Lyrics
Alligator high, alligator low,
Alligator fast and then he’s slow.
Alligator up, alligator down,
Alligator on the farm and also in the town.
What a great chant for teaching sixteenth notes!
Explore sixteenth notes:
- Pat the beat as they learn the chant.
- Identify “alligator” as having 4 syllables.
- All 4 syllables fit into one beat.
- Now pat the rhythm. Alternating hands will make it easier.
See also
Extras for Plus Members
- Printable Visuals
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Chant – several versions, Lesson ideas for Rhythm (sixteenth notes) (PDF)
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MIDI file
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Listen
Great song!
With my friends (not children), we play it this way:
We sing ‘high’ with a high-pitched note, ‘low’ with a low one.
On ‘high’, ‘low’, ‘up’ and ‘down’ the drummers plays sixteenth notes.
‘alligator up’ is sung moving up the scale, ‘alligator down’ likewise.
The last verse we changed to ”SOMEtimes he’s ON the farm, SOMEtimes he’s GONE off to TOWN’, with the sixteenth notes grouped by three, ending on the fourth beat.
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Hey! Did you write this chant or is it a folk song? I have used it with my 5th grade choir and they loved it!
Ha ha! I’m glad they loved it! I wrote the lyrics! 🙂