Try, Try Again

Advanced intervals, ascending and descending tonic arpeggios, and challenging rhythmic patterns will make this musically rewarding, as well as character building.

Description

Grade: Second
Origin: USA – Traditional
Key: B flat Major
Time: 2/4
Form: rhythm: AABA – pitches: ABCD
Rhythm: advanced: | ti ti ti ti | ti ti ta | ta ti/ ri |
| ta/a | ti ti ti ti ri |
Pitches: advanced: Do Mi So La Ti Do Re Mi Fa
Intervals: advanced: Do\So\Mi\Do descending tonic arpeggio, Do/Mi/So/Do ascending tonic arpeggio, Do\So, So/Fa, Re\So, So/Mi, La/Do, Fa\So, So/Mi
Musical Elements: notes: half, quarter, dotted eighth, eighth, sixteenth, vocal slur
Key Words: character education, lesson, first, succeed, courage, shall, appear, persevere, conquer, fear, hero, heroic; contraction: ’tis (it is), don’t (do not)

**“Try, Try Again”**
‘Tis a lesson you should learn, Try, try again; If at first you don’t succeed, Try, try again; Then your courage shall appear, For if you will persevere, You will conquer, never fear, Try, try again.

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Trot, Trot, Trot

Tonic and dominate arpeggios with an
ascending dominant octave skip.

Description

Grade: Second
Origin: Germany – Folk Song
adapted by: Jess D. Buice
Key: G Major
Time: 2/4
Form: ABa (4 measures)
Rhythm: beginners: | ti (ti) ti (ti) | ta (ta) |
| ti ti ti ti |
Pitches: intermediate: So Ti Do Re Mi Fa So
Intervals: intermediate: Do/Mi/So ascending tonic arpeggio, Re\Ti\So descending dominate arpeggio, So/So dominate octave skip, So\Mi\Do descending tonic arpeggio
Musical Elements: notes: quarter, eighth; rests: quarter, eighth; melodic rhythm patterns, tonic arpeggio, dominate arpeggio, dominate octave skip
Key Words: world geography: Germany; animal science, animal movements: pony/trot, bunny/hop, frog/jump; weather: sunny, muggy; smooth, stony, along

**“Trot, Trot, Trot”**

	1.	Trot, trot, trot! Trot, my little pony trot! Where it’s smooth and where it’s stony, Trot along my little pony; Go, and never stop! Trot, trot, trot, trot, trot!

	2.	Hop, hop, hop! Hop, my bunny hop! Where it’s dark and where it’s sunny, Hop along my little bunny; Go, and never stop! Hop, hop, hop, hop, hop!

	3.	Jump, jump, jump! Jump, my froggy jump! Where it’s wet and where it’s muggy, Jump along my little froggy; Go, and never stop! Jump, jump, jump, jump, jump!

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Three Little Pigs

Singing octave harmonies.

Description

Grade: Second
Origin: USA – Traditional
Key: C Major
Time: 3/4
Form: ABCD
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ta ta | ta/a/a |
| ti ta/ ta | syncopation, | ta/a ta | ta/a ti ti |
| ti ti ta/ |
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do (So8 Fa8 Mi8 Re8 Do8 – octave harmony)
Intervals: advanced: So\Mi, Re/So, So\Do, Do/So, La/Do, So\Mi, So/So ascending dominate octave skip, octave harmonies
Musical Elements: notes: dotted half, half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; singing in octaves, tied notes, syncopation, pickup beat
Key Words: animal science, farming, character education, sow, pigs, piggies, animal sounds, pig sounds, oink, wee, skinny, lean, died, sad, sight, ought; contraction: oughta (ought to)

**“Three Little Pigs”**

	1.	Oh there was a sow who had three little pigs, There little piggies had she. The old sow always went “oink, oink, oink,” and the piggies went “wee, wee, wee-ee-ee.”
	2.	Now one day one of the three little pigs To the other two piggies said he, “Why don’t we always go oink, oink, oink? It’s so childish to go wee, wee, wee-ee-ee!”
	3.	These three piggies grew skinny and lean, Skinny they well should be, For they always would try to go “oink, oink, oink,” And they wouldn’t go “wee, wee, wee-ee-ee.”
	4.	Now there three piggies they up and they died. A very sad sight to see. So don’t ever try to go “oink, oink, oink,” When you oughta go “wee, wee, wee-ee-ee!”

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Three Blind Mice

Intermediate four part round with 6/8 syncopation,
multiple repeated signs, repeated melodic rhythm patterns,
and mastering the perfect fourth (P4) Do\So/Do.

Description

Grade: Second
Origin: England – Traditional Round
Key: D Major
Time: 6/8
Form: ABCccA
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta/ ta/ | ta/a (ti) (ti) |
| ta/ ti (ti) ti | syncopation, | ta/ (ta) ti | syncopation, | ta ti ti ti ti | ta ti ta ti | syncopation,
| ti ti ti ti ti ti | ti ti ti ta ti | syncopation
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do
Intervals: intermediate: So/Do, Mi/So, So/Do8,
Do8\So
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rests: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; four part round, singing in parts, two repeated phrases (repeat signs), first and second endings, syncopation in 6/8, 6/8 time: eighth note receives one beat, divisions of a dotted quarter note: three eights (3 ti’s), feeling duple meter (2) in 6/8: where three eights would be a triplet if the beat is represented by a dotted quarter
Key Words: world geography: England; carving knife, such a sight; possessive: farmer’s wife
Recorder: intermediate: grades 3,4,5 – 6/8 time: eighth note receives one beat, divisions of a dotted quarter note: three eights (3 ti’s), feeling duple meter (2) in 6/8: where three eights would be a triplet if the beat is represented by a dotted quarter

**“Three Blind Mice”**
Three blind mice, three blind mice. See how they run, see how they run. They all ran after the farmer’s wife. She cut off their tails with the carving knife, Did you ever see such a sight in your life, As three blind mice?

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There’s a Hole in the Bucket

Singing in sections; boys, girls.

Description

Grade: Second
Origin: USA – Dialogue Song
Key: G Major
Time: 3/4
Form: Aa
Rhythm: beginners: | ta ta ta | ta ta ti ti | ta/a |
Pitches: beginners: So La Do Re Mi
Intervals: intermediate: Mi\So, Do\So, La/Do
Musical Elements: notes: half, quarter, eighth; pickup beat, singing in sections
Key Words: dialogue song, camp song, bucket, mend, straw, cut, knife, sharpen, stone, wet stone; contraction: there’s (there is)

**“There’s a Hole in the Bucket”**

		boys:	There’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza, There’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, a hole.
		girls:	Mend the hole, then, Georgie, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, Mend the hole, then, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, the hole.
		boys:	With what shall I mend it, dear Liza, dear Liza, With what shall I mend it, dear Liza, with what?,
		girls:	With a straw, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, With a straw, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, a straw.
		boys:	The straw is too long, dear Liza, dear Liza, The straw is too long, dear Liza, too long.
		girls:	Cut the straw, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, Cut the straw, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, the straw.
		boys:	With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, dear Liza, With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, with what?
		girls:	With a knife, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, With a knife, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, a knife.
		boys:	The knife is too dull, dear Liza, dear Liza, The knife is too dull, dear Liza, too dull.
		girls:	Then sharpen it, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, Then sharpen it, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, then sharpen it.
		boys:	With what shall I sharpen it, dear Liza, dear Liza, With what shall I sharpen it, dear Liza, with what?
		girls:	With a stone, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, With a stone, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, a stone.
		boys:	The stone is too dry, dear Liza, dear Liza, The stone is too dry, dear Liza, too dry.
		girls:	Then wet it, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, Then wet it, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, then wet it.
		boys:	With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, dear Liza, With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, with what?
		girls:	With water, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, With water, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, with water.
		boys:	In what shall I get it, dear Liza, dear Liza, In what shall I get it, dear Liza, in what?
		girls:	In a bucket, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, In a bucket, dear Georgie, dear Georgie, in a bucket.
		boys:	There’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza, There’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, a hole!

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Stoopin’ on the Window

Introducing the descending interval Do\La, sounding sad, with syncopation and dynamics.

Description

Grade: Second
Origin: USA – African American Singing Game
Key: D Major
Time: 2/2 (cut time)
Form: staff: AaBBBB – song: AB
Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ti ti ti ta ta |
| ta ti ta/a/ | syncopation, | ta ti ta/ (ti) ti | syncopation
Pitches: beginners: La Do Mi So
Intervals: intermediate: Do/Mi/So ascending tonic arpeggio, So\Do, Do\La, Re\La, La/Do
Musical Elements: notes: half, quarter, eighth; rest: quarter, eighth; tied noes, repeat sign, un-pitched notes; dynamics: piano/soft, forte/loud
Key Words: African American History, playground song, party song, forming a tight circle, winding, unwinding, window, ball; abbreviations: stoopin’ (stooping); contraction: let’s (let us)

**“Stoopin’ on the Window”**
Stoopin’ on the window, wind the ball! Stoopin’ on the window, wind the ball! Let’s wind the ball. (again, again, again) Let’s wind the ball. (again, again, again) Unwind the ball. (again, again, again) Unwind the ball. (again, again, again) Directions: Two students form an arch; “window”. Remaining students form a line, holding hands. One student remains alone at the end of the line. Leader leads the line under the arched hands.* Leader calls out first line. Remaining students answer, “wind the ball…” or “again,…” Leader takes the line down to the remaining student “ball” and goes around him, winding the ball. When all students are tightly pressed together in a circle, the “ball” is unwound by the leader. At the end of the game the students are in a straight line again. *Alternative movement: students hold their arms up and the leader takes them in and out through the windows to the foot of the line and the ‘ball.” Phrases are sung as often as needed to complete each part of the game.

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Skip to My Lou

Developing the independent voice.
Skipping to the steady beat.

Description

Grade: Second
Origin: USA – Western Play Song
Key: F Major
Time: 4/4
Form: verse: AaAB – refrain: AaAB – song: AB (verse/refrain)
Rhythm: beginners: | ta ti ti ti ti ta | ta ta ta/a |
| ta ti ti ta ta | ta/a ta/a | ta ti ti ta/a |
Pitches: intermediate: Ti Do Re Mi Fa So
Intervals: intermediate: Mi\Do, Do/Mi, Mi/So, So\Re, Re\Ti, Ti/Re, Re/Fa
Musical Elements: notes: half, quarter, eighth; verse/refrain
Key Words: United States geography, Western United States, Texas, play song, dance song, playground song, early square dance song, buttermilk, flies, partner, cream, jar, prettier, another, Texas, two by two, jay bird, off to; contractions: what’ll (what will), I’ll (I will), bird’ll (bird will), cat’s (cat is), can’t (cannot); abbreviation: darlin’ (darling)
Keyboard: intermediate: upper grades, five finger exercise; right, left, and two hands together

“Skip to My Lou”


	Version One		Version two
1.	Flies in the buttermilk, Shoo fly, shoo, Flies in the buttermilk, Shoo fly, shoo, Flies in the buttermilk, Shoo fly, shoo, Skip to my lou, my darlin’.	1.	Lost my partner, What’ll I do? Lost my partner, What’ll I do? Lost my partner, What’ll I do? Skip to my lou, my darlin’.
	Refrain:		Refrain:
	Skip, skip, skip to mu lou, Skip, skip, skip to mu lou, Skip, skip, skip to mu lou, Skip to my lou, my darlin’.		Skip, skip, skip to mu lou, Skip, skip, skip to mu lou, Skip, skip, skip to mu lou, Skip to my lou, my darlin’.
2.	Cat’s in the cream jar, Ooh, ooh, ooh, Cat’s in the cream jar, Ooh, ooh, ooh, Cat’s in the cream jar, Ooh, ooh, ooh, Skip to my lou, my darlin’.		I’ll get another one Prettier than you, I’ll get another one Prettier than you, I’ll get another one Prettier than you, Skip to my lou, my darlin’.
	Refrain		Refrain
3.	Off to Texas, Two by two, Off to Texas, Two by two, Off to Texas, Two by two, Skip to my lou, my darlin’.		Can’t get a red bird, Jay bird’ll do, Can’t get a red bird, Jay bird’ll do, Can’t get a red bird, Jay bird’ll do, Skip to my lou, my darlin’.
	Refrain		Refrain

Game Instructions:
“Skip to My Lou” is a simple game of swapping partners. Students choose partners, form a ring and while holding hands skip around. A student in the center of the moving circle of couple sings, “Lost my partner what’ll I do?” as the circle whirls past him. The moving circle of couples responds singing the refrain. The student in the center sings, “I’ll get another one prettier than you.” The moving circle of couples responds singing the refrain. The student chooses taking the hand of their new partner, their partner takes the student’s place in the center of the ring and the game continues.

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Skin and Bones

A minor tonality where the 6th (La) is the tonal center
in its relative Major.

Description

Grade: Second
Origin: USA – Kentucky Folk Song
Key: A minor – pitched for C Major
And: D minor – pitched for F Major
Time: 6/8
Form: A (through composed)
Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ti ti ti ti ti | ta ti ta/ |
| ta/ ta ti |
Pitches: beginners: La Do Re Mi
Intervals: intermediate: La/Do, Do\La, Re\La, La/Mi
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rest: quarter; pickup beat, minor tonality
Key Words: Halloween, spooky songs, All Hallows Eve, All Saints Eve, scary songs, skin, bones, graveyard, broom; contractions: she’d (she would), hyphenated/abbreviation: a-lyin’ (a lying)
Keyboard: intermediate: five finger exercise, left, right, and two hands together

**“Skin and Bones”**

	1.	There was an old woman all skin and bones, Oo-oo-oo-ooh!
	2.	She lived down by the old graveyard, Oo-oo-oo-ooh!
	3.	One night she thought she’d take a walk, Oo-oo-oo-ooh!
	4.	She walked down by the old graveyard, Oo-oo-oo-ooh!
	5.	She saw the bones a-layin’ around, Oo-oo-oo-ooh!
	6.	She went to the closet to get a broom, Oo-oo-oo-ooh!
	7.	She opened the door and BOO!!

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Six Little Ducks

Practicing the ascending and descending major 6th Mi\So/Mi,
changing rhythms for second verse syllables.

Description

Grade: Second
Origin: USA, Maryland – Folk Song
Key: F Major
Time: 4/4
Form: ABCDD
Rhythm: beginners: | ta ti ti ta ta | ta ta ta/a |
| ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti | ta ta ta ti ti | ta ti ti ta ti ti |
| ti ti ti ti ta/a | ta ti ti ti ti ti ti | ta ta ti ti ta |
Pitches: intermediate: So Do Re Mi Fa So La
Intervals: intermediate: Mi\So/Mi (M6), Re\So/Re, Do/Mi, Re/So8, Mi\Do, Do/So8
Musical Elements: notes: half, quarter, eighth; changing rhythms for verse syllables, verse/refrain
Key Words: USA geography, Maryland; ducks, fat, skinny, fair, feather, ruled, animal science, duck sounds: quack

**“Six Little Ducks”**

	1.	Six little ducks that I once knew, Fat ones, skinny ones, fair ones too,
		Refrain:
		But the one little duck with the feather in his back, He ruled the others with a quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack. He ruled the others with a quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack.
	2.	Down to the river they would go, Wibble, wobble, wibble, wobble to and fro,
		Refrain:
		But the one little duck with the feather in his back, He ruled the others with a quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack. He ruled the others with a quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack.

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Sing Ivy

Introducing the dotted quarter, the descending dominate
octave skip (So\So), and farming vocabulary from England.

Description

Grade: Second
Origin: England – Traditional
Key: F Major
Time: 6/8
Form: ABAC
Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ti ti ti ti ti |
| ti ti ti ta ti | ta ti ti ti | ta/ ta ti |
Pitches: intermediate: So Ti Do Re Mi Fa So
Intervals: intermediate: So/Do, Do/Mi, Do/So, So\Mi, So\So descending dominate octave skip
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; pickup beat, octave skip
Key Words: world geography, earth science, England farming, holly, whistle, ivy, ploughed, morning, rams horn, sowed, peppercorn, bramble brush, reaped, penknife, barn, threshed, goose quill, mill, miller; contraction: he’d (he would)

**“Sing Ivy”**

	1.	My father he left me three acres of land, Sing ivy, sing ivy! My father he left me three acres of land, Sing holly, go whistle and ivy.
	2.	I ploughed it one morning with a rams horn, Sing ivy, sing ivy! And sowed it all over with one peppercorn, Sing holly, go whistle and ivy.
	3.	I harrowed it next with a bramble bush, Sing ivy, sing ivy! And reaped it all with my little penknife, Sing holly, go whistle and ivy.
	4.	The mice for me, carried it into the barn, Sing ivy, sing ivy! And there I threshed it with a goose quill, Sing holly, go whistle and ivy.
	5.	The cat she carried it unto the mill, Sing ivy, sing ivy! And the miller he said that he’d work with a will, Sing holly, go whistle and ivy.

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2nd Grade