Pitch Year 1 Notations - Puppets

In an engaging musical activity designed for Year 1 students, children are introduced to the basic concepts of pitch through a game involving two charming puppets. These puppets, ideally named 'Sophie' and 'Mikhail', serve as fun and interactive tools for teaching pitch recognition and pitch-matching. The game starts with the teacher introducing each puppet by name, with one puppet positioned higher, representing a higher pitch (G/So), and the other placed lower to represent a lower pitch (E/Mi).

During the game, 'Sophie' sings a greeting to the tune of four notes, "Hello children," using her higher pitch voice. The children are encouraged to respond in kind, matching the pitch with the phrase "Hello Sophie." The same interaction is then repeated with 'Mikhail', who sings with a lower pitch. The children practice this several times to become familiar with the different pitches associated with each puppet. To further enhance their learning, the teacher can also play the game with the puppets remaining motionless, helping the children to focus solely on the auditory cues and recognise which note belongs to which puppet. This activity serves as an excellent introductory exercise for young learners to develop their initial pitch-matching skills and to distinguish between different musical notes.