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"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," Lyrics, Text Format

Advanced syncopation and an extended pentatonic scale,
produces a spiritual which is challenging and fun!

 

Description

  • Grade: Fifth
  • Origin: USA – Wallis Willis (Choctaw Freedman)
    circa. 1860’s – African American Spiritual
  • Key: G Major
  • Time: 4/4
  • Form: ABA – refrain/verse/refrain
  • Rhythm: advanced: | ta/a/a ta | ta/ ti ti ta/ | syncopation, | ti ti ti ti ti ti ta | ta/a (ta) ti ti |
    | ti ta ti ti ta ti | syncopation, | ti ti ta ti ta/ | syncopation, | ti ti ta ta ta | ti ti ti ti ti ta/ |
  • Pitches: beginners: So La Do Re Mi So La – extended pentatonic scale
  • Intervals: beginners: Mi\Do/Mi\Do (M3), Do\La (m3), So/Do (P4), Do…/Mi../So8.. ascending tonic arpeggio with repeated pitches, So8\Mi/So8 (m3), So8\Do (P5)
  • Musical Elements: notes: doted half, half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rest: quarter; pickup beat, syncopation, pentatonic scale, tonic arpeggios, two double barlines, refrain/verse/refrain, D.C. al Fine, Fine
  • Key Words: USA history; underground railroad, African American History, USA geography: Choctaw County, Hugo, Oklahoma; Wallis Willis (composer), Jubilee Singers, scared, spiritual, civil rights movement song; world geography: Jordan River (Middle East); chariot, band of angels, Heaven, soul, heavenly, bound, brightest, sins, Jesus, Bible stories
  • Recorder: advanced: playing in F Major (pentatonic scale), syncopation, tonic arpeggio

Partner song: “All Night, All Day!”

“Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” 

Refrain
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home,
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry my home.
1. I looked over Jordan, and what did I see?
Coming for to carry me home,
A band of angels coming after me.
Coming for to carry me home.
Refrain
2.
If you get there before I do,
Coming for to carry me home,
Tell all my friends I’m coming, too.
Coming for to carry me home.
Refrain
3. I’m sometimes up and sometimes down,
Coming for to carry me home,
But still my soul feels heavenly bound,
Coming for to carry me home.
Refrain
4. The brightest day that I can say,
Coming for to carry me home,
When Jesus washed my sins away,
Coming for to carry me home.
Refrain
Additional Formats (click to enlarge)
music
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," Music Format
beats
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rhythm
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pitch numbers
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solfeggio
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letter names
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