Let's Sing!

Sing the song you are learning many times every day, along with your recording or a capella, for faster learning -- and for FUN! Ever since we started singing our new songs in the studio (before playing them), I've noticed that children are learning pieces twice as fast!

 

I always say: If you can SING it, you can PLAY it!

 

yours truly,

Toby

Words to almost all the Suzuki Songs in Book 1

Collected by Toby, authored by many brilliant Suzuki teachers and parents!

 

"Twinkle"

 

Twinkle twinkle little star

How I wonder what you are

 

Up above the world so high

Like a diamond in the sky

 

Twinkle twinkle little star

How I wonder what you are.


 

"Lightly Row"

 

Lightly row, lightly row

Down the river we will go

Always rowing, never slowing

In my bright new red canoe

 

See the fishes swimming by

See the birds up in the sky

 

Always rowing, never slowing

In my bright new red canoe.


 

"Song of the Wind"

 

Listen to the sound of wind, I hear it in the trees

Hear it in the trees

See it in the branches bending, leaves and blossoms swirling down

See it in the leaves and blossoms swirling to the ground

 

Listen to the sound of wind, I hear it in the trees

Hear it in the trees

See it in the branches bending, leaves and blossoms swirling down

See it in the leaves and blossoms swirling to the ground


 

"Go Tell Aunt Rhody"

 

Go tell aunt Rhody, John is sick in bed

Go tell the doctor, John is sick in bed

 

He ate some popcorn, and some chocolate bars

And peanut-butter, on his bread

 

Go tell aunt Rhody, John is sick in bed

Go tell the doctor, John is sick in bed.


 

"O Come Little Children"

 

Oh come little children

Oh, come one and all

Let’s join hands together

Both big ones and small

For peace in our lifetime, we offer this plea

For people together, for you and for me.

 

Oh come little children

Oh, come one and all

Let’s join hands together

Both big ones and small

For peace in our lifetime, we offer this plea

For people together, for you and for me.


 

"May Song"

 

Spring is here, the birds are here

Listen to them singing

 

Red and yellow purple and white

Oh my what a beautiful sight

 

Spring is here, the birds are here

Listen to them singing.


 

"Long Long Ago"

 

Long Long Ago, dinosaurs ruled the world,

Tyrranosaur, Ichthyosaur.

They could not think, could not speak, only roar!

Oh what a bore, dinosaur!

 

Birds of the air pecked the dinosaur's nose.

Mice underfoot nibbled scales off their toes.

Pestered, they left planet Earth to their foes.

Where have they gone? No one knows!


 

"Allegro"

 

Toot toot toot, the train is in the station

Ding ding ding, put down the crossing gate

Wave wave wave, the engineer is waving

Down the track the train is moving straight

 

Round and round the wheels are turning

Slower, slower, till they stop…

Toot toot toot, the train is in the station

Ding ding ding, put up the crossing gate.


 

"Perpetual Motion"

 

Have you seen an alligator riding on an escalator?

I have seen an alligator riding on an elevator.

 

Have you seen a ballerina playing on her concertina?

I have seen a ballerina on her way to Pasadena.

 

Have you seen an armadillo sleeping on a big fat pillow?

Have you seen an armadillo sleeping on a big fat pillow?

 

Have you seen an alligator riding on an escalator?

I have seen an alligator riding on an elevator.


 

"Allegretto"

 

In the woods, far away, on a hot summer’s day

The three bears’ cabin stood, at the edge of the wood.

In the woods, far away, on a hot summer’s day

The three bears went away for a walk

 

First the big Papa* bear

Then the kind Mama* bear

Then behind, with his chair, came the small Baby bear

 

In the woods, far away, on a hot summer’s day

The three bears went away for a walk.

 

*Change the names to fit your family, i.e. Mama and Mommy, Papa and Daddy, Mama and Grandma, etc!

 

"Andantino"

 

Suzuki is the right method to take

On our small instruments, music we make

Suzuki is the right method to take

After we finish this, take a small break

 

Make sure that you listen each day

This will really help you to play

 

Suzuki is the right method to take

After we finish this, take a small break

 

"Etude"

 

Henrietta Poppeletta had a special friend to play

Named Willamina Window-Cleaner, and she brought along her football

Henrietta Poppeletta picked it up and threw it back

To Willamina Window-Cleaner, and it smashed right through a window

 

Father came right down the stairs and called to mother

Mother came right down the stairs and looked at Henrietta Poppeletta

And then picked her up and scolded her and sent her off to bed.

 

ALTERNATE:

Harry Potter words to "Etude"

 

Harry Potter Harry Potter had a special friend to play

named Ronald Weasly Ronald Weasly, and he brought along his quaffle

Harry Potter Harry Potter picked it up and threw it back to

Ronald Weasly Ronald Weasly but it crashed right through the window

 

Dumbledore came down the stairs and called to Hagrid

Hagrid came right down the stairs and quickly picked up

Harry Potter Harry Potter, picked him up and said, “Bad boy!” and sent him back to class.


More alternate lyrics for "Etude":

How do you know, how do you know, how do you know Spring is coming? Flowers blooming, flowers blooming, that's how I know Spring is coming.

How do you know, how do you know, how do you know Spring is coming? Buds are forming, buds are forming, that's how I know Spring is coming.

Baby ducklings waddle behind mother ducklings,
Raindrops fall down on umbrellas,

That's how I know, that's how I know, that's how I know, that's how I know Spring is coming each and every year!

 

"Minuet 2"*

 

I like peanut butter sandwiches, I like peanut butter sandwiches

My mom makes them, my dad* makes them, and I can make them too.

I like peanut butter sandwiches, I like peanut butter sandwiches.

My sister makes them, my brother makes them, and I can make them too.

(repeat)

 

Peanut butter goes with jelly and peanut butter goes with honey too.

Peanut butter goes with everything, chocolate-chip ice-cream bars, How I love

those peanut butter sandwiches that my mom and my dad* and I can make too.

I like them, I like them, they taste so good inside!

 

I like peanut butter sandwiches, I like peanut butter sandwiches.

My mom can make them, my dad can make them, and I can make them too.

 

*Change these words to fit your family if you are a single parent, two-mom family, two-dad family, no-sibling family, or any other structure of family!


 

"Happy Farmer"

 

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go,

we feed the chickens, cows and pigs the whole day long.

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go,

we feed the chickens, cows and pigs the whole day long.

When we are finished, then we get to play.

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go,

we feed the chickens, cows and pigs, this ends our song.

When we are finished, then we get to play.

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go,

We feed the chickens, cows and pigs, this ends our song.

 

"Gossec's Gavotte"

 

I can play this long gavotte the whole way through.

I can play this long gavotte as well as you.

I can play this long gavotte just like you too.

Doctor Suzuki would like that too.

 

Can you play the second section just as well?

I can play the second section, can't you tell?

I can play the second section quite as well.

Let's all play the second section, ding dong bell.

 

Let us take it all in turns to play.

I'll play first, then fingers very quickly down the scale come jumping.

I'll play it next and now altogether,

teeter, totter, then running up and down.

 

I'm playing very fast and jump about.

I'm playing very fast and I'm not out.

I'm playing very fast, and I'm playing at the last,

so let's play it altogether, roundabout.