Great Songs for Elementary General Music
Brendan Hogan, David A. Ellis Elementary
Gypsy in the Moonlight (Making Music 2)
This is a folk song from Trinidad that was collected in Brown Girl in the Ring: Song Games from the Eastern Caribbean by Alan Lomax, J.D. Elder and Bess Lomax Hawes. It is worth looking at this collection for additional songs from the Caribbean in English.
I have used this song to promote group play and encourage joyful singing. There is a challenging interval (fa- la,) that is sung twice by the group and then once by the soloist. I have found that most children in second and third grade can sing this interval in tune with practice, and the solo part provides an opportunity for the teacher to assess.
Circle Round the Zero (Making Music K)
More appropriate for grades 1-3, because of the melody (with high do) and because the play is sometimes difficult to match the rhythm. I sometimes clap the “back back,” “side side,” “front, front” etc. to support the students.
Lemonade (Making Music 1)
A call and response on so- mi with teacher--and later, children--taking turns as soloist, in first or second grade. I have had very creative results when children improvise words with a place name and trade. First grade children are not too old to pretend holding a cup while the soloist pours lemonade from a pretend pitcher. Teacher may wish to alter starting pitch to train students to hear and reproduce pitch.
Tsuki (The Moon) (Making Music 4)
This school song from Japan has other English texts with little relationship to the Japanese, including:
Firefly, Firefly in the night
With a yellow, with a yellow, with a yellow light
How I like to watch you shine tonight.
It is a good pentatonic song and I have taught it in Kindergarten 2 (C or D do) and in first and second grade (Eb do) sometimes with simple piano accompaniment.
Great Big House in New Orleans (Making Music 2)
Children enjoy this song and the play party. It has a good melody and can be used in the teaching of the melodic element re and for teaching the question and answer form. Grades 2- 4.
Vamos a la Mar “Let’s go to the Sea” (Making Music 3)
This song from Guatemala has 3 measure phrase lengths, and the “tun tun,” in other collections written “tum tum” (pronounced toom toom) can also be snapped or clapped or drummed. I first teach it with the children patting the first three beats and then fingertip clapping the fourth and fifth beats on the “tum tum.”
I sing it in both Spanish and English since the English translation does not feel awkward.
The first motive could be isolated for teaching the melodic element re even while the whole song includes more advanced elements (low so).
Good Mornin’ Blues (Making Music 2 and (!) Making Music 5)
I think this song by Leadbelly is most appropriately included in an upper elementary curriculum. I have taught it to grades 4 and 5. It is also a rare song in this list for which I recommend a piano (or, if you play like Leadbelly, guitar) accompaniment. The piano arrangement by Joseph Joubert in Making Music is excellent. Children enjoy creating new verses to the song.
Draw me a Bucket of Water (Making Music 3)
A great play, famously taught by Bessie Jones, for groups of 4 children. The tempo of the first part of the song and the “frog in the bucket” part should contrast. Grades 3-4.
Head-Shoulders, Baby (Making Music 1)
I have used this song to motivate students in grade 5. Sing it with swing. For a description of the play, see Bessie Jones and Bess Lomax Hawes Step it Down: Games, Plays, Songs and Stories from the Afro-American Heritage.
A Ram Sam Sam (Making Music 3)
Children enjoy singing this in canon. It lends itself to motions, which provide visual cues for singing in canon, which students can lead. Grades 3-5
Jim Along Josie (Making Music K)
This is a great song to play and improvise the motions: walk, skip, dance, etc. for K1 and K2.
Ocho Kandelikas (Making Music 4)
This song for Hanukkah, in Ladino, or Judeo-Spanish, is fascinating for Spanish speaking students. In general, I notice that students enjoy the tonality of many Jewish or Israeli songs. Everyone can sing the refrain, while more motivated students may sing the verse. I would recommend listening to the recordings of Flory Jagoda singing the song, which are available online. Grades 4-5.
Brendan Hogan, David A. Ellis Elementary
Gypsy in the Moonlight (Making Music 2)
This is a folk song from Trinidad that was collected in Brown Girl in the Ring: Song Games from the Eastern Caribbean by Alan Lomax, J.D. Elder and Bess Lomax Hawes. It is worth looking at this collection for additional songs from the Caribbean in English.
I have used this song to promote group play and encourage joyful singing. There is a challenging interval (fa- la,) that is sung twice by the group and then once by the soloist. I have found that most children in second and third grade can sing this interval in tune with practice, and the solo part provides an opportunity for the teacher to assess.
Circle Round the Zero (Making Music K)
More appropriate for grades 1-3, because of the melody (with high do) and because the play is sometimes difficult to match the rhythm. I sometimes clap the “back back,” “side side,” “front, front” etc. to support the students.
Lemonade (Making Music 1)
A call and response on so- mi with teacher--and later, children--taking turns as soloist, in first or second grade. I have had very creative results when children improvise words with a place name and trade. First grade children are not too old to pretend holding a cup while the soloist pours lemonade from a pretend pitcher. Teacher may wish to alter starting pitch to train students to hear and reproduce pitch.
Tsuki (The Moon) (Making Music 4)
This school song from Japan has other English texts with little relationship to the Japanese, including:
Firefly, Firefly in the night
With a yellow, with a yellow, with a yellow light
How I like to watch you shine tonight.
It is a good pentatonic song and I have taught it in Kindergarten 2 (C or D do) and in first and second grade (Eb do) sometimes with simple piano accompaniment.
Great Big House in New Orleans (Making Music 2)
Children enjoy this song and the play party. It has a good melody and can be used in the teaching of the melodic element re and for teaching the question and answer form. Grades 2- 4.
Vamos a la Mar “Let’s go to the Sea” (Making Music 3)
This song from Guatemala has 3 measure phrase lengths, and the “tun tun,” in other collections written “tum tum” (pronounced toom toom) can also be snapped or clapped or drummed. I first teach it with the children patting the first three beats and then fingertip clapping the fourth and fifth beats on the “tum tum.”
I sing it in both Spanish and English since the English translation does not feel awkward.
The first motive could be isolated for teaching the melodic element re even while the whole song includes more advanced elements (low so).
Good Mornin’ Blues (Making Music 2 and (!) Making Music 5)
I think this song by Leadbelly is most appropriately included in an upper elementary curriculum. I have taught it to grades 4 and 5. It is also a rare song in this list for which I recommend a piano (or, if you play like Leadbelly, guitar) accompaniment. The piano arrangement by Joseph Joubert in Making Music is excellent. Children enjoy creating new verses to the song.
Draw me a Bucket of Water (Making Music 3)
A great play, famously taught by Bessie Jones, for groups of 4 children. The tempo of the first part of the song and the “frog in the bucket” part should contrast. Grades 3-4.
Head-Shoulders, Baby (Making Music 1)
I have used this song to motivate students in grade 5. Sing it with swing. For a description of the play, see Bessie Jones and Bess Lomax Hawes Step it Down: Games, Plays, Songs and Stories from the Afro-American Heritage.
A Ram Sam Sam (Making Music 3)
Children enjoy singing this in canon. It lends itself to motions, which provide visual cues for singing in canon, which students can lead. Grades 3-5
Jim Along Josie (Making Music K)
This is a great song to play and improvise the motions: walk, skip, dance, etc. for K1 and K2.
Ocho Kandelikas (Making Music 4)
This song for Hanukkah, in Ladino, or Judeo-Spanish, is fascinating for Spanish speaking students. In general, I notice that students enjoy the tonality of many Jewish or Israeli songs. Everyone can sing the refrain, while more motivated students may sing the verse. I would recommend listening to the recordings of Flory Jagoda singing the song, which are available online. Grades 4-5.