Review by Amanda Bindel, Common Sense Education | Updated May 2013

DoReMi 1-2-3: Music for Kids - A Fingerprint Network App

Familiar tunes and fun animations help kids learn to play by ear

Learning rating

See full review

Community rating

Based on 1 review

Privacy rating

Expert evaluation by Common Sense

Grades

Pre-K–5

Subjects & Skills

Arts, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Math

Price: Paid
Platforms: Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Kindle Fire
See how we rate and review

Take a look inside 5 images

  • To challenge kids to play the correct notes by ear, the characters turn around so kids can't see which is singing.
  • Instead of songs, kids can also play with numbers, still sung in scale order.
  • A tracker at the top right of the screen shows kids how much of the song segment they've mastered.
  • In free-play mode, kids can choose any background, any character, and colors, numbers, notes, or animal sounds.
  • Kids see a little celebration when they correctly learn an entire song.

Pros: Everything -- from the colors of the rainbow to numbers and animal sounds -- is in the do-re-mi scale.

Cons: Playing by ear is pretty challenging for a preschooler.

Bottom Line: Fun preschool learning options and challenging music and memory exercises.

Use DoReMe 1-2-3 to familiarize kids with the notes that make up songs. Individuals or small groups can create their own musical compositions to share with the class. Have kids learn to play well-loved children's songs like "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" using the correct notes. Kids will be able to visually see lower notes lower on the scale and higher notes placed higher to reinforce music reading. Kids who may not be familiar with the children's songs featured might be more comfortable playing with the animal sounds, colors of the rainbow, or numbers in the free-play mode.

Kids can choose to create their own music or learn to play popular songs like "Mary Had a Little Lamb", "Three Blind Mice," and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." In the free-play mode, kids pick the background, choose a character, and then play with the notes, numbers, or colors of the rainbow. Everything is sung in the note order of solfege (Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do), so it all reinforces the scale. Kids can also record and play back their own compositions. In the song mode, kids choose a song, then they hear a short segment of the song and see which character note "speaks." Then kids repeat the notes. Next, they repeat the notes with the characters facing away to make kids focus on the pitch of the note rather than on copying which character made the sound.

The design is lively and fun, and kids are sure to find a familiar favorite in the kid-favorite song selections. DoReMi 1-2-3 will likely hold kids' interest across a span of years. Preschoolers will have fun just exploring notes and other preschool skills available in the free-play mode. Older kids (and even adults) can challenge their ears and their memory learning to play the songs. The Fingerprint Parent Account does not offer details of what kids have completed within the app. It does show up on the kids' wall within the kid-friendly social network-like feature.

Learning Rating

Overall Rating
Engagement

Most kids will find a few familiar favorites on the song list, and it's just plain fun to make music with the different characters.

Pedagogy

As kids repeat small sections of songs, they can build their musical ears. The small chunks may not result in memorized songs, but the goal is developing an ear. 

Support

Though challenging, the interface is easy to use. Once kids have mastered a song, it remains unlocked. If parents register with the Fingerprint Network, they can receive emailed reports of their kids' play and progress.

Common Sense reviewer
Amanda Bindel
Amanda Bindel Teacher
See how we rate and review

Community Rating

Ashlei P.
Ashlei P.
April 25, 2019

Great tool for Elementary music!

I believe that this is an essential teaching tool for upper Elementary and intermediate level students. This software is challenging for students but it also enables significant growth which the students can build on as they get older and go into other musical areas.

Continue reading

Privacy Rating

Data Safety How safe is this product?

  • Unclear whether this product supports interactions between trusted users.
  • Unclear whether personal information can be displayed publicly.
  • Unclear whether user-created content is filtered for personal information before being made publicly visible.

Data Rights What rights do I have to the data?

  • Unclear whether users can create or upload content.
  • Unclear whether this product provides processes to access and review user data.
  • Unclear whether this product provides processes to modify data for authorized users.

Ads & Tracking Are there advertisements or tracking?

  • Personal information is shared for third-party marketing.
  • Unclear whether this product displays traditional or contextual advertisements.
  • Unclear whether this product displays personalised advertising.

Continue reading about this tool's privacy practices, including data collection, sharing, and security.

See complete evaluation

Learn more about our privacy ratings

Explore Our Favorite Tools

Curated List

The Most Engaging Games for the Classroom

Great games that'll hook students, plus promote critical thinking and offer opportunities for deep learning.

Curated List

Great Resources for Teaching Life Skills

Tech for the life lessons that aren't always taught in school.