Michael Finnigan -

Ascending tonic arpeggio, adding the leading tone
to a pentatonic scale.

Description

Grade: Second
Origin: USA – Traditional Folk Song
Key: F Major
Time: 4/4
Form: ABAC
Rhythm: beginners: | ti ti ta ta ta | ta ta ti ti ta |
| ta ta ta ta | ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti |
Pitches: beginners: So La Ti Do Re Mi So
Intervals: beginners: So/Do, Do/Mi/So ascending tonic arpeggio, So\Mi, Re\Ti/Re, Re\So
Musical Elements: notes: quarter, eighth; pickup beat, melodic rhythm patterns
Key Words: never ending song, scout song, camp song, St. Patrick’s Day song, nonsense song, whiskers, chin, blew, grew, awful, din, fishing, caught, dropped, climbed, barked (scrapped against the bark of a tree), shin, fat, thin, born; contraction: let’s (let us)

**“Michael Finnigan”**

	1.	There was an old man named Michael Finnigan. He had whiskers on his chin-i-gan. Wind blew them off but they grew in again. Poor old Michael Finnigan! Begin again!

	2.	There was an old man called Michael Finnigan, He kicked up an awful din again, Because they said he must not sing again. Poor old Michael Finnigan, Begin again!

	3.	There was an old man called Michael Finnigan, He went fishing with a pin again, Caught a fish but dropped it in again, Poor old Michael Finnigan! Begin again!

	4.	There was an old man called Michael Finnigan, Climbed a tree and barked his shin again, Tore off yards and yards of skin again, Poor old Michael Finnigan! Begin again!

	5.	There was an old man called Michael Finnigan, He grew fat and he grew thin again, Then he died and had to be born again, Poor old Michael Finnigan! Let’s end again!

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