even by an independent artist this year, but ICMP’s findings appear to be the largest investigation so far into the training of generative AI across the music industry.

READ MORE: AI finally pays up: Beatoven.ai’s new Maestro AI music generation model promises royalties for artists

Its findings have been shared exclusively with Billboard, which reports that the investigation was carried out using publicly available registries, open-source repositories of training content, leaked materials, research papers, and independent research by AI experts.
ICMP claims to have compiled “comprehensive and clear” evidence of the unlicensed use of digital music for AI training and GenAI music, as well as songwriter and performer image outputs. ICMP also says that the scope of the training is larger than previously acknowledged.
Documents shared with Billboard name a large number of AI firms including Suno and Udio, as well as Microsoft’s AI app CoPilot, Google’s AI system Gemini, OpenAI (owner of ChatGPT), Midjourney, and more.
According to the report, an “admission” from OpenAI’s chatbot (following enquiries from ICMP) allegedly revealed that its OpenAI Jukebox music-making app was trained on music by artists including The Beatles, Elton John, Madonna, Beyoncé, and many others.
The report acknowledges that when OpenAI launched Jukebox in 2020, the company publicly disclosed that it had trained the app on a dataset of 1.2 million songs, though it never revealed what songs or artists were used. ICMP’s findings also claim that X’s chatbot Grok is “one of the worst offenders when it comes to respect for songwriters’ and artists’ rights”.
“This is the largest IP theft in human history. That’s not hyperbole. We are seeing tens of millions of works being infringed daily,” says ICMP director general, John Phelan. “Within any one model training data set, you’re often talking about tens of millions of musical works often gained from individual YouTube, Spotify, and GitHub URLs, which are being collated in direct breach of the rights of music publishers and their songwriter partners.”
Phelan continues, “Despite their public claims that they’re not training upon copyright-protected works, we’ve caught many [tech companies] red-handed. We have extensive evidence of serious copyright infringement. Many of these companies are scraping the lyric datasets from the internet of millions of works and putting them into their models. Aside from amounting to breaches of copyright laws and often contract laws, this is often done despite the music sector’s consistent and clear statements that licenses are both required and available for legal AI training and GenAI.”
In previous complaints and lawsuits brought against AI firms, many have used the defence of “fair use”, which permits the limited use of copyrighted material without need for permission from the rightsholder(s). Suno has previously claimed that “what the major record labels really don’t want is competition”.
Billboard says it has contacted all the tech companies mentioned by ICMP, and that all of them either declined to comment or did not respond to its requests.
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Meet the engineer building Beatnik Audio, the open-source alternative to SonosWhen Johnny Gerber’s beloved sound system became obsolete due to software updates rather than hardware failure, he decided he’d had enough. The Swiss software engineer, fittingly with a background in archaeology, wanted to preserve his perfectly functional speakers, not consign them to e-waste.
Instead, he’s building something revolutionary: Beatnik Audio, an open-source system that transforms any speaker into a smart, networkable audio device using little more than a Raspberry Pi. “I was locked in multiple corporate ecosystems, and one of them was audio. My hardware became obsolete by making the software unusable or painful to use,” Gerber explains from his office outside Bern, Switzerland.

READ MORE: Fake artists, real opportunities: Hoaxes and scams are holding back the potential of AI music

Gerber’s frustration isn’t unique. It’s clear some audio brands have increasingly embraced the internet culture of “enshittification” — the gradual degradation of once user-friendly services. Sonos users will remember the company’s controversial app update that stripped away beloved features, forcing users to essentially start over with their multi-room systems.
“I throw around words like ‘vendor lock-in’ and ‘planned obsolescence’ — which is a great song by the British band Sports Team, by the way,” Gerber reflects. “But enshittification describes the problem very well, especially in the audio space where a simple update ends up making a lot of people very angry.”
The irony wasn’t lost on someone with an archaeological background — here was perfectly preserved hardware being discarded not because of physical decay, but because of artificial software limitations. The experience sparked a lightbulb moment to shift from closed-source cloud technologies to self-hosting solutions.
Johnny Gerber. Image: Press
Beatnik Audio bundles open-source libraries like Snapcast, Shairport, and Librespot on a Raspberry Pi 5 and Pi Zero 2 WH, to enable compatibility with a growing list of streaming sources, such as AirPlay and Spotify Connect, and redistributes them to multiple rooms in perfect synchronisation.
The setup uses HiFiBerry sound cards to ensure audiophile-quality output, proving that open-source doesn’t mean compromising on sound quality. Purists can stream from vintage vinyl turntables, CD players, tape decks and even MiniDisc.
“It receives music (audio streams) and distributes it, like a heart does blood,” Gerber explains. “I tried to understand software, protocols and libraries that can stream music to different rooms, when I started this, and I found Snapcast to be amazing. It does the main job, it’s open source [GPLv3], and gave me a major shortcut to what I wanted to build.”
The system works remarkably simply: your smartphone or laptop streams wirelessly to the Raspberry Pi-powered Beatnik server, just as it would to a Sonos speaker. The difference is that Beatnik then distributes that audio to any number of connected speakers throughout your home, all in perfect synchronisation.
DAC. Image: Press
What makes this particularly appealing is the hardware flexibility. Users can power larger passive speakers using an Amp4 hat, smaller speakers with a miniAmp, or connect to existing receivers and amplifiers. It’s the ultimate upcycling project for audiophiles. Importantly, the system isn’t locked to specific hardware. “You do not have to use a Raspberry Pi or HiBerry,” Gerber clarifies. “They both have a very open approach to hardware, though. That’s why I chose to put my focus on them. It’s a suggestion, you can choose something else if you like.”
A charming aspect is its pan-European DNA. Gerber proudly lists the countries contributing to the project, including Germany, Ireland, Britain, Sweden, and Switzerland, with companies and individuals all playing roles in the hardware and software ecosystem. “Europeans seem to love this open approach, and it feels very much like a European ideology now, given that everything is closed source and big business,” adds Gerber.
This philosophy extends beyond nationalism to practical benefits. Because everything is open-source, users get community modifications, and the security of knowing their system won’t become obsolete due to boardroom decisions. The community involvement has already moved beyond just feedback, with members contributing code and documentation improvements to the project.
Gerber envisions three user paths: “As an expert, you can build it yourself, completely design, and order from everywhere. Alternatively, order a bundle from the website and fit it yourself. Or, if you have no idea, but like the idea, you can have it assembled,” says Gerber, admitting he’s yet to work out whether that would take place in Switzerland or through a decentralised network.
Beatnik architecture. Image: Press
“I haven’t found a good balance yet. It’s still very technical,” he says when asked about balancing technical complexity with user-friendliness. “But the first step was to give it a name and a visual appearance. Also, documentation is key. That at least reduces the frustration for ‘experts’. The goal is to make it more accessible step by step. IKEA-like instruction manuals are what I’m aiming for.”
Gerber’s varied career path has prepared him well for this ambitious project. His background spans archaeology (where he learned technical drawing and CAD), founding a web design agency at 20, leading teams on open-source e-learning projects, and, most recently, co-founding a successful IoT startup focused on irrigation systems for flowerpots.
Money remains Beatnik’s biggest challenge. Gerber has self-funded development through to March 2026, after which he’ll need to find sustainable revenue streams. “In March, I will evaluate if I can spend more time on it,” he explains. “But that’s the beauty of open source. The code is public; it’s been forked already a couple of times. Anybody can maintain it or develop it further.” Gerber also points out that the code is already public on GitHub.
A system in restoration. Image: Press
Indeed, the audio community has already been crucial to Beatnik’s development, providing both encouragement and technical reality checks. “Beatnik would have stayed a personal project without the interest from certain Reddit communities. In the beginning, I got roasted a lot. This helped to find similar products and other open source libraries the community already uses,” adds Gerber, who even confesses to doing the unthinkable — taking apart his Sonos speakers, giving himself an electric shock in the process.
When it comes to persuading users to abandon vendor ecosystems, Gerber believes the work is already done. “I don’t have to convince them anymore. Like me, they’ve seen the downsides of those closed ecosystems and have lost trust.”
Beatnik represents more than just another DIY project, however. It’s a statement about technological self-determination against a backdrop of increasing corporate control over our devices. With a website due to launch soon, and a project gaining momentum through both community interest and concrete contributions, it may well become a sound way of sticking it to the man.
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Eternal Research Demon Box conjures demonic soundscapes from thin air$999, eternalresearch.com
You are, at every moment of your life, bathed in electromagnetic fields (EMF). I say this not because they pose a danger to your health, or are part of some government conspiracy to control the masses. Instead, I want to draw attention to this potentially untapped source of sound. Under normal circumstances you can not hear an EMF, but with the right tool, such as the Eternal Research Demon Box, you can turn this invisible background noise into a potent source of samples.

READ MORE: I got lost in Moog Messenger’s massive Res Bass sounds

Demon Box is not the first device geared at musicians capable of capturing EMFs, but it does have key differences. That’s important, because Demon Box isn’t cheap. While you can build your own DIY EMF mic for about £20, or pick up the Soma Ether (which captures more than just low frequency EMFs) for £135 Demon Box will set you back $999.00 USD, or about £745. But it does more than simply turn electromagnetic radiation into audible signals, it can blend them with incoming audio or even turn them into MIDI data for controlling other gear — imagine controlling a synth using its own incidental EMF. (Note: this is more fun in theory than in practice.)
This is the big pitch for Demon Box. It’s not simply a microphone for the inaudible, it’s an instrument in its own right. But one that can be extremely unpredictable. There are 33 inductors spiraling around the top of the device, split into three channels, which correlate to the three audio inputs and three CV outs, and are then connected to a three-channel mixer with four audio outputs — one for each channel, plus a fourth master out.

The first thing you’ll notice when firing up Demon Box is that it’s a noisy beast. Even with the gain at relatively modest levels it buzzes, clicks and hums with all the chaos of an electrical fire. Because of the sorts of esoteric and experimental devices I tend to be attracted to, it feels like it’s become cliche for me to describe things as “difficult to tame”. However, Demon Box has set a new standard in the field. Even between powercycles the induction pickups seem to change behavior. Pickup one might prove unusably noisy one minute and then 10 minutes later, with the only obvious change being that Demon Box was turned off and turned back on again, it will sound much cleaner, but pickup three will now be the chaotic one.
Demon Box is fickle and sensitive to the environment in which it’s placed. Too close to something with a lithiumion battery in it? Well that’s gonna create interference. Poorly isolated power supplies will exacerbate a noise problem. This is a bit confusing because, sometimes you have to place something directly against the inductors to hear it. All of this background radiation is creating massive amounts of noise, but I have to sit my camera on top of the inductors to capture a usable percussive shutter fire.
Image: Terrence O’Brien
That’s just kind of the price you pay, though, to capture sounds that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to. Sure, you can put a mic up to a camera and hear the audible sound of its shutter, but it can’t record the magnetic whir of the motors. And a simple electric drill becomes an exciting drone instrument when paired with Demon Box.
The two things that need to be kept in mind are: the MIDI data that comes out of the Demon Box is borderline unusable in its raw state, and you will need an army of effects to make it sound its best.
Even at its most reserved, Demon Box spits out 15 semi-random notes per second as determined by inductor three. But inductor two generates 33 notes per second, and inductor one 57. And you can easily lay all three of those over each other on a single instrument. Unless you want relentless, chaotic note runs then this isn’t ideal. I’d highly recommend pairing it with an external sequencer or plugin that can filter and quantise the notes into something more manageable.
Image: Terrence O’Brien
Then there is the raw sound of Demon Box. It’s fun, it’s unique, but it’s a little one-dimensional. Effects are a must to really get interesting with the sound design. Chorus, distortion, delay, reverb… these can all go a long way to helping anything you feed into Demon Box, whether it’s a Dremel or a kid’s toy, sound more musical or haunting. Pitch shifting is also a powerful tool. The Hologram Microcosm, for instance, immediately turns the Landscape Ferrous from what is essentially a superpowered EBow into a nightmare organ.
While I love a device that can be wild and unpredictable, Demon Box does get pretty crazy, even by my standards. I aim for controlled chaos, but Demon Box doesn’t really want to be tamed. It’s a malevolent presence that brings disorder to a recording session and completely hijacks a live performance. While I could see it being the centerpiece of a sound art installation, I can’t imagine it finding much of a home in a more traditional live music setup. While it does conjure exciting sounds in a studio, it requires serious post-production attention to make the most of it.
Even with its rough edges and chaotic, evil sound (that might have some questioning if it’s malfunctioning), I kinda love Demon Box. It’s abrasive and bristles like it’s been possessed. I could imagine it being the primary instrument in the score of a horror movie. But $999 is a big ask. Unless you are a professional sound designer or regularly score films and video games, it might be tough to splurge on.
Image: Terrence O’Brien
Key Features

Experimental electromagnetic field (EMF) instrument
33 inductors (EMF pickups)
3 channel mixer
3 audio inputs
3 mono audio outputs
1 summed stereo output
3 CV outputs
5-pin MIDI DIN out
USB (power and MIDI)

The post Eternal Research Demon Box conjures demonic soundscapes from thin air appeared first on MusicTech.

15 Fun Solfege Games For Music Class Solfege is one of the most powerful music education tools, but it’s not often ignored or underutilized because it’s more complicated than rhythm and other tools. 

It doesn’t have to be complex; it can be a ton of fun! 

I wanted to share 15 of my favorite solfege games that I use regularly in my classroom. These are tested by real kids in real classroom situations. Try some out and let me know which was your favorite! 

Read more: The Busy Music Teacher’s Guide To Solfege

#1 You Can’t Trick Me! 

Sometimes, all it takes to move an activity from an exercise to a “game” is a little competition. Choose your bank of 5-7 targeted solfege patterns. Now, be all dramatic as you tell your students that you’re going to trick them…guaranteed. 

Every pattern (or repetition through the set of patterns) they sing correctly with solfege, hand signs, and don’t get tricked is worth a point. If you trick them, you get a point. First one to 7 points wins! 

If you make this all silly and dramatic, they’ll be way into it. Just like any other game! I often fake crying, drop my markers, etc., as they get them right to engage them with humor even more. 

Do this with echoing, decoding (turning neutral syllables into solfege), reading, or any other normal exercise you do with solfege. It’s amazing how something so simple really gets them focused! 

#2 Sing It – Solfege It – Think It  

Take a well-known song. Make sure it’s one that only uses solfege the students already know. In fact, it’s better if you’ve sung it through with solfege in the past before trying this game. 

Have students a) sing through the song without you, b) sing the solfege and hand sign without you, and then c) hand sign without singing through the song without you. When they can do all three without much difficulty, you’ll know they’re ready. 

Now, tell them that they’re going to sing the song on repeat, but when you hit the (insert your preferred instrument here—I use a triangle), they need to switch to singing solfege. Then, when you hit it again, they switch to thinking. If you hit it again after that, they switch back to singing. 

Start easy. Make the switch happen naturally with the phrase. Then gradually make it harder by changing the frequency of the switches. If the kids are really good at this, let another student be the leader! 

#3 Solfege Train

This is an improvisation game just like the Rhythm Train game I’ve talked about at presentations before. 

Want some PD that actually applies to you? Check out my available workshops and share it with your administrator. 

Easy Mode –  Students sit in a line or circle. They need to think of a 4 pitch solfege pattern using notes they know. Once they have this, you go along the line with them and have them share their ideas to a steady beat. If there is a hesitation, the train derails, and we must start over! 

Medium Mode – Students are not given time to prepare a pattern. They must make up a 4 pitch solfege pattern to the steady beat using notes they know. When you reach the end of the train, work your way back up again. Students are NOT allowed to repeat the pattern someone else just said. 

Hard Mode – Same as above, BUT every time the train repeats, the beat gets faster. 

Super Duper Hard Mode – Same as hard mode, but students MUST start their pattern with the same pitch of the previous pattern. Alternatively, make it a rule where they CAN’T start the pattern with the same pitch. 

#4 Mystery Song

Choose a well-known song and present it as a mystery to your students using only solfege. They must figure out the song. This can be done in various avenues of solfege learning, including: 

Teacher singing

Teacher hand signing only

Students reading

Students reading the song backwards

Teacher pointing at a solfege ladder or music street

Student being given measures that are mixed up, and they must sort them

Teacher humming patterns for the students to decode and write

#5 Hula Hoops / Solfege Piano

Spread hula hoops out around the room (also works with laminated pieces of paper that have solfege written on them). Students sing a song and walk around the room. At the end of the song, they must stop on the nearest hoop. 

Each hoop or paper is assigned a specific solfege pitch. This is the only pitch they can sing. The teacher sings patterns for them to echo (or hums, and they decode if you want to make it harder). Students echo the pattern but only sing the pitch they belong to. 

Repeat where students must pick a new hoop. This way, we build variety and musical independence! Do as many times as you like! 

To make this a solfege piano, we can also make a large piano on the wall or floor. Keys are labeled with the solfa. Now it’s the same game as above, but students end up on a key rather than a hoop. 

#6 Decode Race

Split students up into groups of 3-5. Give them a whiteboard with staff lines on it or use a laminated piece of paper with large staff lines on it. Have them practice writing specific solfege patterns, so you make sure they understand what they’re supposed to do. 

Now, tell them it’s time for a decoding race! You will hum, play, or sing on a neutral syllable a solfege pattern. They must work in their group to decode the pattern and put it on their staff board together. Once they think they’ve gotten it, the whole group must raise its hand. Award the first group to get it right 3 points, and the others who get it right get one point. 

Repeat for a while and then crown the winner! 

#7 Arrange This! 

Make several sets of cards with solfege patterns on them. I recommend somewhere between 7-10. Split students into groups that fit the number of sets you have. If you only have 5 sets, then split your class into five groups. But for this activity, the smaller the group size, the better. 

Hand out the solfege cards and ask groups to arrange 4 of them into a song. Then, they need to practice it as a group. Encourage them to try several versions of the arrangement. After they’re happy, they can share with the class. 

Extension: You create a 4-card pattern to use as the principal theme in a Rondo form. Student examples as the episodes. Have the whole class sing your pattern, and each group sing their own. Play on xylophones or boomwhackers for even more fun! (Also, record and post this to families; it’s always a hit!)

#8 Solfege Hop Scotch

I was reminded of this activity while writing this article—it’s been a while since I’ve used it! The only reason I haven’t brought it back sooner is that it takes a little prep work, and my classroom floor tends to make plates or papers slide around.

Here’s how it works:Create a long hopscotch-style path, either by drawing with chalk outside or laying down paper plates inside. On each square or plate, write a solfege pitch (I like to begin and end with Do). Students line up and take turns deciding which pitches they’ll step on or skip. As they jump their way through the path, they must sing each pitch they land on.

#9 Class Solfege

This is a simple activity that I’ve used with my students for years now, and every time, they eat it up! First, ask students to pick a single solfege pitch from the ones they know. 

Once they’ve picked one, have students make a line at the board (or at your computer where they’re ready to write the pitches) and write their pitches all into one long rhythm. If you’re not focused on writing, you can just have them sing their solfa and write it down yourself. The idea is that everyone picks a note, and we combine it into a single LOOOONNNGGG class song. 

Once the song is down (I often pick the last pitch of Do or Sol—La if minor—if a student hasn’t already), we sing through it together. We sing through it backwards. Then, I play a simple chord harmony with it while they sing the solfa. Finally, I write it down in Flat.io to use for later. Often, I’ll bring this song back to add some layered ostinati too, and we can brainstorm lyrics. 

#10 POISON Pattern

Ah, yes. The infamous POISON game. I almost didn’t add this one to the list since so many people know and use this, but then I thought: what if someone doesn’t, and I miss out on this chance to introduce it to them? 

The POISON game can be played with solfege or rhythm at any level of concept. All your students need to be able to do is echo patterns after you (or decode them from neutral syllables if you want more of a challenge). 

Start by having your students echo you. After a few patterns, highlight one for them on the board by writing it down. Now, explain that this is the POISON pattern. If they sing this pattern when you do, they are OUT or the class loses a point or the teacher gets a point (you get the idea). 

Switch the pattern around. Speed up the tempo. Decode patterns instead of echoing. Lengthen the patterns from 4 beats to 8 and beyond, and tell them if the pattern is inside somewhere the 8 beats, they can’t say that part only. There are infinite variations to this, and almost every one is a blast! 

#11 Add One (And One, And One…) 

Start by writing four pitches on the staff (or whatever mode of delivery you prefer). Have the students sing and sign them with the solfege hand signs. Then, add another pitch. I like to set up a random picker from something like a wheel of names and choose with that. Students now sing five pitches. Spin and add and add and add and see how far they can go! 

#12 Sing Only One

This one’s a classic—and one of my favorites! You can use it with any song or set of solfege patterns, as long as your students are already comfortable reading and singing together with ease.

Start by displaying the solfege for the song or pattern and singing it all the way through as a group. Then comes the challenge: students must sing through it again, but this time they can only sing out loud on one pitch. For every other pitch, they show the hand sign and sing it silently in their head.

This kind of audiation is fantastic for strengthening pitch retention and developing an inner sense of steady beat.

Keep rotating through the pitches the song uses—trust me, as students get older, this gets trickier (and sometimes that’s what makes it even more fun!).

#13 Four+ Corners

Make your life even easier by taking a game kids know and adding a solfege twist! Print off paper/cards/posters with a solfege pattern on it and post them up on your walls around the room. Play music (bonus if it’s a concert song you need them to listen to or sing along with) and have them move around the room. 

When the music stops, the students quickly find a spot. Each spot takes a turn singing their pattern. Now, here’s where there may be some variety: 

If you have an IT person – Have the person with their eyes closed sing a random pattern, and this group is out. 

If you don’t have an IT person – Plug your patterns into a random picker and let that choose who is out. 

Repeat until you have a winner! 

I don’t LOVE having an IT person because they often hesitate. Worse, there are always those kids who will complain that the IT is cheating or picking on them. Sticking with a random picker eliminates this issue. (Almost anyway—I still get kids who think the random program has it out for them!) 

#14 Double It

Go through several songs you know with solfege that the students know well. Then, discuss which songs have similar pitches. Talking works OK for this, but I like to pull them up and display them side by side. 

When you have two songs the kids say are similar, split the class in two and have them sing the songs with words and then with solfege at the same time. It’s almost like you’re experimenting to discover partner songs (songs that create nice harmony when sung together at the same time).

Does it have to be perfect? No! In fact, this opens up great talking points on what makes songs work well together. 

#15 Shift By…

Write or display the melody of a song (known works better, but an unknown song will be a tougher challenge!). Make sure the entire melody is on one looong line. Ask students to sign and sing the solfege. 

Then, take the first pitch, erase it, and move it to the end. Essentially, you’re shifting the melody over by one. Have them sing it again. Repeat until you go all the way through the song. This is surprisingly hard, especially if you keep the rhythm values (which I recommend trying sometimes). 

Transition magic! Display your song, but start with it shifted over already. Then, when you shift over 5-7 times, all of a sudden, it’s the next song you want to play!