Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Introduction

Did you know that this song is based on a poem?  The lyrics are from an early-19th-century English poem by Jane Taylor, “The Star”.   Here is the poem:

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.

When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Then the trav’ller in the dark,
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.

In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often thro’ my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.

‘Tis your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the trav’ller in the dark,
Tho’ I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

Video

The Lesson

At The Piano

Full Speed

Slower

Sheet Music

Piano
Piano Challenge Version
Ukulele
Guitar
Recorder
Xylophone or On Screen Piano

Don’t Forget!

You can look up the ukulele chords and guitar chords and get help with reading tablature,
playing the recorder or rhythm (percussion) instruments right here on my website!

Enrichment

Offline Activity

Example

Example of completed worksheet. It doesn't have to be perfect!

This Old Man

Introduction

Old Man Riding Skateboard

 This is a well known counting song.

What kind of old man do you think this is?

Is he nice and sweet?

Is he grumpy?

Does he remind you of anyone?

Video

The Lesson

At The Piano

Full Speed

Slower

Sheet Music

Piano
Piano Challenge Version
Ukulele
Guitar
Recorder
Xylophone or On-Screen Piano

Don’t Forget!

You can look up the ukulele chords and guitar chords and get help with reading tablature,
playing the recorder or rhythm (percussion) instruments right here on my website!

Enrichment

Frog Jumps Down

Introduction

Frog Jumping Down

Just like the frog jumps in this song, the notes jump down.  The notes skip, or jump over, a note to get to the next one.  The same thing happens with the finger numbers.

Which finger are we skipping?

Which note letter are we skipping?

Listen

The Lesson

At The Piano

Full Speed

Slower

Sheet Music

Piano
Ukulele
Xylophone or On-Screen Piano

Don’t Forget!

You can look up the ukulele chords and guitar chords and get help with reading tablature,
playing the recorder or rhythm (percussion) instruments right here on my website!

Enrichment

Cockles and Mussels

Introduction

Statue of Molly Malone in Dublin, Ireland

This is the unofficial anthem of Dublin, Ireland.  There is even a statue of Molly Malone in Dublin.

There is no evidence that the song is based on a real woman, of the 17th century or any other time. The name “Molly” originated as a familiar version of the names Mary and Margaret. While many such “Molly” Malones were born in Dublin over the centuries, no evidence connects any of them to the events in the song.  Nevertheless, the Dublin Millennium Commission in 1988 endorsed claims made for a Mary Malone who died on June 13,1699, and proclaimed June 13th to be “Molly Malone Day”.

Video

The Lesson

Sheet Music

Piano
Ukulele
Guitar
Recorder
Xylophone or On-Screen Piano

Don’t Forget!

You can look up the ukulele chords and guitar chords and get help with reading tablature,
playing the recorder or rhythm (percussion) instruments right here on my website!

Enrichment

The Cat Came Back

Introduction

Photo of Cat

This is a comic song that is about an old farmer that is trying to get rid of a cat that won’t leave his home.  No matter how far away he takes it, the cat keeps coming back!

There are a lot of different versions of this song, and you can even try to write some verses of your own.

The key is to remember that this song is filled with dark humor.  That means that the ideas are things that you’re not really supposed to laugh at, but you can’t help it.  One example is in Jingle Bells.  In the last verse, the guy walks out on the snow and falls on his back.  It’s kind of funny, as long as it’s not you, ya know?

Video

The Lesson

Sheet Music

Piano
Ukulele
Guitar
Recorder
Xylophone or On-Screen Piano

Don’t Forget!

You can look up the ukulele chords and guitar chords and get help with reading tablature,
playing the recorder or rhythm (percussion) instruments right here on my website!

Backing Track (Sing Your Own Lyrics)

Sample Verses

He gave it to a man going up in a balloon
And told him for to take it to the Man in the Moon.
The balloon came down about ninety miles away,
And where he is now, well, I dare not say.

The cat was a possessor of a family of her own
With seven little kittens, till there came a cyclone.
It blew the houses all apart and tossed the cat around;
The air was filled with kittens, and not a one was ever found.

They took him down to Cape Canaveral and put him in a place
And they shot him in a satellite way into space
They thought that cat was beyond human reach
Then they got a phone call from Miami Beach, sayin’

Enrichment