Singing Games

mi so
  • Categories (Choksy 1981: 237)
  • Engine Engine Number 9 (Gagne 1997, vol. 1: 21)
  • Hill, dill (American folk songs for teaching: a23)
  • No robbers out today (American folk songs for teaching: a12)
mi so la
  • Rattlesnake (Langstaff 1973: 63;
    American folk songs for teaching: d3)
  • Snail, snail (Arlington, Kodaly for beginners, vol. 2: 121;
    Gagne 1997, vol. 1: 4)
  • Tom Tiddler's ground (Gomme [1894] 1964, vol. 2: 298-299)

Red Rover


American folk songs for teaching: c3
with the explanation "traditional Anglo-U. S. children's game:
chant adapted to it for school use"


[untitled]


Wyzga c 1976, vol. 1.

do mi so
  • One potato (Gagne 1997, vol. 1: 22)
  • Jack in the box (Gagne 1997, vol. 1: 22)
do mi so la

Johnny Caught a Flea

traditional children's singing game from British Canada as taught by Pierre and Margaret Perron, HNC summer session 1974, American folk songs for teaching: h2.

do re mi
  • Buy away (Brady 1975: 29)
  • Hand game song (Densmore 1922: 178, Bradford 1978: 4)
  • Hot cross buns (clapping song ) (Gagne 1997, vol. 2: 5)
  • Shake the blanket (Brady 1975: 34)
Hop, Old Squirrel


Jump, old squirrel, etc.

Skip, old squirrel, etc.

Run, old squirrel, etc.

One "squirrel" chases the other, following instructions.

Scarborough 1925: 134-135, Choksy 1974: 155; Johnston 1984: 10; Gagne 1997, vol. 2: 3

re mi so (or so la do)
  • Hickety hickety (Erdei & Komlos 1974: 5)

do re mi so
  • Down came Johnny (Gagne 1997, vol. 1: 10)
  • John Kanakanaka (Choksy 1981: 260-261, Gagne 1997, vol. 1: 26)
  • Knock at the door (Choksy 1981: 214)
  • Needle's eye, The (directions similar to London Bridge)
    (notation: Brewster 1936; directions: Hudson 1936: 292.
    Other sources are Brewster: 49, Piper: 28, Hudson: 39.)
  • Happily we skip along (to the tune of Mary had a little lamb) (Warren 1985: 37)
  • How many miles to Babylon? (Erdei & Komlos 1974: 7-8)
Four Hands Round the Euchre Ring


Wedgwood 1912.


Frosty Weather

Wyzga c 1976, vol 2, American folk songs for teaching: g14.

do re mi so la
  • Billy Billy (Choksy 1981: 226-227, 240)
  • Here comes Sally (variant of Billy Billy) (Edet 1978a: 40)
  • Here we go Zodiac (variant of Billy Billy) (Edet 1978a: 47-48)
  • Here we go Zoodie-o (variant of Billy Billy) (Wyzga, vol. 3)
  • This way thattaway (variant of Billy Billy) (Gagne 1997, vol. 2:: 3)
  • This way, Valerie (variant of Here we go Zodiac) (Ginglend: 103)
  • Here comes a bluebird (good for teaching colors)
    (Bradford 1978: 28, (Choksy 1981: 214-215)
  • Knock the cymbals (Owens 1936: 61, Bradford 1978: 32)
  • Bow, wow, wow (Erdei & Komlos 1974: 18)
Tideo


Form groups of three players each.

ms. 1-2. One person stamps a foot on beat one and claps hands together on 2, 3, and 4.

ms. 3-4. Two people stamp a foot on beat two, and clap each others' hands on beats 2, 3, and 4.

ms. 5-6. All three people stamp a foot on beat two, and clap each others' hands on beats 2, 3, and 4.

ms. 7-8. All turn around.

American folk songs for teaching.

mi so la do
  • Draw a bucket of water (McIntosh 1957: 100)
do re mi so do
  • A shout (A shout step consists of stepping with the right foot
    and shuffling with the left foot.) (Arnold: 91)
do re mi so la do
  • Blue beads (Owens 1936: 72, Bradford 1978: 58)
  • Tideo (Gagne 1997, vol. 2: 20)
so do (good for beginner in guitar, bass guitar, or string bass)
  • Honey pots (Gomme [1894] 1964, vol. 1: 219-221)
so do re mi
  • Draw a bucket of water (Chosky 1981: 232-233,
    Gagne 1997, vol. 2: 19)
  • Kiss in the ring (played similar to drop the handkerchief)
    (Gomme [1894] 1964, vol. 1: 305-310)
  • Hippety hop (Corm: 89)
so do re mi so
  • Follow the leader (Warner: 44)
  • The ring
    (can be sung to the tune of The muffin man in Cox 1942: 240)
    (Warren 1983: 51)

  • All around the yard
    (can be sung to the tune of The muffin man in Cox 1942: 240)
    (Warren 1985: 54)
  • All around the barnyard
    (can be sung to the tune of The muffin man in Cox 1942: 240)
    (Warren 1985: 59)
  • Spin, spin, little spider
    (can be sung to the tune of The muffin man in Cox 1942: 240)
    (Warren 1985: 63)
la do re mi
  • Amasee (Choksy 1981: 227)
la do re mi so
  • Wind up the apple tree (Choksy 1981: 224)

Stooping on the Window


Wyzga c 1976, vol. 3: 8.

so la do mi so
  • Alabama girl (Chosky 1981: 231)
  • Wind the bobbin (Choksy 1981: 223)
so la do re
  • Wind up the apple tree (Chase & Tolford 1949: 30, copied in American folk songs for teaching)
so la do re mi
  • Hey, little girl (McIntosh 1974: 83-84)
  • Oh, Johnny (Arnold: 6-7)
  • Old brass wagon (Chosky 1981: 231-232)
  • Lord Randall (Bronson, vol. 1: 200, 217
  • Maid freed from the gallows, The (Bronson, vol. 2: 458)
  • Shake them 'simmons down (Chosky 1981: 230)
  • Wake me, shake me (Gagne 1997, vol. 1: 25)
  • Weevily wheat (McIntosh 1974: 58-59)
Old Dan Tucker


Wedgwood 1912.

so la do re mi so
  • How many miles to Bethlehem?
    (directions similar to London Bridge)
    (Seeger, R. C. 1953: 22)
  • How many miles to London Town?
    (variant of How many miles to Bethlehem?)
    (Linscott 1939: 18-19)
  • Irish trot (Bradford 1978: 66, Owens 1936: 51)
  • I've been to London (clapping song) (Gagne 1997, vol. 2:: 11)
  • Lead through that sugar and tea (Choksy 1981: 229)
  • Paw-paw patch (Thomas & Leeder 1939: 11-13)
  • Turn the glasses over (Choksy 1981: 228)
la do re mi so la
  • Jubilee (Rohrbough [1940] 1968: 53)
so la do mi so la
  • Chickama, chickama-craney crow (good for teaching telling time)
    (Trent-Johns 1944: 32-33 Bradford 1978: 90)
  • Did you feed my cow? (Choksy 1981: 239, Jenkins: 18-19)
  • Sailing on the ocean (Choksy 1981: 227-228)
so la do re mi so la
  • All 'round the brickyard (McIntosh 1974: 23,
    Bradford 1978: 91, Choksy 1981: 219)
  • Weavily wheat (Chosky 1981: 234-235)
so la do re mi so la do
  • Reg'lar, reg'lar, rolling under (Spenney 1921)
  • Train is a-comin' (individual children can play the roles of engine,
    coal car, boxcar, and so forth) (Chosky 1981: 239)
  • Old cow dead (McIntosh 1957: 24-25)
  • Shoo, turkey (Jones & Hawes 1972: 53-54)
so la do re mi so
  • Lord Randall (Bronson, vol. 1: 212)
  • Old cow died, The (Yolen 1972: 44-45)
  • Stooping at the window (Courlander n. d., Bradford 1978: 54)
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