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Book 1

A Guide for Teachers

Musitrax Sing!

1

Musitrax Sing!

Book 1

Contents

Introduction 1

Music for Everyone 3

The Kodály Concept of Music Education 4

Developing Musicianship through Singing 7

Step by Step Guide 10

Index of Songs and Rhymes 18

Songs 20

Rhymes 94

Note on Rhythm: symbols and syllables 108

Note on Pitch: handsigns and solfa 109

Demonstration of handsigns. 110

Table of Songs for music teachers 111

Table of Rhymes for music teachers 113

Teachers Assignment Sheet 114

Glossary 115 Song Book compiled by: Adriana Florez Lopez Project Co-ordinator: Gil Sharp Consultants: David Vinden Karen Mackenzie Contributing Editor: Brendon Le Page

To our knowledge, all the songs and rhymes in the book have been either commissioned for the project, used by permission, or are in the public domain.

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Introduction Musitrax Sing! is a bold initiative which Lambeth Music Service intends to offer to all schools in Lambeth with Key Stage 1 pupils. Initially in 2006-7, the project will be offered to Year 2 classes. General principles:

• The project is fully inclusive and aimed at all pupils.

• The project is based on widely accepted principles of early music instruction. Based on best practice from Curwen, Kodály, Gordon and Colourstrings principles, it has been developed by experienced Lambeth teachers together with external consultants to suit the requirements of the project

• The material is designed to be presented by class teachers with or without any previous experience of singing. Training and support will be offered by LMS at every stage. It is important that pupils are shown that music is for everyone and everyone can participate with success – not just specialist musicians.

Benefits:

• Using this material with the children will result in a musically more literate population.

• Children will show improved concentration, co-ordination, and calmer, more focused behaviour.

• Children’s general intellectual and cognitive development will be enhanced, which will be reflected in improved academic achievement.

• Children will develop enhanced social skills, self-esteem, confidence, leadership and learn turn-taking.

• Children who do not necessarily excel in other circumstances will have a chance to be successful.

• Children will be better prepared to make maximum use of the opportunities presented by the Government’s ‘whole-class instrumental and vocal tuition’ strategy at Key Stage 2.

• All the children in Lambeth will have a common core repertoire of songs which they can sing together.

Brendon Le Page

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Music for Everyone As with every other area of education, music education affects and influences the child’s general development. Music has a particularly special formative power: it not only helps to develop the child as an individual, but it is also a means to integrate the child into the culture, environment and society where the child lives. Therefore music plays a very important role, especially nowadays when different cultures and traditions are becoming mixed. Music enhances the child’s cognitive skills, such as memory and concentration and it provides opportunities to develop thought processes, including sequencing grouping and comparing. Music is closely linked to language, literacy and communication. They develop in a very similar and parallel way, sharing basic components like attentive listening, speaking or singing and reading and writing. Making music helps to improve co-ordination and motor skills by clapping, tapping, moving the body according to the music and developing the ability to play a musical instrument. Music generates feelings that influence the child’s imagination and creativity; children enjoy creating new sounds, rhymes, songs and games. Music helps to develop the child’s personal, emotional and social skills. Songs and games have a very positive effect on a child’s emotions, relieving internal tensions. Listening to music or singing a song may generate or influence the child’s mood in many ways, such as calming, relaxing or stimulating. Through making music the children are expressing their feelings, thus enhancing self-confidence and interpersonal relationships. On top of that, making music is a pleasure, it is enjoyable and rewarding. It is very important to start developing music skills as early as possible. No nursery or primary school educator would discourage a child who is struggling with mathematics. In the same way, we, knowing that music is promoting all areas of development, and strongly believing that it will help the children to become better human beings, will always encourage them and everyone else to develop their musical skills. We believe music is for everyone.

Adriana Florez Lopez

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The Kodály Concept of Music Education The great Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist and educator Zoltán Kodály 1882 – 1967, inspired an approach to music education that has been called the Kodály approach… or ‘Kodály Method’. Like all great ideas it is very simple but highly effective. It has to be said that much of the ‘methodology’ was developed by Hungarians inspired by Kodály such as Adam, Szönyi, and Szabo. Principally Kodaly said that music belongs to everyone and the best way to begin teaching it was through the voice because everyone has one and it is free. Underlying this is the knowledge that through singing one accesses the ‘Inner Hearing’…perhaps one of the most vital aspects of any musician. Another important point is that because we as humans can sing we can see musical instruments as an extension of that ability to sing. Singing is the first instrument. It is inextricably tied up with the human psyche…we are our human voices…or our voices are us. A singing child is a happy child! Where do we start? Kodály did say that we started nine months before the birth of the child and then said no it was nine months before the birth of the mother! The reality is that we have to start at Reception with all children or in early learning centres if they operate. The singing should be unaccompanied because we are interested in each little human voice as opposed to herding children together and bashing the piano at them! Teachers who play the piano to accompany children run the severe risk of not listening to the children. The teacher’s job is to listen to the children. The piano is also percussive and we want the children to develop pulse from within themselves. That is not saying though that Dalcroze is wrong…quite the opposite… because the children are listening and developing sensitivity and responding accordingly to sounds they hear. The next issue is what material do we use? ‘Only the best is good enough’ was one of Kodály’s maxims! What makes the best material is that which is suitable in terms of range, content, and artistic value. We progress from the simple to the more complex by logical steps and from the known to the unknown. Songs which have been passed down by children through the generations are very valuable and when you use this material the children show an immediate affinity with it because it is theirs. We begin with two-note so – mi songs because these are the sounds that children use very early on: ’mummy’, ‘daddy’, ‘yoo-hoo’, as well as the teasing of each other: ‘can’t catch me’. We will teach a bank of carefully selected songs which contain the elements we want to teach. The children will learn these by rote to begin with because there is no other way. (They may not read yet!) This first teacher-pupil contact is a crucial one, so the teacher must try to know and understand the song(s) well and try to put them across in a clear, coherent way so that children understand them from the outset. Begin by singing the song through as an entity and then teach it in bite-sized chunks, articulating words clearly so children copy correctly. (It might be necessary to speak the words through as you would a rhyme.) Listening to how well the children sing back is vital. The teacher must gauge whether they have heard correctly…hence the unaccompanied singing!

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Progress with a good, measured, understanding tempo, so each nuance is taken on board - don’t rush or be distracted. Here is a simple but excellent song: It is ideal because of the repetition of the opening name…Mary Anne Mary Anne, and deals with the pretty common activity of making porridge. The making it ‘thick’ and then ‘thin’ is good because it deals with two opposing concepts and the song has a simple but easily grasped rhyme and rhythm. The two pitches are ‘so’ and ‘mi’ which are already an unconscious part of the children’s melodic repertoire. This so-mi song will be taught along with others with no reference to the ‘rhythm’ or ‘pitches’. These particular elements are being learned unconsciously at this stage. In the Kodály approach there are three steps in the learning process:

1. Unconscious experience (Preparation) 2. Making Conscious (Presentation) 3. Reinforcing (Practice)

These three stages are the way we work…our methodology if you like. Nothing is made conscious before the age of four and a half to five. Please don’t teach the solfa, handsigns, rhythm syllables and rhythm notation to three-year-olds! We don’t rush through and teach too much but instead we take a measured approach ensuring all the ‘i’s are dotted and the ‘t’s’ crossed! We would build up quite a secure experience of the concepts and skills through a variety of songs and musical game experiences before anything was made conscious. We link the next lesson to the one before ensuring that what we did in the previous lesson has been understood and that there is a seamless connection. Nothing is made conscious until the unconscious experience is secure.

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What skills might we consider developing?

Have a look at the following list and you will see that we develop a fantastic amount with young children.

Skills: • Singing Instrument Performing • Memory work • Pulse and rhythm work • Coordination • Pitch relationships using Relative Solfa • Intonation using Handsigns

• Multiple Hearing (a) Harmonic (b) Polyphonic • Form understanding • Improvisation composing • Musical Reading and Writing • Inner Hearing development • Ensemble music making (Chamber music making at its best) • Social skills

The skills just listed are developed alongside the learning of music elements. Only the best is good enough when it comes to teaching children (or anybody, come to that!) Finding out what is best will take time and patience but when good material is used by a good teacher there is no mistaking the success that follows. There are no short cuts in the teaching of music. Those things not taught and learned properly in the early stages take their revenge on a musician later……thus wrote Ildikó Herboly, reflecting Kodály’s beliefs.

David Vinden

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Developing Musicianship through Singing

Why singing? Every person that can develop the ability to talk can also develop the ability to sing. We can develop singing skills regardless of our race, social background, sex, religion or language. Children love singing and while doing it they will develop and gain general musicianship. We can start developing singing skills at the same time that we start developing and learning our mother tongue, and in the same way: unconsciously.

Unaccompanied singing Children should be able to listen to themselves while singing. If we always play an instrument while they sing, they may feel too inhibited to sing on their own. It is easier for the children to copy melodies from the teacher’s voice than from an instrument and it is also more intimate when we sing together in a circle without having a piano between us. The teacher should sing loud enough for the children to be able to listen and copy their voice while they listen to the children, helping and correcting them if necessary. Nevertheless instruments can be used to make the lesson more enjoyable and interesting and as a tool to develop rhythm.

Traditional songs and rhymes Songs and rhymes are deeply linked to our language and culture; they are expressions of them. Throughout the world the traditional children’s songs and rhymes have been adapted through the ages, they have been sung and maybe changed by generations giving them a particular character; they have a special imagery and are part of a culture. When choosing the material that we are going to use (songs and rhymes) we have to consider some important aspects:

Pitch and range Pitch is the particular height of a note or sound. Range is the register or distance between the lowest and highest note of a song. Children are developing their physical skills as well as their vocal cords, chest and throat muscles. They should not sing notes which are too high or too low. Also, their ability to discriminate pitch is not yet sufficiently developed to distinguish half-steps (semitones) and the vocal cords are not ready to reproduce them.

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It will be easier for the children to sing in tune if:

• The songs are in a suitable key for them to sing

• The songs have a narrow range

• The songs have a short duration

• Melodies are simple and easy to copy This will help ensure the songs are appropriate for the child’s mental and physical development.

Movement and games At an early age singing and movement are closely linked. The child needs to move in order to be able to feel a regular beat and the tempo of a song or rhyme. Teach the children the traditional movements that usually come with the songs and rhymes that you are using, and encourage the creation of new actions and movements using your’s and the children’s ideas, making sure they fit with the pulse. Games for the three year olds can involve small imitative movements, the four year olds’ games can have more extended movements, such as bending down, clapping, walking on a circle or with partners, changing directions, and so on. The five year olds are able to play games involving more complex movements such as playing in circles, double circles or lines. It is very important to consider the tempo to be used with the songs, rhymes and games; it may not be an easy task to keep a fast tempo. As mentioned before, rhythm and movement go together. Children can only become consciously aware of rhythm when they are able to produce a steady beat with confidence and without the teacher’s help.

A Multicultural and Multilingual Society Every language has an implicit melody and an implicit rhythm that is reflected in the children’s songs and rhymes. This means that it is much easier for us to develop musical skills if we use songs and rhymes in our own language. In our classrooms we have children from a wide variety of different backgrounds, with different mother tongues and cultures. Music is a means to integrate these children into the culture, environment and society they live in. Songs and rhymes can help children to learn a new language in a very easy way - likewise, we can learn from their own language and culture, singing their traditional songs.

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Developing the inner hearing The inner hearing is essential for any musician: it is a mental image, an image that is kept in our mind after a musical experience. Once we have a record of melodies, songs, rhymes, rhythms, and so on in our head, we will be able to create our own. The inner hearing is developed through singing songs, saying rhymes and listening to music. The thinking voice plays a very important role in developing the inner hearing. Perception of form As any language, music is made out of a variety of structures including phrases, sentences, questions and answers. Even the simplest of songs or rhymes follows a pattern that makes it recognisable once it is learnt. Singing pieces with clear sections, for example call and response songs, can make children aware of form. Music reading and writing Music reading and writing are part of the conscious work; they can be started at the same time as the reading and writing of language if the unconscious work has been completed. Otherwise, it can be started later. A good starting point can be by representing high and low tones through physical movement showing or ‘drawing’ in the air the shape of a melody with their hands. Developing a sense of Pitch: Solfa and its handsigns will be introduced slowly and step by step to help the children to develop inner hearing, better intonation and to help the children feel the relation between the different pitches. Developing a sense of Rhythm: Flashcards and rhythm syllables will be introduced as a teaching aid to develop the rhythmic reading and writing. Instruments Percussion instruments are a great aid to developing rhythmic sense and to feel a steady beat as well as accents and changes of tempo. It is important that children learn how to correctly use the instruments that they are playing, and their names. Improvisation and composition Always give children the opportunity to create their own songs, rhymes and games. You can encourage them to do this by doing it yourself. Give the children the opportunity to initiate ‘echo’ games and to lead call and response songs, and encourage them to sing by themselves to you or to small audiences. Ensemble music making Making music is team-work. Encourage children to make as much music as possible with their friends, not only with instrumental ensembles but also by singing songs, playing with rhymes and in any other way. Enjoy making music with the children and remember that music is for everyone.

Adriana Florez Lopez

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A Step by Step Guide General Points

• We start by using the same method that our mothers used when they taught us how to speak: we will sing, and sing at any opportunity we have without expecting the children to sing with us. We do not need to wait for a formal music or singing lesson. We can sing to say hello, to call the children to stand in line, to ask them to sit - literally at every opportunity.

• The approach is carefully sequenced, but is based on a great deal of repetition and a gentle introduction of new skills.

• The children (and the teacher!) should be enjoying the songs and games, and they love to repeat familiar music. Repetition is a key part of establishing musical skills. Only a small amount of new material needs to be included – or just a new twist on a familiar song or game.

• By incorporating lots of repetition and introducing new challenges imperceptibly, the children can be successful almost all the time.

• Use non-verbal gestures to show my turn, your turn.

• Have the children initiate activities, or suggest variations or even lead a song. This engages the other children, boosts confidence and allows for individual appraisal.

• Resist the temptation to ‘sing along’ with the children - while this can give them confidence, it masks their achievements and prevents you from listening to them.

• These songs and games can be used on any occasion, during any part of the school day, even for just a few minutes. They are a great way to re-focus children’s attention, and provide a new level of energy.

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First Steps: 5-10 weeks. Words you will need:

Pulse/Beat: Used interchangeably. The heartbeat of the music. It doesn’t alter.

Rhythm: When you clap the words – this is the rhythm. Pitch: Is the note high or low? Tempo: The speed of the music – fast or slow. Dynamics: The volume of the music – loud or quiet. Phrase: A musical sentence.

Suitable Songs: All the songs in this book can be chosen to sing to cover the first steps; nevertheless we recommend you to start with some of these: Cobbler Cobbler, Mary Anne, Round and Round, Bobby Shafto, Jack in the Box , Hot Cross Buns, Peter Taps, Rover. You can use also some of the rhymes like One Potato, Queen Caroline, Charlie Chaplin or Chip, Chop, Chippity Chop. During the Music Lessons

• Always give the pitch and pulse before starting a piece – for example sing “1, 2, off we go”.

• First sing the whole song to the children asking them to listen with attention.

• Then sing a phrase and ask the children to copy you. Listen carefully and monitor how they respond. Repeat phrases as necessary.

• Now have the children sing the whole song several times, and introduce simple movements. The first musical concept that we want to develop is that of pulse. Therefore the chosen movement has to be made in time with the pulse.

• Walk while singing the song: make a circle and walk with the children. Ask them to sing while stamping their feet loudly, helping them to feel the pulse.

• Sing the song several times changing the tempo. Set a new tempo every time they start the song, don’t change the tempo in the middle of the song.

• Use the games given for each song. Teach the children the various movements which go with the songs, making sure they are doing them with the pulse.

• Ask the children to sing the song with different dynamics: sometimes start loudly, sometimes start quietly.

• Change the pitch of the song: sometimes sing it higher, sometimes lower.

• Sing the song with the children tapping the pulse while singing. Ask them to choose where to tap. Try to using different parts of the body, always making sure they are keeping in time.

• Sing the song with the children clapping the rhythm of the words while singing.

• Help the children to recognise where the different phrases are; singing them with two groups answering one another. Alternatively use a puppet to sing a phrase and have the children sing the next phrase.

Use this sequence with each of the songs you have chosen.

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Even if the children are at an advanced stage of the learning process, it’s important to make sure they feeling the pulse of the music and are able to clap its rhythm. Involve the children:

• Ask them to create new games for the songs and rhymes. Make sure the movements they choose are done in time, either on the regular pulse of the song or the rhythm of the words.

• Ask them to create new verses for the rhymes and songs. If necessary, explain what a rhyme is and ask the children to make sure their new verses rhyme.

After you think the children are able to feel the pulse and clap the rhythm of the songs and rhymes you can go to the next step. This part of the process can take several weeks, depending on the children’s ability, and how often they have the opportunity to sing.

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Second Steps – another 5-10 weeks. A further phrase you will need:

Thinking voices: Singing the song inside your head. (Even if the radio has been turned off, the song is still going on).

Suitable Songs: You can continue using the songs you used for the first step, adding some more like: Magic Fingers, Old Mister Woodpecker, The Sad Tale of Horace Hampton, Oliver Twist, Bells in the Steeple, Davy Dumpling, Dinah or Sally go Round the Sun, add also some more rhymes like Rain on the Green Grass, Apples and Peaches, Hickety Tickety Bumble Bee and Red, White and Blue.

• Play the Radio game, sing the song and turn the volume down until there is no sound. Ask the children to make sure they are still singing with their thinking voices

• Sing some phrases of the songs and rhymes with the children using their thinking voices. Later you can sing the whole song using thinking voices.

• Have the children sing parts of the song with thinking voices while clapping the rhythm. Continue clapping while singing with the thinking voices.

• Clap the words of the most well-known songs or rhymes from the repertoire (while you are singing it with your thinking voice) and ask the children to work out which song it is.

• Choose a child to clap the words of a song or rhyme and ask the other children to work out the name of the song.

• Sing the song with the children and ask them to tap or walk the pulse while you clap the rhythm of the words. Then swap over - they will clap the rhythm and you will tap the pulse.

• Divide into two groups. Ask one group to tap or walk the pulse while everyone is singing the song, then ask the other group to clap the rhythm, again while everyone is singing. Then swap over the groups, for all the children to have the opportunity to do both pulse and rhythm.

• Join both groups. One group walks or taps the pulse and the other group claps the rhythm while everyone is singing the song. (The children love this!)

• The ultimate goal is for the children to be able to walk the pulse while clapping the rhythm.

At this stage you can try many different combinations while singing the songs or saying the rhymes using the thinking voice, the pulse and the rhythm. Try to use different parts of the body for tapping, and use different aids such as games and puppets to give the lesson more variety. Do not rush; this part of the process will take several weeks. Also, at this point it is appropriate to explain the concept of pulse to the children – making the concept ‘conscious’.

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Choose a very well known song, one in which the children can feel the pulse very strongly. Write the lyrics on the board and ask them to sing the song while tapping the pulse. At the same time draw a special mark on top of the syllable of the word where the pulse goes. Compare it to the heartbeat, how it is always there. It is beating with precision even if we are not aware of it. Talk about how it is so important for us and draw a parallel with the musical pulse: the pulse is the heart-beat of the music. It is vital. Ask them to sing the song again, this time being conscious of the pulse. Then ask them to choose some other songs and sing them tapping the pulse, whilst being conscious of it. From now on you can ask them to tap, clap or walk the pulse or beat of the song.

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More fun with rhythm – another 5-10 weeks Now is the time to introduce the rhythmic flashcards. First we restrict ourselves to rhythms using combinations of ta and ta-te. Choose a very well known song or rhyme which uses only one flashcard: e.g. Cobbler Cobbler.

• Ask the children to sing the chosen song and clap the rhythm. While they sing, with the words on the board show them which syllables occur on the pulse.

• Some beats will have one syllable on a pulse, and we will call it ‘ta’, and some will have a syllable not on the pulse, and they are called ‘te’. For example, in Mary Anne, ‘Ma-ry’ will be ta-te, Anne will be ‘ta’

• Show the children the flashcard that matches the song. Tell the children that the is called ta and the is called ta-te.

• Now sing the song again, this time using ta and ta-te. instead of the words.

• Sing the song showing its flashcard, pointing at the ta and the ta-te.

• Sing the song again with ta and ta-te., but this time also clap the rhythm. Some weeks later, choose one or two well-known songs to do the same. This time you can use songs that use two flashcards. Still using only ta and ta-te. rhythms, start reading different flashcards that have been used in the songs or rhymes which the children know well. Ask them to read these flashcards first without clapping, but only saying the ta and ta-te. Follow this by adding the clapping to the saying. Further fun with Rhythm Flashcards.

• Read ‘trains’ of flashcards - one after the other,

• Have one half of the group read one flashcard as a question and the other half read another as an answer.

• Read four flashcards, then place them on the floor. Clap one of them and ask the children to work out which one you have clapped.

• Ask the children to make up their own flashcards, then read them and play the games using them.

• Clap a flashcard and ask the children to write down the rhythm that you have clapped using the words ta and ta-te.

• Ask the children to write their own flashcards , then ask the group to read them. The number of games you can play with flashcards is limited only by your (and their) imagination. There are opportunities for links with counting and elementary addition, noting that every flashcard we use has four beats, and that a ta and a ta-te. each have a value of one beat. Keep singing! Spend part of the lesson reading flashcards, but always sing songs and play the games, tapping or walking the pulse and clapping the rhythm.

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More fun with Pitch – another 5-10 weeks Words you will need:

In Tune: matching pitches with each other or an instrument Solfa: A system of naming pitches developed in the Middle

Ages, adjusted by John Curwen in the 19th century. Interval: The distance between a high note and a low note. Handsigns: A system of non-verbal gestures showing pitches and

whether they are higher or lower.

Suitable Songs: Use all the songs you already know to develop singing in tune and add some more from our repertoire now that the children are getting used to singing and listening with attention. Focus on the songs using so-mi and la-so-mi because we are going to make these notes conscious. Do use other songs in the book to develop different musical concepts. Using the handsigns start with the well known so-mi songs like Mary Anne, Cobbler, Cobbler, Magic Fingers, Old Mister Woodpecker and then move on to One, Two or Serra, Serra, Serrador. If the children are already beginning to sing in tune, we can start using the solfa syllables and handsigns to help the children to develop pitch relationships. We start with the notes ‘so’ and ‘mi’ because these are the natural notes which young children use first – for example when singing ‘mum-my’.

• Chose a so-mi song like Mary Anne which the children already know very well

• Show the children which notes are high and which are low – by pointing to the words on the board or using gestures for high and low. See if the children can recognise them in another so-mi song.

• Ask the children to listen carefully so they can say what has changed. Sing the song using the Solfa syllables instead of the words. Point out that the higher note is called ‘so’ and the lower one ‘mi’.

• Divide the children into two groups. One group will sing the song with the lyrics and the other group will sing it with solfa. Then swap parts.

• Sing the song again, this time using the Solfa syllables and the handsigns.

• Have the children practise the sign for so (by imagining the hand is a mirror in front of the face) and for mi (with the palm facing the floor) It’s important that the so is higher up than mi.

• Have the children sing the song using solfa and handsigns.

• Choose more of the so-mi songs and sing them, following the steps described above.

When the so-mi songs are well-established and the children are confident with the solfa syllables and the handsigns, consider adding the note la (higher than so). Chose a la-so-mi song and follow the steps above.

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Optional extension activities Only try these activities with songs the children know very well. These activities will develop new skills, and enhance the quality of the singing. Words you will need:

Round: When a second group sings the same song, but starts later

Ostinato: a short repeated pattern performed at the same time as the song. It can be just a rhythm or a melody with a rhythm

Singing a Round

Suitable songs:

Hot Cross Buns is good to start with, Horace Hampton also works very well. Try any of the songs, they all work well. • Have the children sing the song. The teacher sings the song while the children

are singing, but starts after two or four beats. (If it sounds awkward, try starting the second part in a different place)

• When the children are used to this, divide them into two groups. One group starts the song. The other group waits, and then starts the song after two or four beats. You will need to help each group start the song.

Adding an Ostinato

Suitable songs:

Any song is suitable if you are adding a rhythmic ostinato, Look at “How to have more fun with this song” for each song . • Ask the children to sing a song. At the same time the teacher claps a rhythmic

ostinato throughout the song.

• Choose a flashcard with a rhythm that goes well with the song.

• Choose a group of children to clap the flashcard ostinato while the others sing the song.

• Consider using a percussion instrument for the ostinato instead of clapping

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Index of Songs and Rhymes

so-mi 1. Cobbler, Cobbler p20 2. Here I Come p22 3. Magic Fingers p24 4. Mary Anne p26 5. Old Mr Woodpecker p28 6. One, Two, Buckle my Shoe p30 7. Serra, Serra, Serrador p32

la-so-mi 1. Bobby Shafto p34 2. Harry Hare p36 3. Oliver Twist p38 4. Round and Round p40 5. Sally Walters p42 6. Sailing p44 7. The Sad Tale of Horace Hampton p46

so-mi-do 1. Bells in the Steeple p48 2. Hey Beetle p50 3. Hob Shoe Hob p52 4. Jack in the Box p54 5. Show Me the Way p56 6. Strawberries and Cherries p58

mi-re-do 1. Davy Dumpling p60 2. Hot Cross Buns p62 3. Lovely Day p64 4. My Dolly Molly p66 5. Peter Taps p68 6. School Gates p70 7. Squirrel p72

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So-Mi-Re-Do 1. Dinah p74 2. Listen, Listen p76 3. Mary Had a Little Lamb p78 4. Pitter Patter Well a-Day p80 5. Rover p82 6. Susie Snail p84

La-So-Mi-Re-Do 1. Lonely Frog p86 2. Pumpkin p88 3. Sally go Round The Sun p90 4. Skip one Window p92

Rhymes

1. Apples and Peaches p94 2. Burney Bee p95 3. Charlie Chaplin p96 4. Chip, Chop Chippity Chop p97 5. Hickety Tickety Bumble Bee p98 6. Ickle, Ockle p99 7. Jack be Nimble p100 8. Moses Supposes p101 9. One Potato p102 10. One, Two, Three, Four p103

11. Queen Caroline p104 12. Rain on the Green Grass p105 13. Red, White and Blue p106 14. See A Pin p107

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Cobbler, Cobbler

Handsigns Flashcard so mi Stick notation Two Lines Notation Two-line notation

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Stave notation How can we have more fun with this song?

• Ask the children to sit on a circle on the floor and tap the beat while singing the song

• This time they will tap the floor on the beat with one of their shoes while singing the song; (the one that is going to be mended)

• Ask the children to sing the song with different moods ( sad because my shoe is broken, upset because it is not yet mended, happy because it is mended) tapping the floor on the beat with the shoe

• When they know the song well ask them to pass the shoes towards their right or left on the beat while singing the song, make sure they keep on singing until their shoe comes back to them

• Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.

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Here I Come

Handsigns so mi Stick notation Two line notation

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• You can use this song to introduce the children to each other and to yourself.

• The rhythm can change depending on the ‘trade’ or the place they come from.

• Always walk or tap the pulse when singing. • It provides and opportunity for children to sing on their own • Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.

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Magic Fingers Gill Smith


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• Ask the children to sit in a circle, choose one of them to be the one who is going to show the rest how many fingers come to play. Ask them to sing the song tapping the beat. When the song is finished, the chosen person puts up the number of fingers, the rest will call that number out and then everybody will clap that number of beats

• Do the same as above but this time using a percussion instrument to tap the number of beats


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Mary Anne Handsigns Flashcards so mi Stick notation Two line notation Stave notation

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How can we have more fun with this song?

• Ask the children to stand in a circle and sing the song pretending to make the porridge.

• Do as above but this time they will stand in a circle and sing the song stamping their feet on the beat

• While standing in a circle singing the song, walking or stamping their feet on the beat; ask them to sing the song several times, changing direction every time they start

• Do as above again, singing parts of the song with thinking voices like Mary Anne, Mary Anne, (thinking voices), make the porridge in a pan (out loud)

• Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter

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Old Mister Woodpecker

Handsigns Flashcards so mi Stick notation

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Two line notation Stave notation How can we have more fun with this song? • Sitting on a circle on the floor, sing every verse of the song twice,

the first time loud and the second one very quietly • Sing the song repeating the verses(loud and quiet) tapping the

floor or knees on the pulse • Do the same as above but this time clap the rhythm of the song

while whispering ( the second time every verse is sung) • Sing the song this time tapping the pulse (on the floor or knees)

while singing the verse loudly and clapping while singing it very quietly


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One, Two, Buckle my Shoe

Handsigns so mi Stick notation

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Two line notation Stave notation How can we have more fun with this song?

• Ask the children to sing this song sitting in a circle using different movements while singing every verse: for the first one;

One, two buckle my shoe, tap shoes, Three, four shut the door, pretend to close a door Five, six pick up sticks, bang the index fingers against each other Seven, eight lay them straight, move arms parallel to each other Nine, ten do it again, click fingers

• Sing the song again but this time ask the children to create a new movement for the last verse


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Serra, Serra, Serrador (Saw, saw, Lumberjack)


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Stave notation How can we have more fun with this song? These are the lyrics of the song in English:

Saw, saw, lumberjack, how many pieces of wood do you saw sir? one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!

• Sitting in a circle on the floor sing the song moving one of your

arms pretending to saw. Remember to do the movements on the beat of the song

• Do as above, but this time clapping the rhythm on the second part of the song (the one that we are not singing but saying)

• Sing the song again, this time dividing the group of children in two. One group will sing the first part (the singing one), the other group will answer with the numbers (talking), while both groups do the movements described above

• Swap parts for all the children to have the opportunity to sing and talk


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Bobby Shafto

Handsigns Flashcards la so mi Stick notation Two line notation

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Stave notation How can we have more fun with this song? • Sing this song standing in a circle stamping the feet on the beat

moving your body gently side to side pretending to feel the movement of the sea

• Do as above but this time do these actions on every verse o move one arm making a sea wave for the first verse o tap knees for the second verse o pretend to put a ring on a finger for the last one o no movement for the chorus Bonny Bobby Shafto

• Do as above but this time divide the group of children in two. One group will sing the verses with the movements and the other will sing the chorus

• Swap groups for all the children to have the chance to do the movements


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Harry Hare Handsigns Flashcards la so mi Stick notation Two line notation

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Stave notation How can we have more fun with this song? • Sing this song with a “hare puppet” on your hands, make him

move on the beat of the song while your friends are tapping it • Do as above but this time one of you is going to suggest an

action that is going to be done instead of tapping, e.g. “tapping on your head, jumping, touching your nose….)

• Do as above but this time sing parts of the song with your “thinking” voices, e.g. Harry Hare is in a hurry (loud ) full of care and full of worry ( thinking voices)


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Oliver Twist Handsigns la so mi Stick notation Two line notation

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• Ask the children to stand in a circle and sing the song walking or stamping their feet on the beat

• Standing in a circle ask them to sing the song clapping the beat

• Ask the children to stand in a circle and sing the song facing one of the persons next to them and perform the following actions:

Oliver: Clap own hands Twist: Clap right hands with your partner can’t: clap own hands this: clap left hands with your partner what’s: clap own hands use: clap right hands with your partner try: clap own hands ing: clap left hands with your partner clap your hands: clap own hands touch your knees: touch your knees away you go: turn around and face a new partner • Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter

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Round and Round

Handsigns Flashcards la so mi Stick notation Two line notation

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• Sit in a circle and sing the song several times moving your hands, drawing circles forwards, one behind the other as the mill

• Do as above but this time sing some parts of the song with thinking voices

• Stand in a circle holding hands and sing the song several times walking and stamping your feet on the beat, changing direction every time you start the song

• Stand in two concentric circles, the inside one will face outwards and the outside inwards, holds hands and walk, stamping your feet on the beat of the song while you sing it


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Sally Walters

Handsigns Flashcards la so mi Stick notation

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Two line notation Stave notation How can we have more fun with this song? • Sing this song standing in a circle stamping the feet or clapping

on the pulse • Do as above but this time, everyone will pretend to be Sally

Walters and will mime the actions of the song • Ask the children to sit and do as above but this time you can have

one or two children in the centre of the circle pretending to be Sally Walters


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Sailing Handsigns la so mi Stick notation Two line notation

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• Sing this song standing in a circle stamping the feet on the beat moving a bit your body side to side, pretending to feel the movement of the sea

• Do as above but this time divide the children in groups of three, and ask them to hold each other from the elbows Do as above but this time divide the whole group of children in two.

group one will sing: we are sailing can you see? group two will answer: Just us three group one : sailing far a cross the sea group two: Just us three

• Swap groups for all the children to have the chance to do both parts of the song

• When the children know the song well ask the whole group to sing verses and have only three children answering: Just us three


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The Sad Tale of Horace Hampton Jonathan Vinten

Handsigns la so mi Stick notation

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Two line notation Stave notation How can we have more fun with this song?

• Sing this song walking in circle stamping your feet on the beat, or sitting down tapping on the floor

• Sing this song as a “round” with two groups. Explore the different possibilities, e.g. the second group would start after the first one has sung Horace, Horace

• Clap or tap a rhythmic “ostinato” throughout the song like • Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.

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Bells in the Steeple

Handsigns so mi do Stick notation

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• Sing the song, pretending to pull the rope that moves the bells, moving your arms on the beat of the song

• Sing the song, clapping its rhythm but clapping a bit harder on “bells”, “stee”, “joy” and on every “ding”

• Sing the song walking or stamping your feet on the beat and clapping on the accent (“bells”, “stee”, “joy” and on every “ding”)

• Sing the song as a round with two or three groups. The second group starts singing after the first has sung “bells in the”


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Hey Beetle!

Handsigns Flashcards so mi do Stick notation

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• Ask the children to sit in a circle and sing the song clapping or tapping its pulse

• Talk about the two animals that are talking in the song. One can be a big beetle or a bird that is willing to share its worm and the other one can be a little beetle - the children can give you ideas about this. Divide the group in two, one group will be the big beetle and sing asking the question and the other one, the little beetle who will answer.


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Hob Shoe Hob David Vinden

Handsigns Flashcards so mi do Stick notation

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• Sing this song tapping or walking its beat • Sing the song, sitting in a circle tapping the beat on the shoes • Sing the first Hob shoe hob loud and the second one as an

echo; quieter • Sing the song dividing the group on three, the first one will sing

the first, the second group will sing the second and the last one will sing the last phrase Here a nail, there a nail, that’s well shod

• Clap a rhythmic ostinato throughout the song • Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.

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Jack in the Box


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• Find a good space on the floor and curl up as a “Jack in the box”, sing the song and follow the suggested actions, jump up tall and curl up small

• Do the same as above but this time using “thinking voices” on parts of the song e.g. Jack in the box, Jack in the box loud, jump up tall using thinking voices.

• Do the same as above but clapping or tapping the beat of the song while singing it


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Show Me the Way Jonathan Vinten


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• Sing the song walking its beat • Divide the group of children in two. Make two lines with the two

groups of children, ask both lines to face each other, every child will hold hands with the child that is in front of him or her making a tunnel, they will sing the song tapping its beat with their feet, and you will go through the tunnel

• Do as above but this time choose a child to go through the tunnel

• Do as above but this time sing the song as an echo game; one group will sing the song with Show me, show me and the other group will answer singing the song with so, mi, so, mi


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Strawberries and Cherries Jonathan Vinten


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• Ask the children to sing this song sitting in a circle pretending to eat the strawberries and cherries, moving the hands on the beat

• Sit in the circle singing the song, this time tapping the beat • Sing this song as a round with two groups. Explore the

different possibilities – for example, the second group would start after the first one has sung strawberries and or after cherries

• Clap or tap a rhythmic ostinato throughout the song like or any pattern taken from the melody • Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.

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Davy, Davy Dumpling David Vinden

Handsigns Flashcards mi re do Stick notation

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• Sing the song sitting in a circle tapping, clapping or walking the beat.

• Ask the children to choose a partner and stand facing each other performing the following actions: Clap own hands, clap right hands with the partner, clap own hands, clap left hands with the partner, clap own hands, clap right hands with the partner, clap own hands , click your fingers on the rest, repeat the actions once more and click your fingers in the new rest

• Ask the children to explore making up their own clapping game


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Hot Cross Buns


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• Sing the song sitting in a circle and imagine you are making the hot cross buns. First sing the song taking a bowl and placing it in front of you moving your arms on the beat of the song: then sing it again, this time putting something in the bowl, maybe flour, then again and again until you have all the ingredients in the bowl and make the hot cross buns. You can also bake them and eat them

• Sing the song as a clapping game following this action. Do one action on each beat, tap your knees, clap your own hands clap your partner hands, flick your fingers

• Sing the song as a round with two groups, the second group will start singing after the first has sung the first hot cross buns


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Lovely Day Jonathan Vinten

Handsigns mi re do Stick notation

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• Sing this song several times sitting in a circle tapping the beat on different parts of your body e.g. first on your chest, then your knees …

• Sing the song walking the beat and clapping a rhythmic ostinato

• Do as above but instead of clapping the ostinato try tapping the ta-te’s on the legs and clapping on the ta


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My Dolly Molly


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• Sing the song with the children sitting in a circle. Ask them to tap the beat with the hands on the floor

• Do as above but this time give one child a doll, Molly to tap the floor with while the others tap with their hands. Ask the child to pass Molly to the next child at the end of the song and sing it again

• Do as above but this time the child that has Molly should pass her at the end of a phrase


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Peter Taps


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• Sing the song sitting in a circle pretending to be Peter, tapping with the hammers on the beat while singing the song. First tap with one hammer one hand, then with two hammers both hands, then with three hammers both hands and one foot, until Peter taps with four hammers both hands and both feet.

• Do the same as above, but this time you can work back from four hammers to one hammer or maybe no hammer, singing the song with thinking voices


School Gates Jonathan Vinten



• Ask the children to sing this song sitting in a circle waving to one child that will be in the centre of the circle. All of them will be moving their hands on the beat. The child in the centre is going to walk passing the others until the end of the song when they are going to be standing up in front of another child that will change places with him or her

• Ask the children to sing the song first tapping the beat with the feet and later clapping the beat

• Ask the children to sing the song tapping two beats and then clapping two beats as a pattern during the whole song


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Squirrel Jorma Ollaranta


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• Sing this song several times sitting in a circle tapping the beat on different parts of your body e.g. first on your chest, then your knees …

• Sing the song as a clapping game following this sequence: clap your own hands, clap right hands with a partner , clap own hands, clap left hands with a partner, always clapping on the beat of the song

• Do the same as above but this time tap your knees on let us go and you and me on every word


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Dinah Handsigns so mi re do Stick notation

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• Sing this song walking in circle stamping your feet on the beat, moving your arms and hands pretending to strum the old banjo

• Sing this song as a round with two groups. Explore the different possibilities, like the second group would start after the first one has sung no one in the or after but

• Clap or tap a rhythmic ostinato throughout the song like or any pattern taken from the melody • Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter

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Listen, Listen

Handsigns Flashcard so mi re do Stick notation

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• Ask the children to sing the song sitting in a circle, tapping the beat on the floor

• Do as above but this time bring a drum that will be played by a different child every time they start the song

• This time ask the children to sing the song tapping the beat, when they sing someone special gets the drum a child will play the rhythm of the song while everyone is singing with thinking voices


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Mary Had a Little Lamb

Handsigns so mi re do Stick notation

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Stave notation How can we have more fun with this song? • Ask the children to sing this song walking in a circle, and ask

them to stamp the feet on the beat • Do as above but this time ask the children to walk backwards

every time they sing the second and third Little lamb and fleece was white as snow

• This is a very well known song and if you ask the children to ask their parents to teach them the lyrics they know, you can have an interesting lesson


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Pitter Patter Well a-Day David Vinden


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• Sing this song walking on the beat • This time sing the song sitting in a circle, tap the beat on the

floor • Do as above but this time ask the children to think of a

different kind of tree • This time sing the song using these different movements: first

clap, the tap knees and the tap floor • Do as above but this time your teacher is going to play a

percussion instrument on the “accent “ of the song and you will emphasise it

• Sing the song as a round, exploring the different possibilities, for example the second group could start after Pitter patter


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Rover


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• Sing this song tapping or walking its beat • Sing the song changing the name of the dog for the name of

the children’s dogs or changing the pet and its name for the children’s pets

• Sing the song with some of the children playing the beat on a percussion instrument

• Clap a rhythmic ostinato throughout the song • Sing this song as a round with two groups. Explore the

different possibilities, like the second group would start after the first one has sung I have a or after I have a dog and his


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Susie Snail Pál Járdányl

Handsigns Flashcards so mi re do Stick notation

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Stave notation

How can we have more fun with this song?

• Ask the children to stand in a circle and sing the song walking or stamping their feet on the beat of the song

• Do as above but this time walking on the spot • Ask the children to sing the song, this time clapping its rhythm • Ask the children to sing the first two phrases and the last one

tapping or walking the pulse of the song (these three phrases have the same rhythm and melody) and to clap the rhythm of the phrase number three

• Do as above but this time clap as a rhythmic ostinato throughout the third phrase

• Do as above but this time divide the group in two. One group will sing and tap the beat of the first, second and fourth phrases and the other group will clap the rhythm or the ostinato of the third phrase

• Swap groups • Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.

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Lonely Frog Zoltán Kodály

Handsigns Flashcards la so mi re do Stick notation

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• Ask the children to sit in a circle, and sing the song tapping its beat

• Ask them to do as above but this time one of them is going to be the lonely frog that will walk inside the circle tapping the shoulders of the other children that will be tapping or clapping the beat of the song. The frog will stop walking and tapping when the song finishes. The child who happens to be the last one whose shoulder is tapped will become the new lonely frog


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Pumpkin

Handsigns la so mi re do Stick notation

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• Ask the children to sit in half a circle to sing this song, clapping or tapping the beat of the song while singing it

• Do the same as above but this time one of the children is going to be the pumpkin that at the end of the song is going to turn into to a jack-o-lantern. The pumpkin will stand with his or her back to the rest of the children while they are singing the song. On just like that the pumpkin will turn facing them, showing a scary face

• If the children are feeling shy do as above but with all the children sitting in a circle facing outwards turning at the end of the song to show their scary faces

• Sing the song as a round - ask the second group to start after pumpkin, pumpkin

• Divide the group into two. One group sings the song, whilst the second group sings just pumpkin, pumpkin or just like that (a melodic ostinato)


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Sally go Round the Sun Handsigns la so mi re do Stick notation

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• Ask the children to stand in a circle and sing the song walking and stamping their feet on the beat of the song, as you shout Boom they jump and sit on the floor

• Sing the song as above changing the tempo (fast, slow) and the dynamic: (quiet or loud)

• Do as above but this time singing parts, or the whole song with “thinking voices”. Everyone has to jump at the same time when “thinking” Boom!


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Skip One Window Handsigns la so mi re do Stick notation

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• Ask the children to sing the song standing in a circle tapping the beat

• Do as above but this time they are going to stand in two circles one inside the other with children in pairs facing each other. Ask them to sing the song and clap their own hands while saying say and clap the partner’s hands while saying hello

• Do as above but this time they are also going to tap their knees while saying jingle at the window following the rhythm of the song

• Do as above but this time the children standing in the circle inside are going to be people and the children on the outside circle will be windows, all the people are going to skip one window when the song tells them to, and facing a new partner to clap hands with every time they say say hello


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Apples and Peaches Flash card

Stick notation

How can we have more fun with this rhyme? • This rhyme is a traditional skipping or ball bouncing rhyme. The

children pretend to skip with a rope or bounce the ball while saying the rhyme. At the end of it they will start saying the months of the year and stop when the month of their birth comes

• You can also ask the children to form a circle and say the rhyme while tapping, clapping or walking the beat.

• Do as above but this time you can walk around the circle tapping them on the shoulder while they are saying the rhyme clapping or tapping its beat. The last child tapped at the end of the rhyme will tell every one else when his or her birthday comes

• Do as above but this time choose a child to be the one tapping • Why not explore creating the children’s own clapping game? • Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter

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Burney Bee Flashcards

Stick notation

How can we have more fun with this rhyme?

• Ask the children to form a circle and say the rhyme while tapping, clapping or walking the beat.

• Do as above but this time you can walk around the inside of the circle tapping them on the shoulder while they are saying the rhyme clapping or tapping its beat. The last child tapped at the end of the rhyme will become Burney Bee and should fly around the circle tapping their friends’ shoulders while everyone is saying the rhyme, tapping or clapping its beat


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Charlie Chaplin

Flash card

Stick notation


• Ask the children to sit in a circle and say the rhyme tapping, clapping or walking the beat.

• Ask the children to stand up and say the rhyme following the movements suggested in it


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Chip, Chop, Chippity Chop Stick notation H How can we have more fun with this rhyme?

• Ask the children to sit in a circle and say the rhyme; tapping, clapping or walking the beat.

• Ask a child to choose what is going to be chopped, and then ask them to say the rhyme, this time pretending to chop. Make sure they are doing the movements on the beat of the rhyme


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Hickety Tickety Bumble Bee

Stick notation


• You can use this rhyme to introduce the children to the class. Say the rhyme to the children pointing to them on the beat. The last child will say his or her name to the class

• Do as above but this time choose a child to point and ask the others to tap or clap the rhyme pulse while saying it


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Ickle, Ockle

Flashcards

Stick notation

How can we have more fun with this rhyme? • Ask the children to say the rhyme while walking stamping their

feet the beat, they should walk around and by the end of the rhyme they should be standing in front of another child and say the rhyme again this time clapping the hands with the partner. You can ask the children to help you to design a clapping game that works well with the rhyme or follow this sequence:

Clap own hands, clap right hands with the partner, clap own hands, clap left hands with the partner, clap own hands, clap right hands with the partner, clap own hands, click fingers on the rest, repeat the actions once more and click fingers in the second rest


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Jack Be Nimble

Stick notation


• Ask the children to stand in a circle and say the rhyme walking its beat

• Do as above but this time the children will jump forwards at the end of the rhyme

• Do as above but this time the children will jump backwards • Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.

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Moses Supposes Stick notation


• This rhyme is a traditional tongue twister. The idea is to be able to say it fast, keeping the time, using clear voices and pronouncing all the words properly

• Ask the children to sit in a circle and say the rhyme tapping the beat

• Do the same as above but this time using thinking voices on parts of the rhyme like Moses supposes his toeses are roses out loud, but Moses supposes erroneously thinking voices

• Try a rhythmic round with the group of children divided in two one starting after the other, perhaps after Moses supposes his


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One Potato

Stick notation How can we have more fun with this rhyme?

• Ask the children to sit in a circle and say the rhyme, tapping or clapping the beat

• Do as above but this time extend your arms and clench your hands, moving your fists on the beat placing them one on top of the other

• Do as above but this time ask the children to find a partner and say the rhyme, placing their fists on top of their partners’, taking turns

• Do the same as above but this time using thinking voices on parts of the rhyme; for example one potato two potatoes out loud, three potatoes four thinking voices.


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One, Two, Three, Four Flashcards

Stick notation

How can we have more fun with this rhyme? • Ask the children to sit in a circle and say the rhyme while tapping,

clapping or walking the beat. • Do as above but this time divide the group of children in two, one

is going to say the numbers and the other will say the second and fourth phrases

• Swap groups for all the children to do both parts • Do as above but this time the group that is saying numbers will

clap the beat and the other group will clap the rhythm • Swap groups for all the children to do both parts • Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter

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Queen Caroline Flashcards

Stick notation How can we have more fun with this rhyme? • This rhyme is a traditional “skipping game” • You can use it also as a “counting game” • Also you can use a Queen Caroline stick puppet, ask the children

to make her dance on the floor or on any part of their bodies, make sure she is keeping the beat of the rhyme

• Do as above but this time use thinking voices in parts of the rhyme like Queen, queen Caroline out loud and washed her hair in turn pen tine thinking voices

• Why not trying a rhythmic round with two groups, the second could start after the first has said

Queen, Queen Caroline • Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.

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Rain on the Green Grass Flashcards

Stick notation


• Ask the children to sit in a circle and say the rhyme while tapping, clapping or walking the beat.

• This rhyme is a traditional counting game but we can also use it as a clapping game. Ask the children to choose a partner and stand facing each other performing the following actions:

Clap own hands, clap right hands with the partner, clap own hands, clap left hands with the partner, clap own hands, clap right hands with the partner, clap own hands, click fingers on the rest, repeat the actions once more and click fingers in the new rest

• Do as above but this time using your “thinking voices” in parts of the rhyme, like, rain on the green grass out loud and rain on the tree thinking voices

• Why not explore creating the children’s own clapping game? • Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.

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Red, White and Blue Flashcards

Stick notation


• Ask the children to sit in a circle and say the rhyme while tapping or clapping its beat

• You can use this rhyme every time you want to choose a child to help you with something: indicating which child while saying it


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See a Pin Flash card

Stick notation


• Ask the children to stand in a circle and say the rhyme while walking the beat.

• Do as above but this time add a movement at the end of each phrase: on the first one crouch down pretending to pick up a pin, on the second one show thumbs up, on the third one cross arms, on the last one show thumbs down

• Why not explore creating the children’s own clapping game? • Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.

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Rhythm rhythm syllables and note shapes

conscious unconscious

ta ta-te ‘sh’ ta-a tikatika

crotchet quavers rest minim semiquavers

Order of introduction

Notes:

1. In the English language, folksongs and rhymes for children are mostly in ‘duple’ time, that is with two-beat patterns, one strong and one weak. Each beat is usually divided into two ‘microbeats’ (ta-te) or sometimes three. Three-beat patterns (like Bells in the Steeple) are less common.

2. The conscious section means that the children should learn to recognise the ta, ta-te and ‘sh’ symbols and match them with the syllables when reading flashcards. The names of the notes (crotchet etc.) are for the teacher’s reference only.

3. The unconscious section is included for reference to show rhythms and syllables which are used in some of the songs

4. Music teachers use a wide variety of rhythm syllables – there is no generally accepted ‘pure’ set of rhythm syllables. The particular rhythm syllables in this book have been carefully selected to be familiar to teachers, as well as leading on easily to the patterns required in KS2.

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Pitches Solfa names and handsigns

so-mi la-so-mi so-mi-do mi-re-do so-mi-re-do la-so-mi-re-do

make conscious unconscious

la

so

mi

re

do

Order of introduction

Notes:

1. The notes are introduced in an order which reflects the increasing complexity of children’s songs. Starting with the simplest two note ‘so-mi’ the final group of songs have five notes (la-so-mi-re-do). These form a ‘pentatonic major scale’. This scale is one of the most common scales used in folksongs around the world.

2. The make conscious section means that the children should learn to recognise the handsigns and match them with the solfa names.

3. The other groups of handsigns are included for reference to show the handsigns and solfa notes which are used in the later songs. Re and do will be made conscious later.

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Solfa

Tab

le of hand

signs – d

iatonic sca

le The solfa nam

es in bold form the notes of the pentatonic m

ajor scale The vertical height of the handsigns should reflect how

high the notes are.

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(M= major; m = minor)

Title Origin Time sig.

Page Pitch set Range Flashcards

Bells in the Steeple Trad 3/4 48 so-mi-do 5th No flashcards

Bobby Shafto Trad British 2/4 34 la-so-mi 4th

Cobbler, Cobbler

Trad British 2/4 20 so-mi m 3rd

Davy Dumpling David Vinden 2/4 60 mi-re-do M 3rd

Dinah Trad British 2/4 74 so-mi-re-do 5th No flashcards

Harry Hare Colourstrings repertoire

2/4 36 la-so-mi 4th

Here I Come Trad British 2/4 22 so-mi m 3rd No flashcards

Hey Beetle Colourstrings repertoire

2/4 50 so-mi-do 5th

Hob Shoe Hob David Vinden 4/4 52 so-mi-do 5th

Hot Cross Buns Trad British 4/4 62 mi-re-do M 3rd

Jack in the Box Trad British 6/8 54 so-mi-do 5th No flashcards

Listen, Listen Trad British 2/4 76 so-mi-re-do 5th

Lonely Frog ZoltánKodály 2/4 86 la-so-mi-re-do M 6th

Lovely Day Jonathan Vinten 4/4 64 mi-re-do M 3rd No flashcards

Magic Fingers Gill Smith 2/4 24 so-mi m 3rd No flashcards

Mary Anne Trad British 2/4 26 so-mi m 3rd

Mary Had a Little Lamb Trad British 2/4 78 so-mi-re-do 5th No flashcards

My Dolly Molly Colourstrings repertoire

4/4 66 mi-re-do M 3rd

Old Mister Woodpecker Trad. 4/4 28 So-mi m 3rd

Oliver Twist Trad British 6/8 38 la-so-mi 4th No flashcards

One, Two, Buckle my Shoe

Trad British 6/8 30 so-mi m 3rd No flashcards

Peter Taps Trad 2/4 68 mi-re-do M 3rd No flashcards

Pitter Patter Well a-day Music by David Vinden

3/4 80 so-mi-re-do 5th No flashcards

Pumpkin Trad British 2/4 88 la-so-mi-re-do M 6th No flashcards

Reference Table of Songs

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Round and Round Trad British 2/4 40 la-so-mi 4th

Rover Trad British 2/4 82 so-mi-re-do 5th No flashcards

Sailing Colourstrings repertoire

2/4 44 la-so-mi 4th No flashcards

Sally go Round the Sun Trad British 6/8 90 la-so-mi-re-do M 6th No flashcards

Sally Walters Trad British 4/4 42 la-so-mi 4th

School Gates Jonathan Vinten 4/4 70 mi-re-do M 3rd No flashcards

Serra, Serra, Serrador Trad Portuguese 2/4 32 so-mi m 3rd No flashcards

Show Me the Way Jonathan Vinten

4/4 56 so-mi-do 5th No flashcards

Skip one Window Trad. Words adapted by Sarah Mann

2/4 92 la-so-mi-re-do M 6th No flashcards

Squirrel Jorma Ollaranta 2/4 72 mi-re-do M 3rd

Strawberries and Cherries

Jonathan Vinten 4/4 58 so-mi-do 5th

Susie Snail Pál Járdányi 2/4 84 so-mi-re-do 5th

The Sad Tale of Horace Hampton

Jonathan Vinten 4/4 46 la-so-mi 4th No flashcards

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Reference Table of Rhymes

Title Origin Page Time signature Flashcards

Apples And Peaches

Trad British 94 2/4

Burney Bee Trad British 95 2/4

Charlie Chaplin Trad British 96 2/4

Chip, Chop, Chippity Chop

Trad British 97 6/8 No flashcards

Hickety Tickety Bumble Bee

Trad British 98 6/8 No flashcards

Ickle, Ockle Trad British 99 2/4

Jack be Nimble Trad British 100 6/8 No flashcards

Moses Supposes Trad British 101 6/8 No flashcards

One Potato Trad British 102 6/8 No flashcards

One, Two, Three, Four

Trad British 103 2/4

Queen Caroline Trad British 104 4/4

Rain on the Green Grass


Red, White and Blue


See a Pin Trad British 107 4/4

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Glossary

Beat see ‘pulse’ Dynamics The volume of the music – loud or quiet. Handsigns a system of non-verbal gestures showing pitches and

whether they are higher or lower. Inner Hearing mental image, a sound that is kept in our mind after a

musical experience Interval The distance between a high note and a low note. Key tonal centre of a music piece Ostinato a short repeated pattern performed at the same time

as the song. It can be just a rhythm or a melody with a rhythm

Pitch Is the note high or low? Phrase A musical sentence. Pulse/Beat Used interchangeably with ‘beat’. The heartbeat of the

music. It doesn’t alter. Range register or distance between the lowest and highest

note of a song. Repeat Sing again from the beginning or from the repeat mark. Round when a second group sings the same song, but starts

later Rhythm When you clap the words – this is the rhythm. Solfa A system of naming pitches developed in the Middle

Ages, adjusted by John Curwen in the 19th century. Stave traditional musical notation on five lines. Tempo The speed of the music – fast or slow. Thinking voices Singing the song inside your head. (Even if the radio

has been turned off, the song is still going on).

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