Quodlibets

The name quodlibet refers to two or more already existing melodies being played or sung as countermelodies to each other.
Quodlibets were a favorite pasttime at Bach family reunions, so they can't be too far wrong.

You may have heard such melodies referred to as partner songs.
You may have also seen Broadway musicals in which such numbers are referred to as fugues. If you mention such numbers to your students, be sure that they do not confuse the term with the fugue in Baroque terminology.

Possible partner songs are herein listed by harmonic pattern.
No guarantee is made against parallel intervals or unresolved dissonances.
Nevertheless, I hope that the selection is large enough that you can find something satisfactory.

MAJOR MODALITY, 4/4 METER

I I I I
  • Join in singing hallelujah (Taylor & Dyk 1977: 42)
  • Follow me (Taylor & Dyk 1977: 270)
  • Let our voices now ring out (Taylor & Dyk 1977: 192)
  • Morning bells I love to hear (Taylor & Dyk 1977: 3)
  • Now the blacksmith's arm (Taylor & Dyk 1977: 27)
  • See the raindrops (Taylor & Dyk 1977: 163)
  • Hey, Billy Monday (Choksy 1981: 245)
  • Eyes of blue (Choksy 1981: 247)
  • 4/4 numbers in Cantey 1916.
I I IV I
  • Swing Ol' Liza (Bradford 1978: 40)
  • Yoop tiddy (Bradford 1978: 50)
  • Shout, Little Lulu (Bradford 1978: 51)
  • Railroad Corral (Bradford 1978: 90)
  • Angel at the door (Bradford 1978: 106)
  • Little wheel (Bradford 1978: 107)
  • Golden ring around Susan (Choksy [1974] 1991: 212)
  • Sally in the kitchen (Choksy 1981: 243)
  • Remember me (Choksy 1981: 244)
  • Do Lord (Choksy 1981: 254)


I I V I
  • Frog in the meadow (Bradford 1978: 2)
  • Babylon's fallin' (Bradford 1978: 5)
  • Good news (Bradford 1978: 5)
  • Old Aunt Dinah (Bradford 1978: 12)
  • Bye, bye baby (Bradford 1978: 13)
  • Run, child, run (Bradford 1978: 13)
  • El zapatero (Bradford 1978: 13)
  • Old woman (Bradford 1978: 15)
  • Across the Western ocean (Bradford 1978: 35)
  • Punchinella (Bradford 1978: 51)
  • Tea rye Riley (Bradford 1978: 72)
  • We're coming ever nearer (Bradford 1978: 80)
  • Counting song, The (Choksy [1974] 1991: 190)
  • Cuckoo (Choksy [1974] 1991: 190)
  • Witch, witch (Choksy [1974] 1991: 194, 1981: 21)
  • Jim along Josie (Choksy [1974] 1991: 201)
  • Who｀s that? (Choksy [1974] 1991: 202)
  • Bye, bye, baby (Choksy [1974] 1991: 203)
  • Deedle deedle dumpling (Choksy [1974] 1991: 204, 1981: 215)
  • Go tell Aunt Rhody (Choksy [1974] 1991: 238)
  • Bee bee (Choksy 1981: 213)
  • Buffalo Boy (Choksy 1981: 242)
  • Sweet Johnny Cuckoo (Choksy 1981: 242)


I IV I (or V) I
  • Arre, mi burrito (Bradford 1978: 9)
  • Sandy Land (Bradford 1978: 53)
  • Icka backa (Choksy [1974] 1991: 190, 1981: 213)
  • Lucy Lockett (Choksy [1974] 1991: 190)
  • Mill wheel, The (Choksy [1974] 1991: 191)
  • Bounce high (Choksy [1974] 1991: 193, 1981: 212)
  • Bobby Shaftoe (Choksy [1974] 1991: 195, 1981: 213)
  • Plainses, clapsies (Choksy [1974] 1991: 197)
I I I I
I I IV I
  • Walk and stop (Choksy 1981: 218)
  • Goin' up the river (Choksy 1981: 254)
I I I I
I I V I
  • Old Mother Brown (Bradford 1978: 12)
  • Why don't you let God's people go? (Bradford 1978: 36)
  • Krinkum krankum (Bradford 1978: 57)
  • Closet key (Choky [1974] 1991: 199)
  • Billy billy (Choksy 1981: 226, 1981: 240)
  • Who's that yonder (Choksy 1981: 240)
  • Willowbee (Bradford 1978: 31)
  • Hush, little Minnie (Bradford 1978: 32)
  • Black snake (Bradford 1978: 32)
  • Walk in the parlor (Bradford 1978: 101)
  • Long legged sailor (Choksy 1981: 241)
I I I I
I I IV I
  • Tideo (Bradford 1978: 58)
  • I heard the angels singing (Bradford 1978: 64)
I I I V
I I V I
  • Knock the cymbals (Bradford 1978: 31)
  • Great big house in New Orleans (Choksy [1974] 1991: 207, 1981: 246)
  • Rocky Mountain (Choksy [1974] 1991: 208)
  • Chicken on a fence-post (Choksy [1974] 1991: 212)
  • Goodbye brother (Choksy 1981: 244)
I I IV I
I I V I
  • My foot's in my stirrup (Bradford 1978: 34)
  • Short'nin' bread ("Don't that Dinah love short'nin' bread?")
    (Bradford 1978: 36)
  • Blue beads (Bradford 1978: 58)
  • Tugadoo fife and drum (Bradford 1978: 68)
  • Blood on the saddle (Choksy [1974] 1991: 224)
I I V V
I I V I
MAJOR MODALITY, 3/4 METER

I I I I
  • Charlie over the ocean (Bradford 1978: 2)
  • Past ten o'clock (Taylor & Dyk 1977: 26)
  • Hello! Hello! (Taylor & Dyk 1977: 2)
  • Come join with me (Taylor & Dyk 1977: 188)
  • 3/4 and 6/8 numbers in Cantey 1916.


I I V I
  • Fais dodo (Bradford 1978: 4)
  • Old Paint (Bradford 1978: 71)
  • Cuartel Masic ( Cantey 1916: 42)
  • Santiago Memories ( Cantey 1916: 45)
I IV I (or V) I
  • I'm the king of the castle (Choksy [1974] 1999: 196)
  • Hickety tickety (Choksy [1974] 1999: 196)
I I I I
V V I I
  • Knock at the door (Bradford 1978: 16; Choksy 1981: 214)
  • One more river (Bradford 1978:103)
I I IV I
I I V I
  • The good old fashioned way (Bradford 1978: 34)
  • Juan Pirulero (Bradford 1978: 36)
MINOR MODALITY, 4/4 METER

i i V i
  • Ama lama (Bradford 1978: 22)
  • Goin' roun' the mountain (Bradford 1978: 23)
MINOR MODALITY, 3/4 METER

i i iv i
i iv i i
  • Charlie over the ocean (Bradford 1978: 2)
  • John Brown's coal mine (Bradford 1978: 65)
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bradford, L. L. 1978. Sing it yourself: 220 pentatonic American folk songs. Sherman Oaks, CA: Alfred Publishing Co.
The author went through 88 sources to collect these songs.
The songs are arranged in order from narrowest to widest range.
Recorder teachers may be especially interested in the first 15 songs on the first 5 pages, all of which use only B, A, and G.
The entire book is available on-line in pdf format.

Choksy, L. [1974] 1999. The Kodaly method. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. 2 vol.
Contains an appendix consisting of folk songs arranged in order of difficulty.
Last I heard, Choksy had retired from the music teaching profession to operate a bed-and-breakfast resort. I hope the bed-and-breakfast business gained as much as the music teaching profession lost.

_____. 1981. The Kodaly context. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Like Choksy 1974, contains an appendix consisting of folk songs arranged in order of difficulty.

Miller, C. C. 2001. Pentatonic partners: Songs and activities for the music classroom. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corp.
Contains 9 folk songs and 1 original song, each with an Orff arrangement, a piano accompaniment, lesson plans, and game instructions.
The book also provides is a song sheet which the copyright owner permits the user to copy. The 1 original song is in two contrapuntal treble parts.
For each of the 9 folk songs, the book also provides song sheets for songs which could fit as partner songs.
It is a good idea, but the price is a little steep.

Taylor, M. C. & Dyk, C. 1977. The book of rounds. New York: Dutton.

Home page
Bibliography page
If you have any comments, questions,
or suggested additions to the collection,
send me a message,