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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Trot, Old Joe”

Introducing sixteenth notes and the fermata.

Description

Grade: Third
Origin: USA, Texas – Folk Song
Key: G Major
Time: 2/4
Form: ABAb
Rhythm: beginners: | ti ti ta | ti ti ti ri ti ri |
Pitches: beginners: So La Do Mi
Intervals: beginners: Mi\Do, Do\So, La/Do, So/Mi
Musical Elements: notes: quarter, eighth, sixteenth, fermata
Key Words: trot, horse’s paces, riding a horse, country, whoa, colloquial contraction: beter’n (better than), contraction: you’re (you are)

**“Trot, Old Joe”**
Trot, Old Joe, trot Old Joe, You ride beter’n any horse I know, Trot, Old Joe, trot, Old Joe, You’re the best horse in the country, Oh, Whoa, Joe.

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Treasures

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
By the Sea

Introducing dotted quarter notes and singing the scale while stepping up and down the staff.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: D Major
Time: 2/4
Form: AB
Rhythm: beginners: | ti ti ti ti | ta ti ti | ta/ ti |
Pitches: intermediate: Ti Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do
Intervals: intermediate: Fa/La, Fa\Re, Re\Ti
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, eighth; pickup beat, repeat signs, multiple endings, singing/playing the ascending scale, tempo: moderato con moto/moderately with motion (86-97 BPM), dynamics: crescendo, decrescendo
Key Words: earth science, ocean waves, sea, seashore, gather, treasures, beach, tide, floating, reach, dashed, threw, sands, pretty, eager, hands, abbreviations: cover’d (covered), tow’rd (toward)

**“Treasures”**

		1.	A child who went to gather Some treasures on the beach. Found all were cover’d by the tide Or floating out of reach.

		2.	But soon a wave dashed tow’rd him, And threw up on the sands More pretty things than he could hold In both his eager hands.

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The Train

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
Fair Days and Stormy

Introducing the ascending and descending tonic octave skip.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: D Major
Time: 6/8
Form: AaBB
Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ti ti ti ti ti | ti ti ti ta ti |
| ti ti ti ta/ | ta/ ti ti ti | ta/_a (ti) | ta/_a ti |
Pitches: intermediate: Ti Do Re Mi Fa So La Do
Intervals: advanced: La/Do\La, So\Mi/So, Fa\Re, Re\Ti, Do/Do (ascending dominate octave leap), Do\Do (descending dominate octave leap)
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rest: eighth, repeat signs, tied notes, multiple endings, tempo: allegro moderato/moderately fast (98-120 BPM)
Key Words: playing a train, railroad, train sounds: whoo-woo, choo-choo, clickety clack; wheels, track, all aboard, rattle, spin, train station, spin, haste, zum

**“The Train”**

		1.	With “Whoo, woo, woo!” and “Ding a ding, dong!” And “All aboard!” shouted, the train starts along. Ding! Ding-a-ding dong! Ding! Ding-a-ding dong!

		2.	Then “Choo, choo, choo! Choo, Choo!” and Clickety clack!” As faster and faster, it speeds on the track. Click! Clickety clack! Click! Clickety clack!

		3.	Now steadily, swiftly, around the wheels spin, While on the train rushes with rattle and din. Zum! How the wheels spin! Zum! How the wheels spin!

		4.	Then slowly “Choo, choo, choo!” and “Whoo, whoo!” again, For here is the station and here stops the train. Haste! Haste from the train! Haste! Haste from the train!

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Train is A-Comin’

Introducing 2/2 time and an uncommon interval La\Mi.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: USA – Spiritual
Key: D Major
Time: 2/2
Form: ABCA
Rhythm: beginners: | ta ti ti ta ti ti | ta ta/a (ta) |
| ta ti ti ta ta |
Pitches: intermediate: So La Do Re Mi So La – pentatonic scale
Intervals: intermediate: Do/Mi\Do, Do\So, La/Do, Do/So, So/Do, Do8\La, La\Mi, Mi/So, Do\La
Musical Elements: notes: half, quarter, eighth; rest: quarter; pentatonic scale
Key Words: African American History, underground railroad, Martin Luther King birthday/holiday, American history, abbreviation: comin’ (coming)

**“Train is A-Comin'”**

		1.	Train is a-comin’, oh yes, Train is a-comin’, oh yes, Train is a-comin’, Train is a-comin’, Train is a-comin’, oh yes.

		2.	Better get you ticket, Oh yes, Better get you ticket, Oh yes, Better get you ticket, Better get you ticket, Better get you ticket, Oh yes.

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Trail to Mexico

Advanced syncopation, tonic arpeggio, and an extended range
using the pentatonic scale.

Description

Grade: Fourth
Origin: USA – Cowboy Song
Key: G Major
Time: 4/4
Form: ABCD
Rhythm: advanced: | ta/a/ ti ri ti ti | syncopation,
| ta/a/ ti ti ti | syncopation, | ta/a/ ti ti ri ti | syncopation, | ta/a/ ti ti ti ri | syncopation,
| ta/a/ ti ti ri ti ri ti | syncopation
Pitches: intermediate: So La Do Re Mi So La – pentatonic scale
Intervals: intermediate: So/Do (P4), Do\La/Do (m3), Do/Mi (M3), Do/So8 (P5), So\Mi\Do descending tonic (I) arpeggio (G)
Musical Elements: notes: half, quarter, eighth; pickup beats, tied notes, tonic arpeggio, syncopation, vocal slur
Key Words: Cowboy song, world geography: USA, Mexico; driving cattle to Mexico, travel, west, many a mile, year of 1883, native home, A.J. Stinson, hired hand, herd

**“Trail to Mexico”**

		1.	I made up my mind in the early morn To leave the home where I was born, To leave my native home for a while, And travel west to many a mile.
		2.	‘Twas in the year of eighty-three That A.J. Stinson hired me. He said, “Young man, I want you to go, And follow my herd to Mexico.”

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Touch Your Shoulders

EXCELLENT beginning song which adds movement to the beginning Orff interval (So\Mi/So) and easily transfers fine motor skills to the keyboard or Orff center/station.

Description

Grade: Kindergarten
Origin: USA – Children’s Singing Game
Key: E Major
Time: 2/4
Form: AAAA
Rhythm: beginners: | ti ti ti ti | ti ti ta |
Pitches: beginners: Mi So
Intervals: beginners: So\Mi, Mi/So, beginning Orff interval
Musical Elements: notes: quarter, eighth
Key Words: parts of the body, hands, shoulders, knees, nose, hair, toes, exercise with music
Keyboard: beginners: two finger exercise for right, left, and two hands together

**“Touch Your Shoulders”**
Hands on shoulders, hands on knees. Hands behind you if you please; Touch your shoulders, now your nose, Now your hair and now your toes.

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To the Sky and Back

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
At Home

Contrasting dotted rhythms followed by straight eighths.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: A Flat Major
Time: 2/4
Form: ABCD
Rhythm: advanced: | ta/ ti ti ti | syncopation,
| ti ti ti ti | ta/ ti | syncopation, | ta/ (ti) ti | syncopation
Pitches: intermediate: So La Ti Do Re Mi Fa So
Intervals: intermediate: So/Do, Do\So, So/Re, Mi/So
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rest: eighth; repeat signs, multiple endings, tempo: allegro moderato/moderately fast (98-120 BPM)
Key Words: weather, earth science, sunbeams, danced, coaxed, rise, air, sky, skies, far, above, end, hurried, children, cried, rain; abbreviation: thro’ (through), wand’ring (wandering)

**“To the Sky and Back”**

		1.	The sunbeams on the water danced And coaxed some drops to rise With then up thro’ the air, to make A visit to the skies.

		2.	Then far and far above the earth In clouds of white and gray, Across the sky the water drops Went wand’ring in their play.

		3.	The wondrous visit at an end, They hurried down again; And as they came the children all Cried out, “Oh! see the rain!”

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Tom, Tom the Piper’s Son

After a successful completion of one year,
this old rhyme will assess your student’s
musical knowledge and skills.

Description

Grade: Kindergarten
Origin: England/USA – Nursery Rhyme
Key: G Major
Time: 2/4
Form: ABCD
Rhythm: advanced: | ta ti/ ri | syncopation,
| ti ti ti ti ri | syncopation, | ti ti ti (ti) |
| ti ti ti (ri) ri | syncopation, | ti ti ti ti |
| ti ri ti ti ri ti ri | syncopation
Pitches: advanced: So La Ti Do Re Mi So La
Intervals: advanced: Re\So, So/Do, Do/Mi, So/Soascending dominant ocave skip, So\So descending dominant octave skip, La/Do*
Musical Elements: notes: quarter, eighth, dotted eighth, sixteenth; rests: eighth, sixteenth; ascending and descending dominant octave skip
Key Words: world geography: England; 18-century English nursery rhyme, son, pig, eat, beat, crying, street, play, tune

*Practice the ending with the interval So/Do as a reinforcement of the sad feelings associated to the interval La/So, which is more in keeping with the story in the verse.