This is a beautiful lullaby from Mexico. The words are in Spanish.
Make sure you watch the videos at the bottom, which are about Mexico’s culture.
The melody has a repeating pattern in it and there is more than one way to play it, because it is written in 4 different keys. The key changes how high or low the notes are, because we start and end on a different note in each key.
Listen
The Lesson
At The Piano
In F Slow Speed
In G Slow Speed
Sheet Music
Make sure you watch the video above for a discussion of the sheet music and explanations. Remember that this page has the song on it 2 times.
Don’t forget to practice it over and over again until you are able to make mom or dad fall asleep! Then you can post on FlipGrid and try to make me and your classmates fall asleep.
Let’s see some performances that will put us to sleep!
Take it slow and remember to break it up into phrases.
You should remember these songs from Book 1. In fact, the melodies are played exactly the same way. That part should not be too challenging. The new part here in book 2 is that there are now harmony parts written in and you have to play both hands together.
This is a traditional round from England. It is sung in 3 parts.
A little translation for you from the original English.
A bottle of pop is a bottle of soda.
To chuck muck is to throw garbage.
Fish and chips is a traditional dish in England of fried fish and french fries, which are called chips in England. In England, most people eat fish and chips with vinegar.
Antonín Dvořák wrote Largo as one of the movements, (that’s what the parts of a piece of classical music is called) of his New World Symphony. Dvořák was an immigrant to America and he wrote this piece to show American composers that black people’s music was a really amazing and beautiful part of the American culture. He hoped that more classical composers would use the ideas in black music in their compositions.
There is a radio show that tells the story, but it is probably best if you listen to it with your favorite grownup so they can explain some of the ideas in it. Let them know it’s only 8 minutes long, so it will be quick!
This is a lullaby from Eastern Africa. The words are in Swahili. Even though there is a definite beat to the music, it is effective in lulling you to sleep because of the repeating patterns in the rhythm and melody.