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Pitch Exploration Stories

From Pitch Exploration Stories by John M. Feierabend
Artwork (adapted from the original Feierabend versions) created by students from the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science

These stories provide inspiration for children to make sliding sounds that explore the vocal muscles that are used to sing in the upper register, or “head voice.”  Just as an athlete warms up certain muscle groups before exercising, singers should “warm up” the head voice muscles with activities such as these before singing. Just as aerobics improve physical conditioning, vocal ability will improve if these stories are used frequently.  

Techniques:

• Have children make vocal glissando sounds as the leader reads the story.
• It is not enough to invite children to simply make sounds during these activities.  Insist on the right kinds of sounds (head voice register sounds).
• After the group becomes comfortable making the sounds, ask each child to take a turn making the sounds with his/her voice.
• Have the group echo other children who can present good vocal models.  Children benefit more by imitating other children’s voices than by imitating adult voices.

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Andrew Got a Pogo Stick
Children respond to each line saying “boing, boing, boing” in an upward glissando.


Andrew got a pogo stick,           (boing, boing, boing)             
He could really do that trick,     (boing, boing, boing)
Up to fifty, did it quick!              (boing, boing, boing)
​
“How ‘bout my arithmetic?”      (boing, boing, boing)
Onward still the numbers tick,  (boing, boing, boing)

At this task, he ain’t no hick.       (boing, boing, boing)
Eighty, ninety, this is slick,          (boing, boing, boing)
Andrew and his pogo stick.       (boing, boing, boing)

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Cowboy Joe

Cowboy Joe was a bold young man,
He dreamed of rustling cattle, most of all.
He wanted to see if the cows would come,
When he let out his cowboy call.             (yee-haa)

He practiced all day from morning to night,
And he practiced both summer and fall.
He knew some day he’d have his chance,
To try out his cowboy call.                 (yee-haa)

Well, finally one day, i twas proudly announced,
That his ma and pa and all,
Were takin’ a trip to his grandfather’s ranch,
Where he could try out his cowboy call.         (yee-haa)

He jumped for joy and grabbed his gear,
And he ran back down the hall.
He hopped into the car and was ready to go,
To let out his cowboy call.                 (yee-haa)

Well, they all did come right up to the fence,
And he sure felt ten feet tall.
“I’m Cowboy Joe.  See how the cows come,
When I let out my cowboy call.”              (yee-haa)

Now, that was really some day for Cowboy Joe,
And he sure did have a ball.
Now he’s wantin’ to try bigger and better things;
So he’s practicing his elephant call.         (?)

-John M. Feierabend

​

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The Blue Cockatoo

(students should speak the “Hello” and the “Good morning” parts using the correct voice placement)

There’s nothing to do,
And I’m feeling so blue,
With all I’ve been through,
You’d be feeling blue, too.         (descending sigh)

I live in the this zoo,
On the banks of Peru,
With a wonderful view,
But still I’m quite blue.            (descending sigh)

You see I am new,
Making this zoo debut,
As a fine cockatoo.
So why am I blue?             (descending sigh)

Well, just to review,
I am here in this zoo,
With nothing to do,
But sit and be blue.            (descending sigh)

Though a cockatoo view,
Might be pleasant for you,
If my story you knew,
You might feel blue, too.         (descending sigh)

I was born in Zulu,
Where my white feathers grew,
And I hadn’t a clue,
Why they soon became blue.     (descending sigh)

At first is was new,
Being a blue cockatoo,
No kind of shampoo,
Could remove my blue hue.         (descending sigh)

But one day as I flew,
A net someone threw.
I wish I knew who,
Had found this bird blue.        (descending sigh)

So off we soon flew,
To a Peruvian zoo.
I bid Zulu adieu,
And began feeling blue.         (descending sigh)

Now they stand in a queue,
To see me be blue.
With each”How do you do?”
I grow even more blue.         (descending sigh)

But don’t misconstrue,
Being blue in a zoo,
Beats being found on a menu,
As blue cockatoo stew.         (descending sigh)

-John M. Feierabend

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Big Pig
​
“Where are you going, Big Pig, Big Pig?”
(spoken in a high voice)

“Out in the garden to dig, dig dig!”
(spoken with a low voice)

“Out in the garden to dig, dig, dig?
Shame on you, Big Pig, Big Pig!”
(spoken with a high voice)

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’m only a pig,
And all I can do is dig, dig, dig!”
(spoken with a low voice)

​

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The Airplane Ride
Children respond at the end of the lines by saying either “All right” or “Oh, no” with rising inflection on the second syllable.
​
A man went up in an airplane,                 (All right!)
But the plane didn’t have an engine,        (Oh, no!)
But the man had a parachute,                 (All right!)
But the parachute wouldn’t open,           (Oh, no!)
But there was a haystack under him,       (All right!)
But there was a pitch fork in the haystack,     (Oh, no!)
But he missed the pitchfork,                     (All right!)
But he missed the haystack, too.                  (All right!)

-John M. Feierabend

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Two Little Puppets
(students should speak the “Hello” and the “Good morning” parts using the correct voice placement)

Two little puppets,
One on each hand.

Isn’t she pretty?
Isn’t he gran?

Her name is Bella,
His name is Beau.

She says “Good Morning.”
        (high-pitched voice)
He says, “Hello.”
    (low-pitched voice)

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On a dark and stormy night…..

On a dark and stormy night
Witches laugh             (ha, ha, ha, ha)
Owls hoot                (oooooo)
Ghosts swoop             (whooosshhh)
Wolves howl             (ah-ooooo)
Goblins dance                (wheeeeee)
Thunder claps            (clap hands together)
People Scream             (ahhhhhhhhh)


On a dark and stormy night.

-John M. Feierabend

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The Ice Cream Sundae

Today was a day I did everything right,
Though my brother annoyed me, I still didn’t fight.
I played nicely all day, didn’t argue or scream.
Now my mom says we’ll go for a dish of ice cream.     (mmmm)

I ate all of my breakfast and all of my lunch,
I picked up my toys (and I have a bunch),
And since I’ve been helpful, like part of a team,
I think I might ask for two scoops of ice cream.      (mmmm)

Two scoops!  What a treat!  But I think you’ll agree,
It would be hard to imagine one better than me.
I’ve done everything right, or so it would seem,
Maybe Mom will allow me four scoops of ice cream. (mmmm)

Yes!  Today had been special.  It’s not every day,
I do everything right, in such a nice way.
So why not, of course, since I’m building up steam,
Have some syrup on top of four scoops of ice cream.    (mmmm)

“You’ve been perfect, my dear,” That’s what Mom said today,
So I know she won’t mind if I have it my way
To the syrup, add nuts and also whipped cream,
And a cherry on top of four scoops of ice cream.     (mmmm)

And yet, when I think about wanting more,
Though it sounds awfully good, I know what’s in store.
I’ll eat and I’ll eat and I’ll run out of steam,
And I won’t feel so good after all that ice cream.  (mmmm)
Since today was a day I did everything right,
I will not spoil my record by making a sight.
I’ll ask most politely (though it was fun to dream),
“May I have one scoop of vanilla ice cream?”         (mmmm)

-John M. Feierabend

​

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Whoops, Pardon Me


I saw you in the orchard,
I saw you in the sea,
I saw you in the bathtub,
Whoops, pardon me!
(upward vocal slide on “Whoops””

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Mr. Wiggle and Mr. Waggle

Part 1
This is the story of Mr. Wiggle and Mr. Waggle.
    (hold up the thumb of each hand)
Mr. Wiggle lived in the this house,
    (open one hand, fold thumb down, and wrap fingers around the thumb)
And Mr. Waggle lived in this house.
    (open the other hand, fold thumb down, and wrap fingers around the thumb)

One day, Mr. Wiggle decided to go visit Mr. Waggle.
So, he opened the gate!
    (open the fingers and make an upward creaking sound)
And he came outside, boop!
    (raise thumb and make a high pitched “boop”)
And he closed the gate!
    (close fingers into a fist with thumb still up and make a downward creaking sound)
And he went up the hill and down the hill,
(raise thumbe up high and with great exaggeration have children raise their voices saying “up the hill” and lower thumb and voices with “down the hill”
Up the hill and down the hill,
Up the hill and down the hill,
Until he got to Mr. Waggle’s house.

He knocked on the gate.
Knock, knock, knock, Mr. Waggle!
(make a knocking motion three times)
Knock, knock, knock.
(three more knocking motions)
No Mr. Waggle!

So he went
Up the hill and down the hill,
Up the hill and down the hill,
Up the hill and down the hill,
(raise and lower voices as before on “up the hill” and “down the hill”)
Until he got to his house.

He opened the gate!
(open fingers and make an upward creaking sound)
And he went inside, boop!
(Fold thumb down make a high pitched “boop”)
And he closed the gate!
(close fingers around thumb and make a downward creaking sound)
And he went to sleep.

Part 2
Well, pretty soon Mr. Waggle decided he would go visit Mr. Wiggle.
So he opened his gate, boop!
(using other hand, continue story, motions, and sounds as before until “And he went to sleep.”)

Part 3
Well, pretty soon Mr. Wiggle decided to go see Mr. Waggle,
And Mr. Waggle decided to go see Mr. Wiggle.
So they opened their gates!
(motions and sounds as before with both hands)
And they came outside, boop!
And they closed their gates!

And they went up the hill an down the hill,
Up the hill and down the hill,
Up the hill and down the hill,
Until all of a sudden they saw each other!
And they said, “Hello, Mr. Wiggle.”
(wiggle one thumb)
“Hello, Mr. Waggle.”
    (wiggle the other thumb)
And they talked and they talked and they talked,
Until it was time to say “Goodbye.”
“Goodbye.”
(wiggle one thumb)
“Goodbye.”
(wiggle the other thumb)

And they went up the hill and down the hill,
(motion with both hands using extreme vocal inflection as before)
And up the hill and down the hill,
And up the hill and down the hill,
Until they got to their houses.
They opened their gates!
(open fingers of both hands and make an upward creaking sound)
They went inside, boop!
(fold thumbs down and make a high pitched “boop”)
They closed their gates!
(close fingers around thumbs and make a downward creaking sound)
And they went to sleep.

The End.

​

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Three Little Kittens 

Three little kittens,
They lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear,
We sadly fear
Our mittens we have lost.
What! Lost your mittens,
You naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
You shall have no pie.

The three little kittens,
They found their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear,
See here, see here,
Our mittens we have found.
What! Found your mittens,
You darling kittens!
Then you shall have some pie.
Purr-rr, purr-rr, purr-rr,
You shall have some pie.

​The three little kittens,
Put on their mittens,
And soon ate up the pie
Oh, mother dear,
We greatly fear
Our mittens we have soiled.
What! Soiled your mittens,
You naughty kittens!
Then they began to sigh,
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
They began to sigh.

​The three little kittens,
They washed their mittens,
And hung them out to dry
Oh mother dear,
Look here, look here,
Our mittens we have washed.
What! Washed your mittens,
You’re such good kittens.
I smell a rat close by!
Hush! Hush! Hush! Hush!
Hush! Hush! Hush!
​I smell a rat close by.