Are you looking for songs to focus on the major triad?
Do you want to get some extra practice with your students using do-mi-sol?
Many folk songs use these three pitches in isolation although few use only these pitches exclusively. Still, when you want to get the specific practice, you want to find songs fitting the bill.
Well, I’m here to help! I looked over my resources and created a list of 6 songs using do, mi, and sol.
These do, mi, sol songs include:
- Mouse, Mousie
- Bird Song
- Lazy Bones
- Bow Wow Wow
- Coffee Grows*
- Ickle Ockle
Check out the rest of the article for game directions, lyrics, and notation.
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Table of Contents
6 Do-Mi-Sol Songs For Kids
With each song, I’ll offer suggested grade levels for each song as well as any game directions and resources you may want to look at.
While most of the songs use other notes beyond do-mi-sol, there are isolated triad patterns in each to help reinforce the intervals with your students.
Mouse, Mousie
Grade Level: First, Second Grades
Pitches Used: do, mi, sol
Source/Book Found: The Kodaly Method I, by Lois Choksy
Lyrics:
Mouse, mousie, little mousie
Hurry! Hurry do!
For the kitty in the housie
Will be chasing you!
Game Directions:
This is a surprise/duck, duck, goose-style chase game my second graders love.
Sitting in a circle, the mouse faces the wall. You select a secret kitty from the circle.
Sing the song as the mouse creeps around the circle. At the end of the song, the kitty jumps up and chases the mouse around the circle as the mouse tries to get back to the open spot.
Check out the full details on Mouse Mousie (and another game) by clicking the link.
Notation:
Bird Song
Grade Level: Second through Fourth grade
Pitches Used: do, re, mi, sol, la, high do. Each verse has a strong do-mi-sol motion.
Source/Book Found: American Folk Song Collection
Lyrics:
1. Ah, said the dove as he sought his mate.
To live alone I can’t constate.
While I’m young, I’ll seek me a wife,
And bill and coo for the rest of my life.
2. Ah, said the woodpecker sittin’ in a tree.
Once I courted a fair lady.
She proved false and from me fled,
And ever since then my head’s been red.
3. Ah, said the wren as away he flew.
If I were a young man, I’d have two.
Should one prove false and from me go,
I’d have two strings to my bow.
4. Ah, said the crow, as he sat all alone,
If I were a young man, I’d have none.
I had a love, she did me scorn;
Ever since then I’ve pulled up corn
5. Ah, said the swallow, sitting in a barn,
As for courting, I never could learn.
I’ll sit and grieve, and that’s no harm,
And build my nest in a lonesome barn.
Game Directions:
No game, but the story and song is beautiful and catchy.
Notation:
Click the link for the Bird Song Notation.
Wake Up You Lazy Bones
Grade Level: Kindergarten, First Grade
Pitches Used: low ti, do, re, mi, fa, sol. Big do-sol movement in the B section.
Source/Book Found: American Folk Song Collection
Lyrics:
Wake up you lazy bones and go and catch the cattle!
Wake up you lazy bones and go and catch the cows!
The sun is hot, the cows are gone, I think I’ll rest, ‘Till they come home.
Check out the detailed breakdown of Lazy Bones along with some sample lessons.
Game Directions:
- During the A, students pat the beat and sing the song.
- For the B, students do these moves. One every two measures.
- Go down on one knee
- Go down on both knees
- Put one elbow down
- Put both elbows down and curl up
- Keep silent for a time. Then pop up and do the A again!
Notation:
Bow Wow Wow
Grade Level: Kindergarten, First
Pitches Used: do, re, mi, sol, la. Big do-mi-sol opening the song.
Source/Book Found: The Music Effect, Book 2 by Joy Nelson
Lyrics:
Bow wow wow,
Whose dog art thou?
Little Tommy Tucker’s dog,
Bow wow wow! (Woof!)
Game Directions:
Two quick games I play with this one go like this.
First, students move around during the song and freeze on the quarter rest.
The other is to create different dog sounds for the ending. Young kids love these simple games.
Check out our Bow Wow Wow breakdown with sample lessons at the link.
Notation:
Coffee Grows*
*This song is on lists of potentially problematic songs. There is a variant or parody of this song which includes a derogatory term for African-Americans.
It’s up to you whether or not you use this song in your classroom. However, to pretend these songs don’t exist isn’t right either. Use at your own discretion.
Check out our detailed breakdown of Coffee Grows at the link.
Grade Level: Fourth, Fifth Grades
Pitches Used: low sol, low la, do, re, mi, fa, sol, la. There are opening jumps repeatedly outlining do-mi-sol.
Source/Book Found: John The Rabbit and other Folk Songs… by Jill Trinka
Lyrics:
Variants a-plenty. Here is what I use.
Coffee grows on white oak trees.
The river flows with honey-o.
Go choose someone to roam with you
As sweet as m’lasses candy-o.
**Two in the middle, and you can’t go over.
Two in the middle, and you can’t go over.
Two in the middle, and you can’t go over.
Hello Susan Brown!
**Note: On repetitions of the song, the number and lyrics change:
- Four in the middle, and they all go over…
- Four in the middle, and they jump for joy…
Game Directions:
Here is how I would play the game. Students are in a four-person square set.
- Chorus: Do a three step movement. (ex. Slide, tap, tap)
- Verse 1: “Two in the middle and you can’t go over.” (Head couple and opposite couple step in a bow to each other for 8 counts. Repeat with other couples).
- Verse 2: “Four in the middle and they all go over.” (Head and opp. Couple take hands making a circle and then switch spots. Repeat with other couples.)
- Verse 3: “Four in the middle and they jump for joy.” (Head and opp. Couples step in and left arm swing opposites; right arm swing partner then step back to original position. Repeat with other couples.)
Notation:
Ickle Ockle
Check out our detailed article on Ickle Ockle including sample lesson ideas.
Grade Level: First, Second
Pitches Used: sol, mi, la, do. Most of the song hovers around sol-la-mi, but the ending has a strong sol-do jump. This makes for a good introduction to do.
Source/Book Found: American Folk Song Collection
Lyrics:
Ickle ockle blue bottle fishes in the sea.
If you need a partner, please choose me!
Game Directions:
There are several variants for the game, but this is how I play with my students.
- Stand in a circle with one “it” person in the middle.
- The It person skips or gallops around the inside of the circle during the song.
- On “please choose me”, the students shakes hands with another and trades spots. The new student is the next It person.
- Repeat until all students have had a turn.
To save time, you may wish to have up to 4 people It at one time.
Notation:
Conclusion
I hope you found this list of 6 songs using do, mi, sol helpful. Whether you start with sol-mi or mi-re-do, finding songs using the major triad in isolation may be just what your students need.
6 Sol-Mi Songs To Use In Your Music Class
If you’re not ready to add Do, consider sticking with these sol-mi songs for a while.
6 of my favorite ones include:
- Rain, Rain, Go Away
- Bell Horses
- Here I Come
- Listen, Listen, Here I Come
- Doggy, Doggy, Where’s Your Bone?
- Star Light, Star Bright
Note: While these songs may use other pitches besides sol-mi, they feature clear parts of the songs where they may be isolated for use with teaching.
Rain, Rain, Go Away
Grade Level: Kindergarten, First
Pitches Used: Sol, mi, la
Lyrics:
Rain, rain, go away.
Come again another day.
Rain, rain, go away.
Little Johnny wants to play.
Game:
There isn’t a specific game for this song, but I like to allow the students to come up with different motions that remind them of rain as they sing the melody.
Bell Horses
Grade Level: Kindergarten, First
Pitches Used: Sol, mi, la
Lyrics:
Bell horses, bell horses, what’s the time of day?
One o’clock, Two o’clock, time to run away!
Game:
Students play this game in pairs or in small lines.
One person is in the front as the horse.
They get the bells and shake them as they gallop.
The rest of the folks are the driver or passengers.
They follow behind the horse.
When the song is over, they switch places.
Some people play this with a scarf wrapped around the horse’s waist.
I think that’s asking for trouble myself.
Instead, I just have them hold a scarf or small rope behind them.
Here I Come
Grade Level: Kindergarten, First
Pitches Used: Sol, mi, la
Lyrics:
This is a call and response, so I’ll mark this as part A or part B.
A: Here I come.
B: Where from?
A: New York.
B: What’s your trade?
A: Lemonade.
B: Give us some, don’t be afraid.
Game:
No game here, just a call and response song.
I’ll split the class up into different parts after they learn it all.
I’ll also ask them to change some of the words (like where you’re from and the trade part).
Find the sheet music here at the American Folk Song Collection.
Listen, Listen, Here I Come
Grade Level: Kindergarten, First
Pitches Used: Sol, mi, re, do
Lyrics:
Listen, listen, here I come.
Someone special gets the drum.
Game:
Students pat the beat on different parts of their bodies.
We can change the last word from “drum” to any other instrument too.
They can take turns playing the beat on different instruments or picking the instruments themselves.
Doggy, Doggy, Where’s Your Bone?
Grade Level: Kindergarten, First
Pitches Used: Sol, mi, la, do* (This one works for sol-mi-do songs too).
Lyrics:
Here’s another song with call and response in three parts this time: Part A, Part B, and the whole Class.
Class: Doggy, doggy, where’s your bone?
A: Someone took it from my home.
Class: Who has the bone?
B: I have the bone.
Game:
Student A has their eyes closed, and Student B has an object (usually a stick).
The class sings the whole Class part.
Student A has to guess who has the object.
Student B becomes the new A, and you pick a new person to have the stick.
Star Light, Star Bright
Grade Level: First, Second
Pitches Used: Sol, mi, la, do*
Lyrics:
Star light, star bright
First star I see tonight.
Wish I may wish I might
Have this wish I wish tonight.
Game:
There’s no game with this one either, but it works really beautifully as a song with some pitched percussion on an open fifth.
