Xylophonie MaccaroniActivities with a 8 note xylophone

(The name of this activity surfaced, when the children began to moan and groan about my choice of the xylophone for the next activity.)

1. Counting the bells. Sing the numbers, as you count up from 1-8. Start by striking the longest bell C, and progress up the scale to the shortest bell c.

2. Count Down Blast Off Sing the numbers as you count from 8-1, starting with the shortest bell c. Add the word blastoff, like in a countdown for a rocket ship.

3. Take the Sound Up and Down the Stairs. Using the 5 sounds OOO EEEE OH AY AH Sing one of the 5 sounds up and down the scale.

4. The Door Bell By playing the notes E and C you get the sound of a door bell! "Ding Dong!" You can have lots of door bell sounds E C , F D , G E , A F , B G , etc.

5. Skipping Note Use one of the 5 vowel sounds Start with C and skip over every other note. C E G B

6. Skipping Up and Down Using the same 4 notes only this time go in both directions !

7. More Skipping After doing exercise # 6 a few times, try D F A C.

8. Ascending Scale Play the first three notes C D E and sing Do Re Mi. Have the children repeat after you. Once they have that down, Play the next three notes F G A and sing Fah Sol La. Then play just the last two notes B C and sing Ti Do

(Practice this exercise a few times before putting the three parts together.)

9. Do Ti La Sol This is the reverse of the previous exercise. Play from the top, C B A G, and sing Do Ti La Sol. After a few times, then move on down and play F E D C and sing Fa Mi Re Do. Again practice this a few times before putting the two parts together.

10. Doe a Deer Once the previous exercises have become familiar, you can sing this famous song. Strike the low C and sing the first line Doe a deer a female deer, Strike the second note D and sing Ray a drop of golden sun and on up the scale

Note: If you hold the xylophone with the longer keys towards the children, you may be looking at it upside down, but they will see it as a set of stairs.

Doe a deer a female deerRay a drop of golden sunMe a name I call myself

Fah a long long way to runSew a needle pulling threadLah the notes that follow So

Tea a drink with jam and breadThat will bring us back to Do

Then play the 8 notes again from the low CDoe Ray Me Fah Sew Lah Tea Doe

C

D

E

F

G

A

B

c

Original and Collected Poems for the Scale

These poems are sung with one line for each note of the ascending scale. The second part of the poem is for the descending scale.

The Balloon Game (Traditional)Blow up you balloontie it nice and tight

hold on to the stringlet’s go for a ride

here comes the birds flying from the treeschasing our balloons

stop birds pleasepop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop

(I learned this from Kiki a Scandinavian Montessori teacher)

Of course the children pretend to have the balloons. They often will say, mine didn't pop! It is fun to add hand motions to this as well!

Snowman (Traditional)The chubby little snowman

had a carrot for a nosehe stood so still a waiting

for whom do you suppose?along came hungry bunny

looking for some lunchand ate up snowman’s nosewith a nible and a crunch

crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch munch

(or nibble, nibble nibble nibble,nibble nibble,nibble crunch!)

Pussy Willow (Traditional)I know a little kitty (pussy)

her coat is silver greyshe lives out in the meadow

not very far awayalthough she is a kitty (pussy)

she'll never be a catfor she's a pussy willow

now what do you think of thatmeow, meow meow meow

meow meow meow scat

The Flea (Traditional)1. Going up the scale

On my toethere is a flea

Now it's crawling Up on me

Pass my tummypass my noseOn my head

where my hair grows

2. Going down the scaleOn my head

There is a fleaNow it's climbing

Down on mePass my tummy

pass my kneeOn my toe

Take that you flea! (flick of the hands)

Again, hand motions are an additional element to this one!

Baby Birds (A. Hirsch © 2013)baby birds in the nestmama bird was gone

hungry little birdscan’t sing any song

mama bird came backwith a worm in her beak

all the little birdsnow begin to speak

peep peep peep peep peep peep peep squeak

(mother bird tries to get the last little bird to peep. No matter how hard she tries, the little one squeaks!)

Squirrel's Nuts (A. Hirsch © 2013)I saw a little squirrelwalking in the woodslooking up and down

for something really goodHe saw some nutshigh up in a tree

He climbed up to the topand dropped some down to me

plop plop plop plop plop plop plop bonk!

(The children love the bonk and will often pretend they are getting hit on the head!)

Falling Leaves (A. Hirsch © 2013)green leaves upon the trees

turned yellow and redAutumn has arrivedwinter’s just ahead

the trees have gone to sleepthe leaves began to fall

one by one they dropeveryone and all

down down down downdown down down down

Spider’s Climb (A. Hirsch © 2013)A spider started climbing

up the water spoutto see what was up there

and to look aboutthe spider kept on climbing

until it reached the topthen it started raining

the drips began to dropdrip drip drip drip

drip drip drip woosh

Xylophonie Macaroni (A. Hirsch © 2014)Xylophonie Macaroni

It's like ice cream,not spumoni

tastes real goodfeels just fine

let's have some moreanytime

yum yum yum yum yum yum yummmmmmmmmm

Ebenezer Sneezer (Traditional)Ebenezer SneezerTopsy Turvy Man

Walks Upon His ElbowsAny Time He Can

Whistles Yankee DoodleEvery Time It Rains

Runs On To The PorchesTaps On Window Panes

OH Eb e ne zer Snee zer Man

Songs You can Play on an 8 note Xylophonenote: capital C is low C lower case c is high c

1. This Old ManThis old man He played one

G E G G E GHe played knick knick on my thumb

A G F E D E FWith a knick knack paddy whack

E F G C C C C Give a dog a bone

C D E F G This old man came rolling home

G D D F E D C

2.Tinga LayoTinga layo run little donkey run

E G A G F F F E D E

Tinga layo run little donkey run

E G AG F F F E D C

3. Frere Jacques

(Are You Sleeping, Thumbkin)

Are you sleeping Are you sleepingC D E C C D E C

Brother John Brother JohnE F G E F G

Morning bells are ringingG A G F E C

Morning bells are ringingG A G F E C

Ding Dang Dong Ding Dang DongC D C C D C

4. Row Row Row Your BoatRow row row your boat

C C C D E gently down the stream

E D E F Gmerrily merrily merrily merrilyc c c G G G E E E C C C

life is but a dreamG F E D C

5. Mary Had a Little LambMary had a little lamb

ED C D EE E Little Lamb Little Lamb

DD D EG G Mary had a little lamb

E D C D E E E It's fleece was white as snow

E D D E D C

6. Twinkle Twinkle (Could also be ABC and also Ba BA Black sheep)

Twinkle twinkle little starC C G G A A G

How I wonder what you areF F E E D D C

Up above the world so highG G F F E E D

Like a diamond in the skyG G F F E E D

Twinkle twinkle little starC C G G A A G

How I wonder what you areF F E E D D C

7. London BridgesLondon Bridges falling down

G A G F E F G Falling down falling down

D E F E F GLondon Bridges falling down

G A G F E F GMy fair ladyD G E C

8. Aiken DrumThere was a man lived in the moon

C E E E C F F F in the moon, in the moon

E E E D C C There was a man lived in the moon

D E E E C F F F And his name was Aiken Drum

F F E E DD C

9. Old McDonaldOld McDonald had a farm

F F F C D D C E I E I Oh

A A G G FAnd on that farm , he had a cow

C F F F C D D CE I E I Oh

A A G G Fwith a moo moo here

C C F F Fand a moo moo there

C C F F Fhere a moo, there a moo

F F F F F F everywhere a moo moo

F F F F F FOld McDonald had a farm

F F F C D D C E I E I Oh

A A G G F

10. Crawdad You get a line i'll get a pole

E G G G A GG Ehoney, honeyE G E G

You get a line i'll get a pole BabeE GGG AGG E D

You get a line i'll get a poleE G GG A GG E

we'll go down to the crawdad holeE D C DD E D C

honey Baby be mineE G DE D C

11. Little Green FrogBlethem blethem went the little green frog one day

C F F G AG F G C C Blethem blethem went the little green frog

C F F G AG F GBlethem blethem went the little green frog one day

C F F G AG F G C Cand his eyes went blink blink too!

c c c A G G F

12. Good Morning to YouGood morning to you

C C E G c Good morning to you

C C E G C cHere we are in our places

D E F E D E Cwith bright shinny faces

E F E D E Cand in our hearts it's a new day

D D D F F F E D CGood morning to you

C C E G cGood morning to you

C C E G c

13. Little Tea PotI'm a little Tea Pot short and stout

C D E F G c A c G Here is my handle. here is my spout

F F F E E D D D CWhen I get all steamed up here me shout

C D E F G c A c GTip me over and our me out

c A G G F E D C

14. La CucarachaLa CucarachaC C C F ALa CucarachaC C C F A

He's a merry little bugF F EE DD C

La CucarachaC C C E G La CucarachaC C C E G

Now he's dancing on the rugC C C B A G F

14. Muffin ManDo you know the muffin man

C F F G A F Fthe muffin man the muffin man

E DG G F E C C Do you know the muffin man

C F F G A F Fhe lives on Drurry Lane

F G G E E F

16. Oh SusannahIt rained all night the day I left

C E G G A G E Cthe wether it was dry

D EE D C Dthe sun so hot I froze to death

C E GG A G E CSusannah don't you cry

D E E D D COh Susannah F F A A

oh don't you cry for me A G A E C D

for I come from Alabama

C C E G G A G E with a banjo on my knee

C D EE D D C

17. Tisket a TasketA tisket a tasket A GE A G E

a green and yellow basketG G G E A G E

I wrote a lette r to my momF F F D F F D

but on the way I lost itG G F E D E CI lost it I lost itA G E A G E

on the way I lost itG G E A G E

A little boy picked it upF F F D F F D

and put it in his pocket G G F E D E C

18. Dreidel I have a little Dreidel

E G E GE G EI made it out of clay

G G G F E Dand when it's dry and ready

D F D F D F DMy Dreidel I will play

G GF E D COh Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel

E G E GE G EI made it out of Clay

G G G F E Dand when it's dry and ready

D F D F D F DMy Dreidel I will play

G GF E D C

19. Three Blind MIce Three blind mice Three blind mIce

E D C E D C

See how they run see how they run

G F F E G F F E

they all ran after the farmers wife

G c c B A B C G G C

we cut off their tail with a carving knife

G c c B A B C G G C

Three blind mIce

E D C

20. The Bear Went Over the MountainThe bear went over the mountain

C E E E D E F E

The bear went over the mountain

E D D DC D E C

The bear went over the mou oun tain

C E E E D E F G A

to see what he could see

G G G F D C

22. Shortnin' BreadMama's little baby love shortnin' shortnin'

C C A A GG A C G G A

Mama's little baby loves shortnin' bread

c c A A G G A E D C

Put on the skillet, slide on the lid

c c A G A c c A G

Mama's gonna make a little shortnin' bread

c c A A G G A E D C

that ai'nt all mamas gonna do

c A G A c c A G

Mama's gone make a little coffee too

c c A A G G A E D C

23. It's Raining It's PouringIt's raining it's pouring

A G E A G E

the old man is snoring

E G E A G E

He went to bed

E F F D

and he bumped his head

E E F F D

and couldn't get up

D F F F G

in the morning

D D E C

Name that Tune!

It's Time to Trick the Kids!

Children love to play a game I often call "It's time to trick the kids!" Using the xylophone, or other musical instrument, play the melody. Ask the children, "what is that song?" This is the beginning of a lot of fun. The more you do this, the more they will like it. At first I help them figure out the song. Then as I repeat the activity, they begin singing on their own. This is an important development. Usually the teacher is leading the song. In this game a child that recognizes the song, becomes the song leader! Now you are truly hearing the voices of your children. I use the xylophone for the simple songs contained in this book. On the Appalachian dulcimer many more songs are possible. that require more than 8 notes. If you have access to a Glockenspiel, or a piano, you can do a lot more songs.

After playing this games for a few days, I begin to challenge the children. If they can get 5 songs, then they have tricked me! I have them count the songs, often asking how many songs so far. Later on I make it 10 songs.

This has been a fun and rewarding activity played thousands of times!