Shake the Papaya Down: Visual, Chord root rhythm writing worksheet, and Garage Band projects

Lyrics and chord roots visual

Shake the Papaya Down lyrics and chord roots visual: you can download the free and editable Microsoft Word is here.

Shake the Papaya Down chord root rhythm worksheet: you can download the PDF for free here.

This is a great song for upper elementary because it has 3 partner songs, and the chord roots have I IV V I. You can have students sing the chord roots, label them as tonic, subdominant, and dominant, improvise rhythms over the chord roots, and even improvise with the chord tones.  After my 4th graders did their chord root rhythm composition, they worked with partners on a Garage Band project where they picked an instrument to play the chords, and they recorded themselves singing the partner  songs and chord root ostinato they composed.

Niño Querido: A Round from Spain

A beautiful lullaby and round that you can use in English or Spanish (or without words, especially if you were using this with early childhood). A song with only I and V7 chords, so you can have the kids add Orff instrument parts on top of it (D, D, A, D) or sing the chord roots/chord tones in harmony (DO-DO-SOL-DO, MI-MI-FA-MI, SOL-SOL-SOL-SOL).

Noteflight notation is here.

7 habits songs: Habit 1: Be Proactive

This year my school is starting to be a Leader in Me school, teaching the students the 7 Habits of Happy Kids (/Highly Effective People) as our character ed program.

So I decided that one way I am going to teach these habits in the music classroom is through a short song for EACH individual habit. Here's Habit 1!
The other 7 Habits songs are all here.

Habit 1 melody notation is on Noteflight here.

Habit 1 melody + ostinato notation is on Noteflight here.

This song has entirely I and V chords, so you can layer it with tonic/dominant ostinati (one example is below), put the with Orff instruments, have kids improvise over the chord roots....you name it!

The song also leaves 3 beats to audiate after "Stop and think," so you can work on audiating rhythm or dominant as well. :)





The YouTube recording here is my favorite ALL-7-habits song. So cute!