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1st Grade

There’s a Hole in the Middle of the Sea

"There's a Hole in the Middle of the Sea" Lyrics, Text Format

Advanced rhythms and intervals with an octave skip.

 

Description

  • Grade: First
  • Origin: Anonymous – Unknown
  • Key: G Major
  • Time: 2/4
  • Form: AaBC
  • Rhythm: advanced: | ti ti ri ti ri ti ri | ta (ti) ti ri |
    | ta/ ti ri |
  • Pitches: intermediate: So Ti Do Re Mi Fa So
  • Intervals: advanced: So/Do, Re\So, So/Re, Mi\Do, Do/Mi/So (ascending tonic arpeggio), So\Mi\Do\So (descending tonic arpeggio), So/So ascending dominate octave skip, Fa\Re
  • Musical Elements: notes: quarter, eighth, sixteenth; rest: eighth; tonic arpeggio (ascending/descending), dominate octave skip, pickup beat
  • Key Words: nonsense song, camp song, middle, sea, flea, wing, fly, frog, bump, log, hole

“There’s a Hole in the Middle of the Sea” 
1.
 There’s a hole
in the middle of the sea,
There’s a hole
in the middle of the sea,
There’s a hole,
There’s a hole,
There’s a hole in the middle of the sea.
2.
 There’s a log
in the hole
in the middle of the sea,
There’s a log
in the hole
in the middle of the sea,
There’s a log,
There’s a log,
There’s a log
in the hole
In the middle of the sea.
3. There’s a bump
on the log
in the hole
in the middle of the sea,
There’s a bump
on the log
in the hole
in the middle of the sea,
There’s a bump,
There’s a bump,
There’s a bump
on the log
in the hole
in the middle of the sea
4. There’s a frog
on the bump
on the log
in the hole
in the middle of the sea.
There’s a frog
on the log
in the hole
in the middle of the sea.
There’s a frog,
There’s a frog,
There’s a frog
on the bump
on the log
in the hole
in the middle of the sea.
5. There’s a fly
on the frog
on the bump
on the log
in the hole
in the middle of the sea.
There’s a fly
on the frog
on the bump
on the log
in the hole
in the middle of the sea.
There’s a fly,
There’s a fly,
There’s a fly
on the frog
on the bump
on the log
in the hole
in the middle of the sea.
6. There’s a wing
on the fly
on the frog
on the bump
on the log
in the hole
in the middle of the sea.
There’s a wing
on the fly
on the frog
on the bump
on the log
in the hole
in the middle of the sea.
There’s a wing,
There’s a wing,
There’s a wing
on the fly
on the frog
on the bump
on the log
in the hole
in the middle of the sea.
7. There’s a flea
on the wing
on the fly
on the frog
on the bump
on the log
in the hole
in the middle of the sea.
There’s a flea
on the wing
on the fly
on the frog
on the bump
on the log
in the hole
in the middle of the sea.
There’s a flea,
There’s a flea,
There’s a flea
on the wing
on the fly
on the frog
on the bump
on the log
in the hole
in the middle of the sea.
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There Came to My Window

"There Came to My Window" Lyrics, Text Format

Introducing the dotted eight and sixteenth divisions. Descending major scale, stepping down the staff.

 

Description

  • Grade: First
  • Origin: England – English Song
  • Key: F Major
  • Time: 6/8
  • Form: ABCD
  • Rhythm: intermediate: | ti/ ri ti ti ti ti |
    | ti ti ti ta ti | ti ti ti ti ti ti | ti ti ti ta ti ri |
  • Pitches: intermediate: Ti Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do – extending the vocal range
  • Intervals: intermediate: So/Do, Mi/So, Do\So
  • Musical Elements: notes: quarter, dotted eighth, sixteenth; pickup beat, stepping up and down the staff
  • Key Words: geography, England, Spring, seasons, robin, sing, sang, song, prettier, flute, guitar, raised, resting, wings, sweetly, moment, seemed, world, happy, window

 


“There Came to My Window” 
1.

There came to my window one morning in spring
A sweet little robin, who came there to sing;
The song that it sang, it was prettier far,
Than any I heard on a flute or guitar.
2.

She raised her light wings to fly far a way
Then resting a moment, seemed sweetly to say:
“Happy, how happy, this world seems to be
Up, up little girl, and be happy with me.”
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Thanks For Food #2

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

"Thanks for Food #2" Lyrics, Text Format

Introducing dotted half and dotted quarter, while expanding the vocal range.

 

Description

  • Grade: First
  • Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
  • Key: E Flat Major
  • Time: 4/4
  • Form: AABC
  • Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ti ti ta/ ti | ta ti ti ta/a |
    | ta ti ti ta ti ti | ta ta ti ti ta | ta ta ta ta |
    | ta/a/a (ta) |
  • Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do
  • Intervals: intermediate: Mi/So, So\Mi, Mi/Do, La\Re, So\Do, Do/Fa
  • Musical Elements: notes: dotted half, half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rest: quarter; tempo: moderato/moderately (86-97 BPM)
  • Key Words: sacred, God, Thee, Thanksgiving, prayer, blessing, giving thanks, food, bread, strength, joy, employ


“Thanks For Food #2” 

Thanks to Thee, O God we give
For the food by which we live.
May we eat our bread with joy,
And our strength for Thee employ.
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Thanks For Food

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

"Thanks for Food" Lyrics, Text Format

Introducing dynamic symbols for crescendo and decrescendo.

 

Description

  • Grade: First
  • Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
  • Key: F Major
  • Time: 4/4
  • Form: ABAb
  • Rhythm: beginners: | ta ta ta ta | ta ta ta ti ti |
  • Pitches: intermediate: So La Ti Do Re Mi Fa So
  • Intervals: intermediate: Mi/So, So\Re, Mi\Do, Re\La, So/Do
  • Musical Elements: notes: half, quarter, eighth; pickup beat, tempo: reverently/solemn respect; dynamics: crescendo (become gradually louder), decrescendo (become gradually softer)
  • Key Words: sacred, God, Giver, thankful, Thanksgiving, hungry, beasts, birds, without, thought, whence, food, gift, prayer, blessing


“Thanks For Food” 

The hungry beasts and birds may eat
Without a thought of thanks for food,
But we who know whence came the gift
Thanks God the Giver good.
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Telephone Song

"Telephone Song," Lyrics, Text Format

Advanced syncopation, a blue note, developing the independent voice, and an excellent five finger keyboard exercise.

 

Description

  • Grade: First
  • Origin: USA – Singing Game
  • Key: D Major – centered around the dominate (So) 
  • Time: 4/4
  • Form: AaBbCC
  • Rhythm: advanced: | ta ta/ ti ti/ ri | syncopation,
    | ti ta ta/ ta | syncopation, | ti ti ti ta/ ta |
    syncopation, | ta ta ta ta | ti ti ti ta/ ti/ ri |
    syncopation, | ta ta ti/ ri ta | syncopation,
    | ta ta ti/ ri ti ti | syncopation, | ta ti ta/ ti/ ri | syncopation
  • Pitches: intermediate: Mi So La Te – lowered/natural leading tone, blue note
  • Intervals: intermediate: So\Mi/So (m3), So/Te(m3), Te\So (m3)
  • Musical Elements: notes: quarter, dotted eighth, eighth, sixteenth; pickup beat, adding the submediant (La) and the lowered leading tone (Te) to the beginning Orff interval (So\Mi), imperfect ending (ending on the mediant instead of the tonic), note:there is no tonic, accidental: natural sign, singing alone and with others 
  • Key Words: USA history, singing game, camp song, telephone, home, yeah; contraction: isn’t (is not), I’m (I am), quotations
  • Keyboard: intermediate: five finger exercise for right, left, and two hands together


“Telephone Song” 
Solo
All
“Hey, Charlie! I think I hear my name!
Hey, Charlie! I think I hear it again!”
“You’re wanted on the telephone!”
“If it isn’t (any name) I’m not at home!”
With a rick-tick-tickety tick, Oh yeah!
With a rick-tick-tickety tick, Oh yeah!
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Teddy Bear

"Teddy Bear" Lyrics, Text Format

Introducing sixteenth notes with the beginning Orff interval.

 

Description

  • Grade: First
  • Origin: United States of America Play Song
  • Key: C Major
  • Time: 2/4
  • Form: ABAC
  • Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ri ti ti ri ti | ti ti ti ti |
    | ti ti ta |
  • Pitches: beginners: So La Do Re Mi – pentatonic scale
  • Intervals: beginners: So\Mi, Mi/So
  • Musical Elements: notes: quarter, eighth, sixteenth; beginning Orff interval, pentatonic scale
  • Key Words: moving to music, parts of the body: toes, nose, head, teeth; dance, brush, bed, ground, touch, turn, bow, personal health, character education, sky, high, upstairs, prayers, sacred

“Teddy Bear” 
1.
 Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around,
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, dance on your toes,
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch your nose.
2.
 Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, reach up high,
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the sky.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, tap your head,
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, go to bed.
3. Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, go upstairs.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say your prayers.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn out the light.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say good night.
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Swapping Song

"Swapping Song" Lyrics, Text Format

Master the descending Do\La and ascending La/Do with this vocabulary tour de force!

 

Description

  • Grade: First
  • Origin: Southern, USA – Appalachian Folk Song
  • Key: F Major
  • Time: 4/4
  • Form: AaBC
  • Rhythm: beginners: | ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti| ta ti ti ta ta |
    | ta ta ti ti ti ti | ti ti ta ti ti ti ti | ta ta ta/a |
  • Pitches: beginners: So La Do Re Mi – pentatonic scale
  • Intervals: beginners: Do\La, La/Do
  • Musical Elements: notes: half, quarter, eighth; pentatonic scale, vocal slur, verse, chorus
  • Key Words: USA geography, Appalachian, swap, none-sense song, none-sense words: wing, wong, waddle, saddle, faddle, jackstraw (straw discarded after harvest); animals: rats, mice, horse, mare, mule, goat, sheep, cow, calf, hen, mouse, mole; farm animals, farming, wife, narrow, wheelbarrow, tote, trade, half, haystack, a-fair, caught, dog gone, bread, cheese, it’s (possessive), straight; contractions: wouldn’t (would not)
  • Keyboard: advanced: challenging one hand exercise for upper grades, where Do is the third (3rd) finger in each hand

“Swapping Song” 
1.
 When I was just a little boy I lived by myself,
All the bread and cheese I had, I had it on the shelf,
Chorus
Wing wong waddle,
To my jackstraw saddle,
To my Johnny fair faddle,
To my long ways home.
2. The rats and the mice, they led me such a life,
I had to go to London to get myself a wife.Chorus
3.

The roads were long and the lanes were so narrow,
I had to bring her home in an old wheel-barrow.

Chorus
4. The wheel-barrow broke and my wife got a fall;
Down came wheel-barrow, wife and all.Chorus
5. Swapped my wheel-barrow and got me a horse;
Then I rode from course to course.Chorus
6. Swapped my horse and got me a mare;
Then I rode from fair to fair.Chorus
7. Swapped my mare and got me a mule;
Then I rode like a dog-gone fool.Chorus
8. Swapped my mule and got me a goat;
When I got on him, he wouldn’t tote.Chorus
9. Swapped my goat and got me a sheep;
Then I rode myself to sleep.Chorus
10. Swapped my sheep and got me a cow;
And in that trade I just learned how.Chorus
11. Swapped my cow and got me a calf;
In that trade I just lost half.Chorus
12. Swapped my calf and got me a hen;
Oh, what a pretty thing I had then.Chorus
13. Swapped my hen and got me a rat;
Put it on a haystack away from the cat.Chorus
14. Swapped my rat and got me a mouse;
It tail caught a-fire and burned up my house.Chorus
15. Swapped my mouse and got me a mole;
The dog-gone thing went straight to it’s hole.Chorus
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Sunshine Far and Near

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

"Sunshine Far and Near" Lyrics, Text Format

Excellent for mastering quarters followed by eighths in 6/8.

 

Description

  • Grade: First
  • Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
  • Key: F Major
  • Time: 6/8
  • Form: ABCD – longer phrasing, AB
  • Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ti ta ti | ta/_a ti | (_=tie)
  • Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti – adding Fa and Ti to the pentatonic scale
  • Intervals: beginners: Mi/So
  • Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; repeat signs, tied notes, repeated pitches, pickup beat begins ti ta rhythm pattern, horizontal accent (sing/play note a little louder/stronger), tempo: andante/walking pace (73-77 BPM); dynamics: piano/soft, crescendo, decrescendo
  • Key Words: weather, earth science, sun shine, roam, play, yet, time, too, curly, crown, mother, father, afar, bug (i.e., bug-eyed, large); contraction: ’tis (it is)

“Sunshine Far and Near” 
1.
 The bug, bright sun shines down on me
When out at play I roam
Yet all the time ’tis shining too,
On Mother dear, at home.
2.
 And while at home ’tis shining bright
On Baby’s curly crown,
It shines on father at his work
Afar off in the town.
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Softly, Softly Blows the Wind

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
When the Wind Blows

"Softly, Softly Blows the Wind" Lyrics, Text Format

Adding the 4th (Fa) to the pentatonic scale while introducing the quarter followed by an eighth pattern in 6/8 time.

 

Description

  • Grade: First
  • Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
  • Key: F Major
  • Time: 6/8
  • Form: ABaC – (question/answer)
  • Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ti ta ti | ta/_ti (ti ti) |
  • Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa So La – adding Fa to the pentatonic scale
  • Intervals: intermediate: So\Mi, Mi\Do, Do/Mi, Mi/So, ascending tonic arpeggio Do/Mi/So, Fa\Re
  • Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rest: eighth; repeat signs, dynamics: piano/soft, crescendo, decrescendo; tempo: andante cantabile/singing walk
  • Key Words: earth science, wind, blows, gently rocks, nest, downy, birds, while, softly, sings, rocking nest, joy, wings

“Softly, Softly Blows the Wind” 
1.
 Softly, softly blows the wind,
And gently rocks the nest
Where the downy baby birds
Are taking happy rest.
2.
 While the wind so softly blows,
“Oh baby birds,” it sings:
“Now for you the rocking nest,
But soon the joy of wings!”
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Snaked Baked a Hoecake

"Snake Baked a Hoecake" Lyrics, Text Format

Introducing the descending and ascending intervals Do\La, La/Do.

 

Description

  • Grade: First
  • Origin: Virginia, USA – Folk Song
  • Key: G Major
  • Time: 4/4
  • Form: ABCD
  • Rhythm: beginners: | ta ti ti ta ti ti | ta ta ti ti ta |
    | ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti | ti ti ti ti ti ti ta |
  • Pitches: beginners: So La Do Re Mi – pentatonic scale
  • Intervals: beginners: Do\La, Do/La, Mi\Do
  • Musical Elements: notes: quarter, eighth; introducing the intervals Do\La and La/Do, tune sounds minor by ending phrase on the 6th (La)
  • Key Words: hoecake (thin bread made of corn meal cooked on a hoe, over an open campfire – much like a pancake), frog, nodding, lizard, stole, fetch, long-tailed, nanny

“Snaked Baked a Hoecake” 

Snake baked a hoecake and set a frog to watch it,
And the frog got a nodding and a lizard came and stole it.
Fetch back my hoecake, you long-tailed nanny, you,
Fetch back my hoecake, you long-tailed nanny, you.
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