Autumn

Singing and playing in parts, two part harmony, raised/sharped
dominate (Si, D#) in a minor tonality.

Description

Grade: Fifth
Origin: Traditional
Key: E minor – pitched in G Major
Time: 2/4
Form: AB
Rhythm: beginners: | ti ti ti ti | ti ti ta | ta/a |
Pitches: advanced: Si La Ti Do Re Mi Fa Si La
Intervals: intermediate: La8\Mi (P4), La/Mi (P5), Mi/La8 (P4), La\Si/La (m2)
Musical Elements: notes: half, quarter, eighth; harmony, two parts, singing in parts, raised/sharped dominate (Si) – serves as a leading tone to the parallel major E, minor tonality where the sixth (La) is the tonal center
Key Words: seasons, fall, autumn, earth science, changing seasons, weathered, leaves, mournful, crows, growing, short, complaining, raining, around, good cheer, wish; contractions: it’s (it is)
Recorder: advanced: introducing D# and F# while playing a duet

**“Autumn”**

	1.	Weathered leaves are falling, Mournful crows are calling, Days are growing short, For the autumn’s here.

	2.	Hear the wind complaining, All the day it’s raining, Sit around the fire If you wish good cheer.

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Aura Lee

Each phrase begins and ends with a tonic pitch, the interval Re\La/Re at mid-phrase hints at a minor tonality.

Description

Grade: Fourth
Origin: USA – Folk Song – cir. 1861
Key: F Major
Time: 4/4
Form: AABC
Rhythm: beginners: | ta/ ti ta ta | syncopation,
| ta ta ta/a | ta ta ta ta | ta/a/a (ta) |
| ta ta ta/ ti | syncopation
Pitches: beginners: So La Ti Do Re Mi Fa
Intervals: intermediate: So/Do, Re\La/Re
Musical Elements: notes: dotted half, half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rest: quarter; syncopation, the last beat of each phrase is silent
Key Words: United States Civil War Ballad, pining love song, USA history, “Love Me Tender,” neath (beneath), willow tree, thee, swallows, rose, spake (spoke), through, thine, azure (bright blue), morn (morning), sparkling, seemed, crimson wing, fitfully, stormy, thy, gloom, depart, sunshine, sweet heart

**“Aura Lee”**

		1.	When the blackbird in the spring, neath the willow tree. Sat and rocked, I heard him sing, singing Aura Lee. Aura Lee, Aura Lee, maid of golden hair. Sunshine came along with thee, and swallows in the air.
		2.	In thy blush the rose was born, music when you spake, Through thine azure eye, the morn, sparkling seemed to break. Aura Lee, Aura Lee, birds of crimson wing, Never song have sung to me in that night, sweet spring.
		3.	Aura Lee! The bird may flee the willow’s golden hair, Swing through winter fitfully on the stormy air. Yet if thy blue eyes I see gloom will soon depart; For to me, sweet Aura Lee is sunshine through the heart .

		The popular USA song “Love Me Tender” is based on this tune.

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A Stormy Sail

Introducing the raised (natural) tonic Di, and the raised (sharp) dominate Si in a minor tonality.

Description

Grade: Fourth
Origin: United Kingdom, Wales – Old Song
Key: G minor – pitched in B flat Major
Time: 2/4
Form: AaBC
Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ti ti ti | ta ti ti |
| ta (ti) ti | syncopation, | ta ti ti ri | ti/ ri ti ti | syncopation, | ta ti/ ri | syncopation
Pitches: advanced: Mi Si La Ti Do Di Re Mi Fa – natural/raised tonic (Di), raised/sharped dominate (Si)
Intervals: advanced: Mi/La, Do\La, La\Si, Si\Mi, Mi8\Do/Mi8, Ti/Mi, Re\Di, Re/Fa
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, dotted eighth, sixteenth; rest: eighth; pickup beat, syncopation, vocal slurs, raised/natural tonic (Di), raised/sharped dominate (Si), repeating melodic rhythms, tempo: andante (73-77 BPM, walking pace)
Key Words: world geography, United Kingdom, Wales, Welsh, stormy, sail, sea, shore, skipper, comrades, widows, wail, perish, angry, ship wreck song

“A Stormy Sail”

One stormy night a sail put to sea from the shore,
With skipper and his comrades three:
And now the widows wail, the men return no more,
For all have perished in the angry sea.

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The Ash Grove

Melodic patterns step up and down the staff forming two, eight measure phrases, a sharped fourth, Fi, insures each phrase ends from the half step below.

Description

Grade: Fourth
Origin: United Kingdom, Wales – Folk Song
Key: G Major
Time: 3/4
Form: AABA
Rhythm: beginners: | ta ta ti ti | ta ta ta |
| ta ti ti ti ti | ta/a ta |
Pitches: advanced: Fa So La Ti Do Re Mi Fa Fi So La – raised/sharped fourth (Fi)
Intervals: advanced: So/Do/Mi/So ascending tonic arpeggio, Mi\Do, Re/Fa, Ti\So, La\Fa/La, So/Do, So\Mi, Fa\Re, Ti/So, So\Fi/So, So\So descending octave skip – experience the same intervals ending each phrase: Do\Ti/Do and Do\Fi/So
Musical Elements: notes: half, quarter, eighth; pickup beat, vocal slur, repeating melodic patterns
Key Words: world geography, United Kingdom, Wales, Welsh, earth science, Ash Tree, tree grove, valley, streamlets, meander, twilight, pensively, rove, amid, shades, blackbird, cheerfully, warbler, enchants, sorrow, sadness, enchanting, beauty, graceful, language, whenever, through, branches, host, gazing, childhood, memory, whispers, laden, rustle, loses, lightness, future, spirit, brood, gather,
brightness, nook, downward, yonder (down in the valley); contraction: ’tis (it is); abbreviations: o’er (over), ev’ry (every)

**“The Ash Grove”**

		1.	Down yonder green valley where streamlets meander, When twilight is fading I pensively rove. Or at the bright noontide in solitude wander Amid the dark shades of the lonely ash grove. ‘Tis there where the blackbird is cheerfully singing, Each warbler enchants with his note from the tree. Ah, then little think I of sorrow or sadness; The ash grove enchanting spells beauty for me.
		2.	The ash grove how graceful, how plainly ’tis speaking The wind through it playing has language for me. Whenever the light through its branches is breaking, A host of kind faces is gazing on me. The friends from my childhood again are before me Each step brings a memory as freely I roam. With soft whispers laden the leaves rustle o’er me The ash grove, the ash grove alone is my home.
		3.	My lips smile no more, my heart loses its lightness; No dream of the future my spirit can cheer. I only can brood on the past and its brightness The dear ones I long for again gather here. From ev’ry dark nook they press forward to meet me; I lift up my eyes to the broad leafy dome, And others are there, looking downward to greet me The ash grove, the ash grove, again is my home.

		Tune originates from the hymn “The Master Hath Come” by Sarah Doudney (1871)

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A Sailor Went to Sea, Sea, Sea

"A Sailor Went to Sea" Lyrics, Text Format

Excellent for practicing an open ‘ee’ vowel.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: American Playground Song
Key: C Major
Time: 4/4
Form: ABAC
Rhythm: beginners: | ta ta ta ti ti | ti ti ti ti ta ta |
Pitches: beginners: Mi So La Ti Do
Intervals: intermediate: So/Do, Do\So, So\Mi, Mi/So, Ti\So, So/Ti – intervals always return to the beginning pitch
Musical Elements: notes: quarter, eighth; pickup beat
Key Words: sailor, sea, deep, blue, bottom homonyms: sea, see; too, two

A sailor went to sea, sea, sea,
To see what he could see, see, see,
And all that he could see, see, see,
Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, sea, sea.

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Round Her Neck She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

Advanced dotted eighth syncopation, tonic octave skip,
and repeating melodic rhythm patterns.

Description

Grade: Fifth
Origin: England/USA – Traditional/George A. Norton
Key: C Major
Time: 2/2 – counted in 4/4
Form: phrases: AaBa – song: AB, verse/refrain
Rhythm: advanced: | ta/ ti ta/ ti | syncopation,
| ti/ ri ti/ ri ti ta ti | syncopation, | ti/ ri ti/ ri ta/a | syncopation, | ti/ ri ti/ ri ti ti ti ti | syncopation,
| ta ti/ ri ta ti/ ri | syncopation , | ta/a/a ti/ ri | syncopation, | ta/a/a ta | ti/ ri ti/ ri ti/ ri ti/ ri | syncopation, | ta/a/a/a | ta ti/ ri ta/a | syncopation
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do
Intervals: intermediate: So\Mi/So (m3), So\Do (P4), La\Re (P5), Re/So (P4), Do/Do ascending tonic octave skip, La/Do (m3), Mi\Do (M3)
Musical Elements: notes: whole, dotted half, half, dotted quarter, quarter, dotted eighth, sixteenth; cut time counted in 4/4, syncopation, tonic octave skip, repeated melodic rhythm patterns
Key Words: world geography: England, USA; Puritan heritage, English Civil War (army wore yellow ribbons and yellow sashes onto the battlefield), wore, winter, summer, heck, lover, milking cows, mowing hay, golden locket, fire burning, heart, kisses sweet, saved; contraction: she’ll (she will) abbreviations: ’round (around), ev’ry (every) , it’s (it is)
Recorder: advanced: practicing the pitches of the C Major scale with a fast tempo, improving finger dexterity

**“‘Round Her Neck She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”**

	1.	‘Round her neck she wore a yellow ribbon, She wore it in the winter and summer, so they say. If you asked her why the heck she wore it? She’ll say “It’s for my lover who is far, far away.”
		Refrain:
		Far away! Far away! If she is milking cows or mowing hay, Around her neck she wears a yellow ribbon. She wears it for her lover who is far, far away.
	2.	‘Round her neck she wore a golden locket, She wore it in the night time and wore it ev’ry day. And if you asked her why the heck she wore it, She’ll say it’s for my lover who is far, far away.
		Refrain
	3.	In her home she kept a fire burning, She kept it fall and winter and in the month of May. And if you asked her why the heck she kept it, She’ll say it’s for my lover who is far, far away.
		Refrain
	4.	Saved her heart and saved her sweet kisses, Saved them fall and winter and in the month of May. And if you asked her why the heck she saved them, She’ll say it’s for my lover who is far, far away.
		Refrain

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The Army Goes Rolling Along

Syncopation in 2/2 (cut) time and an
ascending diminished fourth (d4) La/Re.

Description

Grade: Fifth
Origin: England/USA – music: Edmond L. Gruber – words: Sam Stept, adapted by: John Philip Sousa (1917)
Key: C Major
Time: 2/2 – cut time
Form: AB
Rhythm: advanced: | ta ti ti | ti/ ri ti ti | syncopation, ti ta ti | syncopation,
| ta/a_|_/ (ti) ti ti | ti ti ti ti | ta/a_|_a ti ti | (_=tie)
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do Re
Intervals: advanced: So\Mi/So (x7, m3), Fa\Re (m3), Re/So (P4), So/Do (P4), Do\So (P4), Do\La (m3), La/Re8 (d4, diminished fourth), Re8\So (P5)
Musical Elements: notes: whole, half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rest: quarter; pickup beat, tied notes, two double barlines, syncopation, reading cut time
Key Words: USA Army, USA military song, patriotic song, fight for the right, build, nation, might, proud, battle, won, hi hi hay, count, cadence, loud, strong, always; contraction: it’s (it is), where’er (where ever),

The official song of the United States Army; also known as “The Army Song.” (chorus/refrain) Tune originates from World War One: “The Caissons Go Rolling Along.”

“The Army Goes Rolling Along”
“The Army Song”

	Chorus
	First to fight for the right, And to build the Nation’s might, And The Army Goes Rolling Along Proud of all we have done, Fighting till the battle’s won, And the Army Goes Rolling Along.
	Refrain:
	Then it’s Hi! Hi! Hey! The Army’s on its way. Count off the cadence loud and strong. For where e’er we go, You will always know That The Army Goes Rolling Along.

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Arkansas Traveler

Advanced syncopation, extended range, and two
ascending tonic arpeggios sung to a fast pace.

Description

Grade: Fifth
Origin: USA – music: Colonel Sanford C. ‘Sandy’ Faulkner – words: Arkansas State Committee*
Key: F Major
Time: 2/4
Form: ABCD, A,B, & D include a portions of previous phrases
Rhythm: advanced: | ti ri ti ri ti ti | ti ti ti ti |
| ti ti ti ti ri | ti ri ti ri ti ti ri | ti ri ti ti ri ti | syncopation, | ti ti ri ti ti ri | syncopation,
| ti ti ri ti ti | syncopation
Pitches: intermediate: So La Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do – extended range
Intervals: intermediate: So/Do/Mi ascending tonic arpeggio (I, F) Do\La (m3), So/Do/So/Do8 ascending tonic arpeggio omitting the 3rd (Mi) – intervals: P4, P5, P4; Do8\So (P4), Fa\Re (m3), Re\So (P5), Re/So (P5)
Musical Elements: notes: eighth, sixteenth; pickup beat, syncopation, two tonic arpeggios, melodic rhythms
Key Words: USA geography: Arkansas, state song, upon, cabin door, fiddled, played by ear, sawed, popular air, roof tree, leaked, waterfall, bother, traveler, a-practicing, a-float, feet, seem to fret, stranger, seems, mend, rainy day, replied, quite, true, patch, fair and bright, good and tight, a-playing, reel, tapped, ground, leathery heel, pain, leaks; contractions: tho’ (though), didn’t (did not), you’d (you would), couldn’t (could not), doesn’t (does not)
Recorder: advanced: introducing B flat, improving finger dexterity

*The state song of Arkansas from 1949 to 1963, the state historical song since 1987. Begins with the same melody as “Baby Bumblebee.”

**“Arkansas Traveler”**

	1.	Oh, once upon a time in Arkansas, An old man sat in his little cabin door, And fiddled at a time that he liked to hear, A jolly old tune that he played by ear, It was raining hard, but the fiddler didn’t care, He sawed away at the popular air, Tho’ his roof tree leaked like a waterfall, That didn’t seem to bother the man at all.

	2.	A traveler was riding by that day, And stopped to hear him a-practicing away; The cabin was a-float and his feet were wet, But still the old man didn’t seem to fret. So the stranger said “Now the way it seems to me, You’d better mend your roof,” said he. But the old man said as he played away, “I couldn’t mend it now, it’s a rainy day.”

	3.	The traveler replied, “That’s all quite true, But this, I think, is the thing to do; Get busy on a day that is fair and bright, Then patch the old roof till it’s good and tight.” But the old man kept on a-playing at his reel, And tapped the ground with his leathery heel. “Get along,” said he, “for you give me a pain; My cabin never leaks when it doesn’t rain.”

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Are You Sleeping?

Description

Grade: Kindergarten
Origin: Traditional Round/Canon
Key: F Major
Time: 4/4
Form: ABCD
Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ti ti ti ta ta | ti ti ta/a |
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa So La
Intervals: intermediate: Mi\Do, So\Mi, Do/So, Do\So, So/Do
Musical Elements: notes: half, quarter, eighth; multiple part singing
Key Words: singing in parts, 28 Language translations – Afrikaans, Albanian, Argentinean, Berber, Creole (Haitian), Croatian, Czech, Dutch, Finnish, Flemish, German, Greenlandic, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese.

Same tune as Freres Jacques.

Are you sleeping, Are you sleeping,
Brother John, Brother John?
Morning bells are ringing, morning bells are ringing,
Ding dang dong, Ding dang dong.

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The Ants Go Marching

Advanced syncopation in 6/8, raised/natural 4th (Fi),
and a sharp 5th (Si) in a minor tonality.

Description

Grade: Second
Origin: Traditional Folk Song (variation on “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”)
Key: G minor
Time: 6/8
Form: ABCD
Rhythm: advanced: | ta ti ta ti | syncopation,
| ta/_a ti | syncopation, | ta/ (ti) (ti) ti | syncopation, | ti ti ti ta ti | syncopation,
| ta ti ti ti ti | ta/ ta/ | ta/ (ti) ti ti |
Pitches: advanced: Mi Fi So Si La Ti Do Re Mi
Intervals: advanced: La\Mi/La, So\Mi/So,
Mi8\Do/Mi8, Re\Ti, Do\La, Mi/Fi, Si/La
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rest: eighth; pickup beat, syncopation, minor tonality (tonal center is the 6th/La of the major scale), multiple endings, repeat signs, natural 4th (Fi), sharp 5th (Si)
Key Words: animal science, ants, marching, hurrah, thumb, shoe, climb, dive, gather, count, roller skate

**“The Ants Go Marching”**

	1.	The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching one by one The little one stops to suck his thumb. And they all go marching down to the ground to get out of the rain, Boom! Boom! Boom!

	2.	The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching two by two The little one stops to tie his shoe. And they all go marching down to the ground to get out of the rain, Boom! Boom! Boom!

	3.	The ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching three by three The little one stops to climb a tree. And they all go marching down to the ground to get out of the rain, Boom! Boom! Boom!

	4.	The ants go marching four by four, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching four by four, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching four by four The little one stops to close the door. And they all go marching down to the ground to get out of the rain, Boom! Boom! Boom!

	5.	The ants go marching five by five, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching five by five, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching five by five The little one stops to take a dive. And they all go marching down to the ground to get out of the rain, Boom! Boom! Boom!

	6.	The ants go marching six by six, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching six by six, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching six by six The little one stops to gather sticks. And they all go marching down to the ground to get out of the rain, Boom! Boom! Boom!

	7.	The ants go marching seven by seven, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching seven by seven, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching seven by seven The little one stops to count to eleven. And they all go marching down to the ground to get out of the rain, Boom! Boom! Boom!

	8.	The ants go marching eight by eight, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching eight by eight, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching eight by eight The little one stops to roller skate. And they all go marching down to the ground to get out of the rain, Boom! Boom! Boom!

	9.	The ants go marching nine by nine, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching nine by nine, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching nine by nine The little one stops to check the time. And they all go marching down to the ground to get out of the rain, Boom! Boom! Boom!

	10.	The ants go marching ten by ten, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching ten by ten, hurrah, hurrah, The ants go marching ten by ten The little one stops to say “the end.” And they all go marching down to the ground to get out of the rain, Boom! Boom! Boom!

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Description