Hello, and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman.
Today we are learning a new song on the piano: "Let Us Chase the Squirrel".
Here's an arrangement I composed for this song.
See if you can hear the sounds of the squirrel being chased
up and down the tree while I play.
If you've heard this song on your listening album, you can sing along with me.
[Playing piano]
Let us chase the squirrel! Up the hick'ry, down the hick'ry,
Let us chase the squirrel! Up the hick'ry tree!
Now I'll sing the first part of this song,
and I want you to tell me if this song starts on a low note, or a high note.
What did you hear first?
If you said it started on a low note, you're right.
The first note of this song is DO.
I'll sing the first part of squirrel in solfa, and then I'd like you to be my echo.
So my turn first.
DO DO RE RE MI SO.
Now your turn. Ready go.
Great job. Now let's take a look at what these notes look like on the staff.
Here is the first phrase of "Let Us Chase the Squirrel".
First, can you tell me what note this song starts on?
Tell me it's letter name.
If you said middle C, you are correct.
Now let's point to each note, and tell me if it's stepping, skipping or repeating.
We'll say start for the first note.
Try saying it along with me. Here we go.
Start, repeat, step up, repeat,
step up, skip up.
I knew this was a skip because it went from a line,
and it skipped over this space, and went to the next line.
Now, let's sing the solfa. This song starts on DO.
I'll sing it once by myself, then you try pointing to the notes and singing by yourself.
My turn first. DO DO RE RE MI SO.
Your turn. Point and sing.
Great job. Now last thing is we're going to try pointing and saying the letter names.
Point and say the letter names with me.
Let's do it together. Ready go.
C, C, D, D, E, G.
Good, now let's practice moving our fingers for this pattern.
Okay, hold your right hand in the air.
I'll show you the first pattern, and then you do the same thing. My turn first.
DO DO RE RE.
Your turn.
My turn. MI SO.
Your turn.
Now let's put those two together with the real words.
My turn first. Let us chase the squirrel!
Your turn. Sing and move your fingers.
Good. Now let's look at the next pattern in "Let Us Chase the Squirrel".
Here's the next phrase in "Let Us Chase the Squirrel".
Point to each note with me and say if it's stepping, skipping or repeating.
First note is start. Ready go.
Start, repeat, step up, repeat,
step up, repeat, step down, repeat.
Good. Now we'll sing the solfa.
I'll do this one by myself, then you get a turn by yourself.
My turn first.
DO DO RE RE MI MI RE RE.
Now your turn. Point and sing the solfa.
Good. Now let's name the letter names. It starts with C.
Try to do it along with me. Ready go.
C, C, D, D, E, E, D, D.
Great job. Now let's practice moving our fingers for this pattern.
DO DO RE RE MI MI RE RE.
Your turn.
Good. Now let's add the real words. My turn first.
Up the hick'ry, down the hick'ry.
Your turn.
Great. Then we have the same pattern we had at the beginning.
My turn first. Let us chase the squirrel.
Your turn.
Super. Now let's go down and look at the last pattern of the song.
Here's the last pattern in "Let Us Chase the Squirrel".
Can you point to the notes and say the steps, skips and repeats?
This time you try it first, say start for the first note,
and then I'll tell you the answer and see how you did.
Ready go.
If you said start, repeat, step up, repeat, step down, you are correct.
Now let's try singing the solfa. I'll do it once, then your turn.
My turn first. DO DO RE RE DO.
Your turn. Point and sing.
Good. Now let's do the letter names together.
Ready go. C, C, D, D, C.
Great. Now let's try moving our fingers for this pattern.
Watch and listen. DO DO RE RE DO.
Your turn.
Now with the real words. My turn first.
Up the hick'ry tree. Your turn.
Super. You are ready to try it on the piano.
Come to the piano and put your right hand in the C pentascale
with finger one on C.
I'll play the first pattern, and then you try to echo.
Let us chase the squirrel.
Your turn.
My turn. Up the hick'ry, down the hick'ry.
Your turn.
My turn. Let us chase the squirrel.
Your turn.
My turn. Up the hick'ry tree.
Your turn.
Now it's time to push pause and practice the song on your own for a little while.
When you're ready, press play again and we'll try to play the song together.
Ready go.
Let us chase the squirrel!
Up the hick'ry, down the hick'ry,
Let us chase the squirrel!
Up the hick'ry tree.
Great job learning "Let Us Chase the Squirrel".
Remember from our website you can download a
song sheet that shows you the notes written on the staff.
It also has practice ideas and suggestions for you.
Thanks for watching, and I'll see you next time.