Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Four part round with advanced syncopated rhythms in 6/8 time.

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Description

Grade: Kindergarten
Origin: England – Nursery Rhyme
Key: C Major
Time: 6/8
Form: ABCD
Rhythm: advanced: | ta/ ta/ | ta ti ta/ |
syncopation, | ta ti ta ti | syncopation, |
| ta/_ti (ti ti) | ta/_ta/ | ti ti ti ti ti ti | (_=tie)
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa So Do
Intervals: intermediate: Do\So, So\Mi, Mi\Do, Do/So (repeated pitches of a descending tonic arpeggio)
Musical Elements: notes: quarter, dotted quarter, eighth; rest: eighth; tied notes, four part round, singing alone and with others, singing in parts, 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; row, boat, gently, stream, merrily, dream, camp song, scout song

Partner song: “Freres Jacues!”

**“Row, Row, Row Your Boat”**
Row, row, row your boat, Gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream.

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Rover

Adding the submediant (sixth, La)
to the beginning Orff interval (So\Mi).

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Description

Grade: Kindergarten
Origin: England – Old Rhyme
Key: D Major
Time: 4/4
Form: AaAa
Rhythm: beginners: | ta ti ti ta ta | ta ta ta ta |
| ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti |
Pitches: beginners: Mi So La
Intervals: beginners: So\Mi, Mi/So – beginning Orff interval
Musical Elements: notes: quarter, eighth; beginning Orff interval, variations of the first line
Key Words: world geography: England; dog, ran, name, all over, right over, rolled, abbreviation: ev’ry (every)Keyboard: beginners: three finger exercise for the right, left and two hands together

**“Rover”**
I had a dog, his name was Rover. When he ran he ran all over. I had a dog, his name was Rover. Ev’ry time I looked at him he rolled right over.

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Rocky Mountain

Introducing the 6th (La) to the tonic arpeggio.

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Description

Grade: Second
Origin: USA – Appalachian Folk Song
Key: F Major
Time: 2/4
Form: rhythm: AABB – pitches: ABCc – song: AB (verse/refrain)
Rhythm: beginners: | ti ti ti ti | ta (ta) | ta ta |
Pitches: beginners: Do Re Mi So La – pentatonic scale
Intervals: intermediate: Do/Mi, Do/Mi/So ascending tonic arpeggio, So\Mi\Do descending tonic arpeggio, La\Mi
Musical Elements: notes: quarter, eighth; rest: quarter; verse/refrain, tonic arpeggio
Key Words: USA geography, earth science, Appalachians, rocky, mountain, stormy, ocean, hide, sunny, valley, low, soft and low, remember; contraction: you’re (you are)
Keyboard: intermediate: upper grades – practicing the tonic arpeggio; left, right and two hands together

**“Rocky Mountain”**

	1.	Rocky mountain, rocky mountain, rocky mountain high, When you’re on that rocky mountain, hang your head and cry.
		Refrain Do, do, do, do, Do remember me. Do, do, do, do, Do remember me.
	2.	Stormy ocean, stormy ocean, stormy ocean wide, When you’re on that stormy ocean, there’s no place to hide.
		Refrain
	3.	Sunny valley, sunny valley, sunny valley low, When you’re in that sunny valley sing it soft and low.
		Refrain

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Rock-a My Soul

Advanced syncopation, two natural accidentals, tonic and
supertonic arpeggios, chromatic minor seconds, and a blue note.

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Description

Grade: Fifth
Origin: USA – African American Spiritual
Key: D Major
Time: 4/4
Form: ABA – chorus/verse/chorus
Rhythm: advanced: | ti ti ti ta ta ti | syncopation,
| ti ti ti ta ti ta | syncopation, | ta/a ti ti ta |
| ta/a/a ta | ta ta ta ti ti | ti ti ta ta/a |
| ta ta ti ti ti ti | ta ta ta/a | ta ta ta ta |
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Me Mi Fa So La Te Do – lowered/natural mediant (3, Me), lowered/natural leading tone (7, Te), blue note
Intervals: intermediate: Mi\Do (M3), Do/Mi/So ascending tonic arpeggio (I, D), Fa\Re (m3), Re/Fa/Laascending supertonic arpeggio (ii, Em), Do/So (P5), So/Te\So (m3), So/Do8 (P4), Do8\La (m3), So\Mi/So (m3), So\Re/So (P4), Re/Me/Mi (chromatic m2’s)
Musical Elements: notes: dotted half, half, quarter, eighth; pickup beat, tied notes, vocal slurs, D.C. al Fine, Fine; chorus/verse/chorus, accidentals: natural sign, two double bar lines, ascending chromatic steps, supertonic and tonic arpeggios, blue note: lowered leading tone
Key Words: USA history, African American history, sacred, Bible story, judgement day, valley, bosom, pray, soul, peace, sun shines, cloudiest; abbreviations: ev’rything (everything), pray’r (prayer)
Recorder: advanced: introducing F#, syncopation, natural sign, tonic and supertonic arpeggios (I-D, ii-Em), blue note: lowered leading tone

Partner song: “This Train”

**“Rock-a My Soul”**

	Refrain
	Oh, Rock-a my soul in the bosom of Abraham, Rock-a my soul in the bosom of Abraham, Rock-a my soul in the bosom of Abraham, Oh, Rock-a my soul.
1.	When I went down to the valley to pray, Oh, rock-a my soul My soul got happy and I stayed all day, Oh, rock-a my soul	.
	Refrain
2.	When I came home from the valley at night, Oh, rock-a my soul, I knew that ev’rything would be all right, Oh, rock-a my soul.
	Refrain
3.	I felt so sad on the morning before, Oh, rock-a my soul, I found the peace that I was looking for, Oh, rock-a my soul.
	Refrain
4.	The sun shines bright on the cloudiest day, Oh, rock-a my soul, A pray’r is all you need to light your way, Oh, rock-a my soul.
	Refrain

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The Robin

Introducing the raised or sharped 4th (Fi) and
singing bird calls with syncopation.

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Description

Grade: Third
Origin: Unknown – Old Song
Key: C Major
Time: 6/8
Form: staves: ABCCDEDF – song: AB
Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ti ti ti ti ti |
| ti ti ti ti (ti) ti | ti ti ti ti (ti) ti ri | ta/ ti (ti) ti ri | syncopation, | ta ti ti (ti) ti ri |
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa Fi So La Ti Do – sharped 4th (Fi)
Intervals: advanced: Do/Mi/So ascending tonic arpeggio, So\Mi, Mi/Fi, Ti\Re, Ti\So, So/Do\So, So\Re, Mi/La, Fa/La
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth, sixteenth; rest: eighth; pickup beat, arpeggio, raised 4th (Fi), fermata
Key Words: song birds, bird sounds, singing bird calls, animal science, robin, Spring, flew, orchard, sing, song, heart, light, right, tonight, mate, nest, nobody

**“The Robin”**
A sweet little robin one morning in Spring, Flew into the orchard and stopped there to sing; His heart was so light and his song was so right, I asked him what song he was singing tonight. “Tirileelee, Tirileelee; Nobody knows but my mate and me:” Tirileelee, Tirileelee; Up in the nest with our little birds three.”

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Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow

Advanced syncopation, tonic arpeggio,
and a blue note: flat leading tone (Te)

.

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Description

Grade: Fifth
Origin: USA – African American Spiritual
Key: C Major
Time: 4/4
Form: AB – verse/refrain
Rhythm: advanced: | ta ti ti ta ta | ta ta ta/a |
| ti ta ta ti ta | syncopation, | ta ta/a ti ti |
| ta ti ti ta ti ti | ta ta ti-ti-ta/ | syncopation
| ta ta/a (ta) | ta/ ti ta/a | syncopation,
| ta ti/ ri ta ta | syncopation
Pitches: intermediate: La Do Re Mi So La Te Ti Do – lowered/flat leading tone (Te) – blue note
Intervals: intermediate: Do8\La/Do8 (m3), So/Te(m3), So/Do8 (P5), So/Ti (M3), Ti\Mi (P5), Do/Mi (M3), Do/Mi/So ascending tonic arpeggio (I, C), Do\La/Do (m3)
Musical Elements: notes: half, dotted quarter, quarter, dotted eighth, eighth, sixteenth; rest: quarter; triplet eighths, syncopation, blue note: lowered/flat leading tone, two double barlines, vocal slurs, tied notes, verse/refrain
Key Words: world geography: Bethlehem; USA history, African American history, spiritual, sacred, holiday: Christmas; Eastern Star, Bible story, birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ birth, shepherd, morn (morning), heed, angel, flocks, herds; contractions: you’ll (you will), there’s (there is); possessive: angel’s

**“Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow”**

		1.	There’s a star in the East on Christmas morn, Rise up, shepherd and follow. It will lead to the place where the babe is born. Rise up, shepherd and follow.
			Refrain:
			Follow, follow, Rise up, shepherd and follow. Follow the star of Bethlehem, Rise up, shepherd and follow.
		2.	If you take good heed to the angel’s words, Rise up, shepherd and follow. You’ll forget you flocks, you’ll forget your herds. Rise up, shepherd and follow.
			Refrain

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Ring Around the Rosy

Syncopation in 6/8 meter while adding the submediant
(six, La) to the beginning Orff interval, So\Mi.

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Description

Grade: Kindergarten
Origin: England – Nursery Rhyme, Children’s Playground Song*
Key: C Major
Time: 6/8
Form: AaBC
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ti ta ti | syncopation,
| ta/ ta ti | syncopation, | ta/ ta/ |
Pitches: beginners: Do Mi So La
Intervals: beginners: So\Mi, Mi/La, Mi\Do
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rests: eighth, dotted quarter; 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 georaphy: England; playground game song, posies, ashes, fall, down, pocketful, mother, jump, up, upstairs, downstairs, pail water, sea, water, cows, meadow, buttercups, fishes, one, two, three

* While holding hands, children walk in a circle singing the song, until the last word (down) when they all fall to the floor. The last child to fall is out of the game and the game continues.

**“Ring Around the Rosy”**
Ring around the rosy, A pocket full of posies. Ashes, ashes, All fall down!

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Ride a Cock-Horse To Bandbury Cross

Introducing dotted quarter, subdominant,
and dominant arpeggios, with an extended range.

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Description

Grade: Kindergarten
Origin: England, 18th Century Nursery Rhyme
Key: C Major
Time: 6/8
Form: ABCD
Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ti ti ta ti | ti ti ti ta/ |
| ti ti ti ti ti ti | ti ti ti ta (ti) |
Pitches: advanced: Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do Re Mi – extended range
Intervals: advanced: Do/Mi/So ascending tonic arpeggio, Fa/La/Do ascending subdominant arpeggio, So/Ti/Re ascending dominant arpeggio, Mi\Do
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rest: eighth; counting eighth notes, divisions of a dotted quarter (3 eights)
Key Words: world geography: England, Bandbury Cross; fine, lady, upon, white, horse, rings, fingers, bells, toes, shall,music, wherever, goes

The nursery rhyme was first seen in print in 1784. A “Cock Horse” is an old carriage-driving term, referring to an extra harnessed horse employed to assist pulling a cart or carriage up a hill. The “Cock Horse” would be hitched up at the bottom of the hill and then unhitched at the top. It would then be ridden back down to the bottom of the hill to await its next customer. Banbury, England is situated at the bottom of a moderately steep hill and the town’s council made a “cock horse” available to assist access to the town.

**“Ride a Cock-Horse To Bandbury Cross”**
Ride a cock-horse to Bandbury Cross, To see a fine lady upon a white horse; Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, And she shall have music wherever she goes.

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The Riddle Song

Instructional formats to foster pattern recognition, expanded pentatonic scale, and intervals most often found in minor tonalities.

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Description

Grade: Fifth
Origin: USA – Folk Song
Key: G Major
Time: 4/4
Form: ABBC
Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ti ti ti ti ta ti | syncopation,
| ta ta ta/ ti | syncopation, | ta ti ti ta/ ti | syncopation
Pitches: intermediate: So La Do Re Mi So La – expanded pentatonic scale
Intervals: beginners: La/Do (m3), Do\La (m3), So/Do (P4), Mi/So (m3), So\Mi (m3)
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; pickup beat, repeated melodic rhythm patterns, imperfect ending (So), syncopation, pentatonic scale; note: intervals are most common in minor tonalities, giving the tune a minor quality; instructional formats*
Key Words: USA history, riddle, earth science: cherry stone, ring with no end, baby crying, animal science: piping chicken, chicken bone, blooming, rolling, sleeping; abbreviation: cryin’ (crying)
Recorder: intermediate: syncopation, expanded pentatonic scale, melodic rhythm patterns
Keyboard: intermediate: challenges students to change hand position from G Major to D minor

* Each format includes questions to discover musical patterns.

**“The Riddle Song”**

	1.	I gave my love a cherry that has no stone; I gave my love a chicken that has no bone; I gave my love a ring that has no end; I gave my love a baby, there’s no cryin’.

	2.	How can there be a cherry that has no stone? How can there me a chicken that has no bone? How can there be a ring that has no end? How can there be a baby, there’s no cryin’?

	3.	A cherry when it’s blooming it has no stone; A chicken when it’s piping, it has no bone; A ring when it’s rolling, it has no end; A baby when it’s sleeping, there’s no cryin’.

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Riddle-Cum-Riddle

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
At the Farm

Introducing the dotted quarter and dotted eighth notes.

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Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: F Major
Time: 6/8
Form: AABCD
Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ti ti ti ti ti | ti ti ti ta/ |
| ti/ ri ti ti ti ti | ti/ ri ti ta ti |
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti
Intervals: intermediate: Do/Mi, Re/Fa, Fa\Re, Mi/So, So\Mi, Mi\Do, Do/Mi, Do/La, So\Mi\Do ascending tonic triad
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, dotted eighth, eighth, sixteenth; tempo: con moto/with motion; poco ritardando, dynamics: mezzo forte/medium soft, forte/loud, decrescendo, horizontal accent (sing/play the note a little louder)
Key Words: riddle songs, nonsense songs, farm life, milking cows, turning milk to cream, turning cream to butter, animal science, quarts, cream, twenty, plenty, pleasure, exchange, fresh, golden, damsel, strange

**“Riddle-Cum-Riddle”**
Riddle-cum-riddle, and what do you think? Ten quarts of cream and ten more at one drink. Ten quarts or twenty, and when she has plenty She dances with pleasure and gives in exchange Some fresh golden butter, this damsel so strange.

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