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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
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.
1
Musitrax Sing!
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
2
Musitrax Sing!
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 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.
3
Musitrax Sing!
4
Musitrax Sing!
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:
5
Musitrax Sing!
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
6
Musitrax Sing!
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.
7
Musitrax Sing!
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.
8
Musitrax Sing!
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.
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.
• 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.
• 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.
10
Musitrax Sing!
First Steps: 5-10 weeks.
Words you will need:
Use this sequence with each of the songs you have chosen.
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Musitrax Sing!
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.
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.
12
Musitrax Sing!
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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Musitrax Sing!
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.
14
Musitrax Sing!
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.
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.
15
Musitrax Sing!
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.
16
Musitrax Sing!
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.
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
17
Musitrax Sing!
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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Musitrax Sing!
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
19
Musitrax Sing!
Cobbler, Cobbler
Handsigns Flashcard
so
mi
Stick notation
Two-line notation
20
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
21
Musitrax Sing!
Here I Come
Handsigns
so
mi
Stick notation
22
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
23
Musitrax Sing!
Magic Fingers
Gill Smith
Handsigns
so
mi
Stick notation
24
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
25
Musitrax Sing!
Mary Anne
Handsigns Flashcards
so
mi
Stick notation
Stave notation
26
Musitrax Sing!
27
Musitrax Sing!
Old Mister Woodpecker
Handsigns Flashcards
so
mi
Stick notation
28
Musitrax Sing!
Two line notation
Stave notation
29
Musitrax Sing!
One, Two, Buckle my Shoe
Handsigns
so
mi
Stick notation
30
Musitrax Sing!
Two line notation
Stave notation
31
Musitrax Sing!
Serra, Serra, Serrador
(Saw, saw, Lumberjack)
Handsigns
so
mi
Stick notation
32
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
• 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
• Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter
33
Musitrax Sing!
Bobby Shafto
Handsigns Flashcards
la
so
mi
Stick notation
34
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
• 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
• Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.
35
Musitrax Sing!
Harry Hare
Handsigns Flashcards
la
so
mi
Stick notation
36
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
• 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)
• Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.
37
Musitrax Sing!
Oliver Twist
Handsigns
la
so
mi
Stick notation
38
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
39
Musitrax Sing!
Round and Round
Handsigns Flashcards
la
so
mi
Stick notation
40
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
• 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
• Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.
41
Musitrax Sing!
Sally Walters
Handsigns Flashcards
la
so
mi
Stick notation
42
Musitrax Sing!
Two line notation
Stave notation
43
Musitrax Sing!
Sailing
Handsigns
la
so
mi
Stick notation
44
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
45
Musitrax Sing!
The Sad Tale of Horace Hampton
Jonathan Vinten
Handsigns
la
so
mi
Stick notation
46
Musitrax Sing!
Two line notation
Stave notation
47
Musitrax Sing!
Bells in the Steeple
Handsigns
so
mi
do
Stick notation
48
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
• 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”
• Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.
49
Musitrax Sing!
Hey Beetle!
Handsigns Flashcards
so
mi
do
Stick notation
50
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
• 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.
• Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.
51
Musitrax Sing!
Hob Shoe Hob
David Vinden
Handsigns Flashcards
so
mi
do
Stick notation
52
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
53
Musitrax Sing!
Handsigns
so
mi
do
Stick notation
54
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
55
Musitrax Sing!
Show Me the Way
Jonathan Vinten
Handsigns
so
mi
do
Stick notation
56
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
57
Musitrax Sing!
Strawberries and Cherries
Jonathan Vinten
Handsigns
so
mi
do
Stick notation
58
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
59
Musitrax Sing!
Davy, Davy Dumpling
David Vinden
Handsigns Flashcards
mi
re
do
Stick notation
60
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
61
Musitrax Sing!
Hot Cross Buns
Handsigns Flashcards
mi
re
do
Stick notation
62
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
• 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
• Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.
63
Musitrax Sing!
Lovely Day
Jonathan Vinten
Handsigns
mi
re
do
Stick notation
64
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
• 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
• Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.
65
Musitrax Sing!
My Dolly Molly
Handsigns Flashcards
mi
re
do
Stick notation
66
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
67
Musitrax Sing!
Peter Taps
Handsigns
mi
re
do
Stick notation
68
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
69
School Gates
Jonathan Vinten
Handsigns
mi
re
do
Stick notation
Stave notation
• 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
• Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.
Musitrax Sing!
Squirrel
Jorma Ollaranta
Handsigns Flashcards
mi
re
do
Stick notation
72
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
• 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
• Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.
73
Musitrax Sing!
Dinah
Handsigns
so
mi
re
do
Stick notation
74
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
• 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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Musitrax Sing!
Listen, Listen
Handsigns Flashcard
so
mi
re
do
Stick notation
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Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
• 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
• Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter
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Musitrax Sing!
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Handsigns
so
mi
re
do
Stick notation
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Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
• 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
• Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.
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Musitrax Sing!
Pitter Patter Well a-Day
David Vinden
Handsigns
so
mi
re
do
Stick notation
80
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
81
Musitrax Sing!
Rover
Handsigns
so
mi
re
do
Stick notation
82
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
83
Musitrax Sing!
Susie Snail
Pál Járdányl
Handsigns Flashcards
so
mi
re
do
Stick notation
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Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
• 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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Musitrax Sing!
Lonely Frog
Zoltán Kodály
Handsigns Flashcards
la
so
mi
re
do
Stick notation
86
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
• 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
• Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.
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Musitrax Sing!
Pumpkin
Handsigns
la
so
mi
re
do
Stick notation
88
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
89
Musitrax Sing!
Sally go Round the Sun
Handsigns
la
so
mi
re
do
Stick notation
90
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
• 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!
• Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter.
91
Musitrax Sing!
Skip One Window
Handsigns
la
so
mi
re
do
Stick notation
92
Musitrax Sing!
Stave notation
93
Musitrax Sing!
Apples and Peaches
Flash card
Stick notation
94
Musitrax Sing!
Burney Bee
Flashcards
Stick notation
• 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
• Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter
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Musitrax Sing!
Charlie Chaplin
Flash card
Stick notation
96
Musitrax Sing!
Chip, Chop, Chippity Chop
Stick notation
97
Musitrax Sing!
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
• Follow the sequence described in the “Step by Step” chapter
98
Musitrax Sing!
Ickle, Ockle
Flashcards
Stick notation
99
Musitrax Sing!
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.
100
Musitrax Sing!
Moses Supposes
Stick notation
101
Musitrax Sing!
One Potato
Stick notation
102
Musitrax Sing!
One, Two, Three, Four
Flashcards
Stick notation
103
Musitrax Sing!
Queen Caroline
Flashcards
Stick notation
104
Musitrax Sing!
Rain on the Green Grass
Flashcards
Stick notation
105
Musitrax Sing!
Red, White and Blue
Flashcards
Stick notation
106
Musitrax Sing!
See a Pin
Flash card
Stick notation
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Musitrax Sing!
Rhythm
rhythm syllables and note shapes
conscious unconscious
ta ta-te ‘sh’ ta-a tikatika
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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Musitrax Sing!
Pitches
Solfa names and handsigns
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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Musitrax Sing!
110
Solfa
Musitrax Sing!
Reference Table of Songs
(M= major; m = minor)
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Page Time
Title Origin Flashcards
signature
Trad British 94 2/4
Apples And
Peaches
Trad British 95 2/4
Burney Bee
Trad British 96 2/4
Charlie Chaplin
Trad British 97 6/8 No flashcards
Chip, Chop,
Chippity Chop
Trad British 98 6/8 No flashcards
Hickety Tickety
Bumble Bee
Trad British 99 2/4
Ickle, Ockle
Trad British 100 6/8 No flashcards
Jack be Nimble
Trad British 101 6/8 No flashcards
Moses Supposes
Trad British 102 6/8 No flashcards
One Potato
Trad British 103 2/4
One, Two, Three,
Four
Trad British 104 4/4
Queen Caroline
Trad British 105 2/4
Rain on the Green
Grass
Trad British 106 2/4
Red, White and
Blue
Trad British 107 4/4
See a Pin
113
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114
Musitrax Sing!
Glossary
Beat see ‘pulse’
Inner Hearing mental image, a sound that is kept in our mind after a
musical experience
Repeat Sing again from the beginning or from the repeat mark.
Round when a second group sings the same song, but starts
later
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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