Music You Can Read®

"The Riddle Song"
       
     
"The Riddle Song"
 


"The Riddle Song," Lyrics, Text Format



Instructional formats to foster pattern recognition, expanded pentatonic scale, and intervals most often found in minor tonalities.

Click to hear melody.
 


Description
 
  • Grade: Fifth

  • Origin: USA - Folk Song

  • Key: G Major

  • Time: 4/4

  • Form: ABBC

  • Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ti ti ti ti ta ti | syncopation,
    | ta ta ta/ ti | syncopation, | ta ti ti ta/ ti | syncopation

  • Pitches: intermediate: So La Do Re Mi So La - expanded pentatonic scale

  • Intervals: beginners: La/Do (m3), Do\La (m3), So/Do (P4), Mi/So (m3), So\Mi (m3)

  • Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; pickup beat, repeated melodic rhythm patterns, imperfect ending (So), syncopation, pentatonic scale; note: intervals are most common in minor tonalities, giving the tune a minor quality; instructional formats*

  • Key Words: USA history, riddle, earth science: cherry stone, ring with no end, baby crying, animal science: piping chicken, chicken bone, blooming, rolling, sleeping; abbreviation: cryin' (crying)

  • Recorder: intermediate: syncopation, expanded pentatonic scale, melodic rhythm patterns

  • Keyboard: intermediate: challenges students to change hand position from G Major to D minor

* Each format includes questions to discover musical patterns.

 
 

"The Riddle Song"


       
 
1.
I gave my love a cherry that has no stone;
I gave my love a chicken that has no bone;
I gave my love a ring that has no end;
I gave my love a baby, there's no cryin'.
 
       
 
2.
How can there be a cherry that has no stone?
How can there me a chicken that has no bone?
How can there be a ring that has no end?
How can there be a baby, there's no cryin'?
 
       
  3. A cherry when it's blooming it has no stone;
A chicken when it's piping, it has no bone;
A ring when it's rolling, it has no end;
A baby when it's sleeping, there's no cryin'.
 
       

 

Additional Formats


music

"The Riddle Song," Music Format
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beats

Click to enlarge: "The Riddle Song," Beats Format
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rhythm

Click to Enlarge: "The Riddle Song," Rhythm Format
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pitch numbers

Click to Enlarge: "The Riddle Song," Pitch Number Format
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solfeggio

Click to Enlarge: "The Riddle Song," Solfeggio Format
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letter names

Click to Enlarge: "" Letter Names Format
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