Songs for Passing on the Steady Beat
Materials include
- balls
- bean bags
- egg shakers
- stones
Suggestions
- Have students sit (instead of stand) in a circle.
- Instead of one big circle, arrange students in several circles of fewer students per circle.
- Practice the motions of everyone moving hands to the right, then back (even swaying), keeping in sync with everyone else.
- Walk around and help students.
- Say words like “Pass,” “Pick up” and “Right,” even singing those words to the tune.
- Slow down the tempo.
- Only put in 1 stone/ball/stick in at first while the rest of the students pretend. Gradually add more stones/balls/sticks.
- Add a drum beat (or xylophone bordun) on the strong beats.
See also
- Activities: games / hand clapping / circle singing games
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Great suggestions! I especially like the first one as students hold onto the object while tapping the beat and then pass on the last word. I have used the “Corn Grinding Song” usually at harvest time, October/November — “Grinding corn, grinding corn. Here we are, grinding corn. Grains of red and yellow, blue and white corn I am grinding…” Don’t remember from where, but if I find it at school I will reference it. I use bean bags to pass. But there are two white bags I put “x” on with yellow floor tape. While passing around, if students are holding the “x” bag on the last word they are out. They go choose a rhythm percussion instrument to play. They walk around the passing circle and play on the beat while the game continues. The object is to keep singing and keep a steady beat. And of course everyone eventually gets out and has a rhythm percussion instrument!
Update… I found the book that has the Corn Grinding Song. It is a Hopi Indian song and is in Dance Down the Rain, Sing Up The Corn by Millie Burnett (1975). I knew the book I had was old! It was published by Musik Innovations…
Thanks for posting these songs all in one place. I know Al Citron as you have it but the Stone passing song from Ghana I learned with different words and a little different melody and a little syncopation in the rhythm of the 2nd and 6th measures.
s d’ s s l s f m s r r m s d’ s s l s f m s r r d
Obwa si mensa na-na Obwa si mensa. Obwa si mensa na-na Obwa si mensa. A loose translation is a child is saying to their grandparent that their fingers got pinched between the stones.
Thank you, Sonia, for the variation and translation of the song from Ghana!