Introducing the subdominant (4th, Fa), with a half note
and an ascending tonic arpeggio.

 

Description

• Grade: Kindergarten
• Origin: USA – Traditional
• Key: C Major
• Time: 2/4
• Form: AaB
• Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ti ti | ti ti ti ti |
  | ta/a_|_a ti ti | (_=tie)
• Pitches: intermediate: Do Mi Fa So – introduces the 4th, Fa
• Intervals: intermediate: Do/Mi/So ascending tonic arpeggio, Mi\Do
• Musical Elements: notes: half, quarter, eighth; pickup beat, tied note, introduces half note, introducing the subdominate (4th, Fa), tonic arpeggio
• Key Words: parts of a locomotive engine; throttle, boiler, wheels, rail, whistle, trains, train tracks, miles, wreck, neck, hair, head, thousand (1000)
• Keyboard: beginners: four finger exercise for the right, left, and two hands together

“Reuben’s Coming”

1.Reuben’s coming down the track,
And he’s got his throttle back,
And the tracks are a’ taking him from home.

If the boiler don’t bust
‘Cause it’s eat up with rust,
I’ll soon be a long ways from home.

If you don’t believe I’m gone,
Look at the train I’m on;
You can hear the whistle blow a thousand miles.

I’m a-going down the track;
I ain’t never coming back,
And I’ll never get no letter from my home.

5.Well, the train run so fast
Till I knowed it couldn’t last,
For the wheels was a-burning up the rail.

6.Old Reuben had a wreck
And it broke old Reuben’s neck,
And it never hurt a hair on my head.

7.Now I’m walking up the track,
Hoping I’ll get back;
I’m a thousand miles away from home.