Itsy Bitsy Spider
/ Hunky Chunky Spider
Rat Tat Tat, Here
Comes the Postman
Be as Thin as a
Pin
Let’s All Go
Walking
Everybody Sing
With Me
Magic Fingers
A Ring a Ring o’
Rosies
Roly Poly Up Up Up
Down the Road
Thread Follows the
Needle
Round and Round
the Village
Two Little Dicky
Birds
Jelly on a Plate
Mice, Mice
Cats in the
Cupboard
Bananas
Way Up High
Zum Gali Gali
I have selected these songs for this chapter because I think that they exemplify some of the best principles of combining singing and whole-body movement, as discussed in the previous chapters. (Note that many of these songs feature in my Stepping Notes videos – about which more details can be found on www.steppingnotes.com. See below, in the body of this chapter, to find out which videos feature which songs.)
*
Itsy Bitsy Spider / Hunky Chunky Spider
sung to the traditional tune
Itsy Bitsy Spider is a wonderful nursery rhyme, for any child from the age of 2 upwards, for working fine-motor movement. Even better, though, is to develop it into Hunky Chunky Spider! Use your whole body to climb up the water-spout, bring down the rain, lift up the sun etc. Make sure you bend your knees, so that the whole body is used and the full range of movement from floor to “sky”.
*
Rat Tat Tat, Here Comes the Postman
adapted from Jean Gilbert: Musical Starting Points
(video # 2.3, 3.4)
Perfect from age 2 upwards. Embed this song in a little story, e.g.: “One day I was sitting in my living room [perhaps watching Itsy Bitsy Spider climbing up his water-spout?] when I heard a knock at the door...” etc.
You might want to accompany the “Rat tat tats” on a woodblock. This subconsciously introduces the rhythmic pattern “ta ta ta sh” at an early age – which you will work on in more sophisticated ways as the children get older. (See Chapter Seven.)
Then perhaps tap a beater on a milk bottle for:
Clink clink clink, here comes the milkman.
Clink clink clink, he’s at the door.
Clink clink clink, there go the bottles.
Clink clink clink, outside the door.
Then, best of all, bang both hands on the floor (and the children will without doubt join you in this) for:
Bang bang bang, here comes the dustman.
Bang bang bang, he’s at the door.
Bang bang bang, there go the
dustbins.
Bang bang bang, outside the door.
I suggest you all have your arms high in the sky (“jazz” hands?) for the second half of each line (i.e. the bits which are not the “bang bang bangs”), as this will help to prepare the children for the next stage of development of this song, which is this:
When the children are ready for it (perhaps from age 3 upwards), you can sing this verse, doing the “bang bang bang” on drums (see Instrumental Interlude). If you use big drums like my kendhang, the children can play these and maintain a delightful sense of body bounce and freedom of movement. It will, again, help them to remember what they are doing if you all have arms high in the sky in-between the “bang bang bangs”!
*
Be as Thin as a Pin
Maureen Murphy
(video # 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 3.1, 3.6, 4.1)
I borrowed this idea from that wonderful early-years dance
teacher
or: Be as tall as a house!
or: Be as small as a mouse!
These little phrases are the perfect way to prepare for
various verses of the following song, which I learnt from that wonderful
early-years music teacher
*
Let’s All Go Walking
original
song by William Clauson & Basil Swift, Danish text by Lise Stephenson,
from
Marstal/Nielsen/Nygaard: Musikalsk
Legestue (Wilhelm Hansen, Copenhagen);
translated and
adapted by Mark Schneider
(video # 2.1,
2.2, 2.4, 3.1, 3.5, 4.1, 4.4)
If the children are sitting, get them up and ready by
introducing this first verse with “Be as
thin as a pin”. Then:
“Be as wide as a gate” leads nicely into
Let’s all go stamping, stamping, stamping.
etc.
“Be a tall as a house” leads to
Let’s all go tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe.
etc.
“Be as small as a mouse” leads to
Let’s all go crawling, crawling, crawling.
etc.
You can also decide to use this song to
all go jumping
all go running
walk very slowly
all stand still now
or any other movement you like. It is important that any
movement you choose should:
encourage
the centre/core of the body to move, not just the limbs;
be
balanced, encouraging good co-ordination;
express and
exemplify a distinctive musical feeling; and
fit with
the song!
*
Another song similar in use to the above, but with the added benefit of a very clear stop-point to each verse, is
Everybody Sing With Me
sung to the tune of “London Bridge is Falling Down”
(video # 2.2, 2.3, 3.2)
Everybody sing with me,
Sing with me, sing with me.
Everybody sing with me,
Ready, steady, stop.
This of course, like Let’s All Go Walking, can develop into
Everybody go for a walk,
etc.
Everybody stamp your feet,
etc.
Everybody walk on tiptoe,
etc.
Everybody crawl around,
etc.
etc.!
*
One of my favourite variations on the above song is nicely introduced by
Magic Fingers
(video # 2.2)
“Look! I’ve got magic fingers! Have you got magic fingers? Show me your magic fingers and... Hide them!” etc.
Then do it with the other hand.
Then:
Everybody Sing With Me continued…
“Now take your magic fingers and give the floor a very
short... tickle!
And now give the floor another very short... tickle!
And now a very loooong...
tickleickleickleickleickleickleickleickle stop!”
Everybody tickle the floor,
etc.
“Look! I’ve got magic toes! Show me your magic toes, and
give them a very short... wiggle!
And another very short... wiggle!
And now a very long...
wigglewigglewigglewigglewigglewigglewigglewiggle stop!”
Everybody wiggle your toes,
etc.
“Be as thin as a pin!
Be as tall as a house!
Now take your magic toes and give the floor a very short...
tickle!
And another very short... tickle!
And now...
Everybody tickle the floor,
etc. [i.e.
with their toes, i.e. running fast and light on tiptoes]
This song is a very good way to introduce “disappearing instruments” (see Instrumental Interlude) like the shaker eggs. After giving them each two eggs, i.e. one to hold in each fist, you can do, sitting down:
Everybody bounce your hands,
etc.
Everybody wave your arms,
etc.
“Be as thin as a pin!
Be as tall as a house!”
Everybody bounce up and down,
etc.
“Be as wide as a gate!”
Everybody stamp your feet,
etc.
Everybody run very fast,
etc.
Everybody walk very slowly,
etc.
[seeing who can keep their eggs completely silent as they do so]
Notice that in this song I give no instructions to do anything with the eggs. They are “disappearing instruments”: the children’s focus should be on what their bodies are doing. The eggs add a frisson of fun, and give aural feedback about what their bodies are doing.
*
A Ring a Ring o’ Rosies
sung to the traditional tune
(video # 2.2)
This song is an excellent way to subconsciously introduce children from the age of 2 to the analogy of pitch and rising/falling body movement. I usually introduce it with:
“Quack quack!”
“Oh, what’s that?” etc.
This provides the cue for us all to squat flat-footed on the floor like ducks. I call this “quack quack feet” (or “quack quack” position)!
Then:
Be a tall duck. Quaaaaack [rising
vocal slide]!
Be a small duck. Quaaaaack
[falling vocal slide]!
etc.
[optional extra: From any “quack quack” situation, it is
nice sometimes to do:
Let’s All Go Waddling
(like Let’s All Go
Walking above)]
Holding hands and walking in a circle, we can then sing:
A ring a ring o’ rosies, a pocket full of
posies,
[stop] Atishoo, atishoo, we all sliiiiide
[falling vocal
slide, body slides down to “quack quack” position]
down.
Fishes in the ocean, fishes in the sea,
We all sliiiiide
[rising vocal
slide, body slides up again]
up with a one two three.
*
Here is another song which achieves similar things:
Roly Poly Up Up Up
trad., adapted
(video # 3.4, 4.4)
[doing “roly-poly” arms as you
slide up from “quack quack” to standing,
then “roly-poly” arms as you slide back down to “quack quack”]
repeat, or do:
Roly poly out out out.
Roly poly in in in.
then, very slowly:
then:
Roly poly roly poly roly poly down. [fast]
Roly poly roly poly roly poly up. [fast]
Roly poly roly poly roly poly down. [fast]
Roly poly ever so slowly. [very slowly]
*
From a circle dance like A Ring a Ring o’ Rosies it is nice to go into a line-dance (farandole), using
Down the Road
I learnt this song, and the next, from the wonderful Helga
Dietrich.
(video # 2.2)
Sing this song whilst leading a line of children holding hands weaving around the room.
If they are up to it, you can go into a “snail”, and then weave the line back over itself (“threading the needle”) using
Thread Follows the Needle
(video # 2.2)
*
Here is another song which is good for circle- and
line-dances, which you can develop all sorts of ways:
Round and Round the Village
(video # 3.4, 4.4)
[Do the above walking round in a circle holding hands.]
This continues into:
Up and down the highways,
etc. [line-dance]
In and out the windows,
etc. [“snail”, into “threading
the needle”]
Then, how about:
Let’s all climb the mountain,
Let’s all climb the mountain,
Let’s all climb the mountain,
As people like to do.
“Down the other side of the mountain is a long green grassy slope!”
Let’s slide down the mountain,
Let’s slide down the mountain,
Let’s slide down the mountain,
Ready –
steady – wheeeee! – Bump!
“Oh dear, we’ve landed in a muddy puddle!”
“Quack quack!”
We’ve got muddy bottoms, [“quack quack”
position]
We’ve got muddy bottoms,
We’ve got muddy bottoms,
Let’s wash them till they’re clean.
“What a long tiring day it has been...”
Let’s all go to sleep now,
Let’s all go to sleep now,
Let’s all go to sleep now,
As people like to do.
*
Two Little Dicky Birds
sung to the traditional tune
(video # 2.1)
This nursery rhyme can be developed into whole-body movement just like Itsy Bitsy Spider (above). Start with your two little fingers for Two Little Dicky Birds. Then do the song using your two hands: Two Big Dicky Birds. Then stand up, and use big arms to make Two Enormous Dicky Birds!
This song can of course move smoothly into Let’s All Go Flying (like Let’s All Go Walking above). Effect this transition by being a big bird, with big wings, which take your body up and down, so that whilst flying the children’s bodies are flying up and down, not just flapping about!
*
Jelly on a Plate
sung to the traditional tune
(video # 2.1, 3.2, 3.5)
Do this sitting in a circle around a big hoop (= a big bowl of jelly!)
“Take a big ladle-full of jelly, and put it on your plate!”
Jelly on a plate, jelly on a plate.
Wibble wobble wibble wobble, jelly
on a plate.
“Take a spoonful of jelly!”
Jelly on a spoon, jelly on a spoon.
Wibble wobble wibble wobble, jelly
on a spoon.
“Now let’s eat it: aaaaa-um!”
Jelly in your mouth, jelly in your mouth.
[with “full mouth”]
Eat it up, eat it up, jelly in your mouth.
“Where’s it gone? In your tummy!”
Jelly in your tummy, jelly in your tummy.
[patting tummy]
Yum yum yum, yum yum yum, jelly in your
tummy.
“Oh, Nikhil! You’ve got jelly on your shoulders!”
Jelly on your shoulders, jelly on your
shoulders. [bouncing shoulders]
etc.
“Oh, Angela! You’ve got jelly on your knees!”
Jelly on your knees, etc. [bouncing knees]
“Oh Tabitha! You’ve got jelly on your back! Stand up and take a look!”
Jelly on your back, etc. [walking around yourself looking at your back]
“Did you see it? No? Oh, well, look the other way then!”
Jelly on your back, etc. [walking around yourself the other way looking at your back]
You are now all standing up, of course, so you can do things like
Jelly on your feet
Jelly on your knees
and finally
Jelly on your everything!
“Let’s all sit down and have some more jelly, shall we?
Oh! The jelly’s all gone. Who ate up all the jelly?
Listen, I can hear him now. He’s going ‘Squeak squeak...
squeak squeak...’
Who can that be?”
Mice, Mice
(video # 2.1, 3.2, 3.5)
Mice, mice, eating up the rice.
Nibble nibble nibble nibble, nice
nice nice!
First use fingers to be very fast running mice, starting when the rhyme starts and stopping precisely when the rhyme stops.
Then get on all fours and be very fast running mice.
Then, perhaps, be very slow mice!
“Oh, how ever can we get rid of these mice?
I know, we need some help from someone.
I can hear him now! ‘Meow... meow...’
Who can that be?
Where could he be hiding?”
Cats in the Cupboard
sung to the tune of “Skip to my Lou”
(video # 2.5)
Cats in the cupboard, meow meow meow, [cat paws]
Cats in the cupboard, meow meow meow,
Cats in the cupboard, meow meow meow,
What shall we do, Tom Farmer?
“Woof!”
Dogs in the dustbin, woof woof woof, [on
all fours, wagging tail]
etc.
What shall we do, Tom Farmer?
“Baa!”
Goats in the garden, baa baa baa, [on
all fours, eating the grass]
etc.
What shall we do, Tom Farmer?
“Moo!”
Cows in the kitchen, moo moo moo, [crawling
slowly]
etc.
What shall we do, Tom Farmer?
“Neigh!
Oh! Stand up, climb onto your horse, hold the reins.
Clip clop clip clop...” [to get them trotting, perhaps with
two-tone woodblock accompaniment]
Horses in the haystack, neigh neigh neigh, [trotting]
etc.
What shall we do, Tom Farmer?
Finally:
Chase them all away then, shoo shoo shoo. [standing,
“shooing” with their hands]
etc.
That’s what we’ll do, Tom Farmer!
*
Bananas
words and music by Ana Sanderson, from Sanderson: Banana Splits (A & C Black, London);
but taught to me by Steve Grocott
(video # 3.2, 3.5, 4.4)
Embed this song in a make-believe story about climbing a banana tree to pick bananas. Use the actions suggested by the words.
Bananas,
bananas, clap clap clap.
Bananas, bananas, flap flap
flap. [flap hands]
Bananas,
bananas, click click click.
Bananas,
bananas, flick flick flick.
Bananas,
bananas, bump bump bump. [hips]
Bananas,
bananas, jump jump jump.
After each time through:
“Pick a banana…
Eat your banana…
Show me your empty banana skin…
Let’s have another, shall we?”
After the children have got used to it, then
“Show me your empty banana skin…
Now let’s sing an empty banana song!”
Then do that – i.e. actions + mouthing, without sound! It is really important, for all the reasons discussed in Chapter Four, that they keep “singing silently”, i.e. mouthing the words. Do not let them get away with just doing the actions without mouthing: they must be trained to link voice (even silent voice) with body.
*
Way Up High
(“Swallows in the Sunshine”)
trad., words by Angela Ailes, from Singing Rascals: La (Colourstrings,
(video # 4.3)
First, sing this song lying on the ground looking up at the swallows in the sky.
Then, be swallows with beautiful swallow wings. The swallows fly slowly [first two lines]; then quickly [third line]; then slowly [last line]; then stop.
Do the above at first sitting cross-legged on the floor.
Then, stand with legs slightly apart, feet planted firmly into the ground, but flying with your body and arms in all directions– up and down, side to side, forward and back, twisting round.
Then, do this flying around the room.
Optionally, add a piano accompaniment which reinforces the slow-fast-slow-stop pattern.
*
Zum Gali Gali
trad. Hebrew, from
I love this song, because it is all about the three phases of a sound: upbeat (anacrusis), beat (crusis) and after-sound (metacrusis). Read Chapter Three of this book, if this terminology is unfamiliar to you.
Start by sitting on the floor, watching things “zum” through the sky. Some of them are lucky: they go “zummmmmm…” and shoot across the sky and out of sight. Others are unlucky: they go “zum” to the ground, where they go splat, poor things.
Often we get three “zummm”s followed by one “zum”. This leads us into this song:
Do this first with big bouncing arms: three times they go “zummm”, once “zum”.
Then do it with big jumping bodies with big arms.
Then with big bouncing balls.
Then with big bouncing bodies banging big drums.
Then with big arms playing with beaters on an instrument with big keys like the saron (see Instrumental Interlude) – perhaps playing the E minor triad.
The most important thing in all these versions is that the body creates a big anacrusis before each “zummm” or “zum”. The difference between “zummm” and “zum” is the presence or absence of a metacrusis: with the “zummms” the body continues to move through and beyond the beat, and the sounds are resonant and undamped; with the “zum” the body stops on the beat, and any sound is cut short, staccato.
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