Drums for a Pirate Band and The Silly Pirate Song

Pirate Drums 

I was inspired by Miss Marilee's Music post on Drumming, especially the gorgeous drums she made out of recycled buckets.  I found some wonderful buckets with rope handles at the dollar store that had a good sound quality.

One important thing about these bucket drums was that they had smooth bottoms, so they had a good surface for hand drumming. Inspect them all though -- some had a sharp point that needed filing down.

After warming up with "My Favorite Drum", we used our "Red" and "Purple" rhythms.
I started the kids by chanting:
Red, Red, Red, Red 
and we kept that steady beat. While they kept playing, I played a simple tune on the piano that had a heavy 4/4 quarter note rhythm.

Then I switched them to
Purple, Purple, Purple, Purple
And kept a steady 4/4 eighth note accompaniment using strong repeated open fifths in the left hand, a simple melody in the right hand.

One little boy got so excited he jumped up when it was over and begged to do it all again. "It was so beautiful, when we were playing the drums and you were playing the piano; I almost cried!"

For our Pirate Program I played (on the piano) 16 measures of "The Legend of the Croc" from Peter Pan for the quarter note rhythm, and "What do you do with a Drunken Sailor" (I called it a Silly Sailor) for the eighth note rhythm.

I'm hoping to use drums for every new theme Teacher Teri comes up with!

The Silly Pirate Song by Jack Hartmann

Much like the popular camp song "Once an Austrian Went Yodeling", the pirate is interrupted by a surfer, then a shark, then a helicopter, and on it goes.

This song was very exciting for the kids, and they wanted to learn ALL the verses for this sequencing song! That was a bit much for our program, so we just did a few.

Here is a fun youtube version of the song. Plenty of good motion ideas.

You can also find youtube performances by preschool and kindergarten classes if you need more teaching ideas.

And also VERY helpful, here is a link to powerpoint illustrations from Kellyskindergarten.com to use for teaching the song.

If You're a Pirate and You Know It

So easy, just make up verses and sing to the tune "If You're Happy and You Know It".

Shout "Ahoy!"
Say "Arhhhh!"
Dance a jig
Wave your hook -- swish swish
Raise the sail -- Heave Ho!
Row your boat -- or whatever else you imagine for your pirates

Need more Pirate ideas? See my "Over the Sea" post!

Old Brass Wagon and Move the Circle

These easy dance songs challenge the kids to listen and follow directions.

Old Brass Wagon by Sally's Music Circle

Old Brass Wagon 
is an old favorite of course.

I recommend this recording because it's a wonderful acoustic performance, and the directions are easy for young children to follow.

To introduce this dance, I walk the children through all the movements first, before playing the recording.

• Holding hands, we circle right. At the end of eight counts I call out "Go the other way!" to prepare the kids for the change in direction.
• Then we circle left.
• Interlude (see note)
• Jumpin' up and down! 
• When the caller sings "swing your partner" I just have the kids spin in place, but when we dance this with the Moms I encourage the Moms to swing with their child.
• Interlude (see note)
• Everybody in - this is called three times, so I teach the children by saying "one step in, one step in, LAST step in!" and on the last step we raise our hands. 
• Everybody out -- also called three times, so I teach them saying "one step back, one step back, LAST step back!
• Instrumental end (see notes)

Interlude: The two 8 bar instrumental sections are a good time to come up with your own choreography. I came up with a simple clapping rhythm. 

LAP, LAP (pat your legs two times)

CLAP, CLAP 

simply repeat this three more times. 

Some kids will find this tricky, but I encourage them by telling them it doesn't matter if they get off, just keep going, it's all good!

Instrumental end: 

LAP, LAP, CLAP -- YEE HAW!

Move the Circle by Tumble Tots

Move the Circle
is not a square dance melody, but the motions are almost exactly the same. The caller gives good, clear directions in a tempo that is perfect for young children, using the words
"Stop!  ---  Listen!"
to help them understand something new is coming up.
Teach this one first, and Old Brass Wagon will be even easier for the kids to learn.

Here are the simple movements:
Move the circle 
Stop, go the other way
Move the circle
Clap your hands
Shake your hands
Move the circle 
Stop, go the other way
Move the circle
Jump!
Bend!
Walk to the center with hands up high
Walk back out with hands down low
Take a bow