Category Archives: Halloween

Playing The Spoons As an Instrument – In Russia!

Anyone who has experienced “down home” American folk music has probably heard a musician play the spoons. If you haven’t – then you’re in for a treat and check out the post below titled: “It’s So Easy to Play The Spoons!”

But, did you know that playing spoons as percussion is a part of traditional Russian folk music as well? Although the sound of the clicking and clacking of the spoons is similar, the Russian technique of playing adds a few really neat twists that put it in a league of it’s own!

Russian Spoons or Lozhki

Known as lozhki (Ло́жки), Russian musical spoons most often are the beautifully carved and decorated wooden spoons famous in that part of the world. Where American spoon players usually use two silver spoons in one hand, Russian players typically play three or more and use both hands. They can also put extra spoons in pockets or on their clothes and use them as extra percussion surfaces.

If you watch this video of a folk orchestra featuring a spoon player, you’ll see some pretty amazing hand (and foot) work!

How do you pronounce “lozhki”? You can hear the correct pronunciation of the Russian word for spoons here: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Ru-%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%BA%D0%B0.ogg

Links and Resources

It’s So Easy to Play The Spoons! http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/classroom-music/its-so-simple-to-play-the-spoons/

Balalaika – Free Coloring Page: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Balalaika-Free-Coloring-Page-3030487

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Posted in Family Fun, Halloween, Homeschool Musical Fun, Multicultural Music, Simple Instruments

Tagged childrens music., Daria, multicultural music, playing spoons, Russian musical spoons, spoons, unusual instruments, unusual percussion, world music with daria, young children and music

Shake Them Skeleton Bones!

Just in time for Halloween, here’s a cute kid’s version of the African-American spiritual song, Dry Bones (or Dem Bones). It’s really fun for this time of year plus a great way to learn or quiz the bones in the human body.

And, don’t you just love when you can dance around, make music and learn something new all at the same time?

LYRICS TO THE SKELETON BONES SONG

Them Bones, them skeleton dry bones
Them Bones, them skeleton dry bones
Them Bones, them skeleton dry bones
Let’s shake them skelton bones

The toe bone’s connected to the foot bone
The foot bone’s connected to the ankle bone
The ankle bone’s connected to the leg bone
Let’s shake them skeleton bones

The leg bone’s connected to the knee bone
The knee bone’s connected to the thigh bone
The thigh bone bone’s connected to the hip bone
Let’s shake them skeleton bones

The hip bone’s connected to the back bone
The back bone’s connected to the neck bone
The neck bone bone’s connected to the head bone
And… shake them skeleton bones

Them Bones, them skeleton dry bones
Them Bones, them skeleton dry bones
Them Bones, them skeleton dry bones
Let’s shake them skeleton bones

Then backwards…From the head bone to the toe bone

Who Wrote The Dry Bones Song?

Do you remember the actual Dry Bones or Dem Bones song? Here’s more about the actual song that’s being parodied here.

Who Wrote The Dry Bones Song?

https://makingmulticulturalmusic.wordpress.com/2015/10/25/the-story-behind-the-dry-bones-song/

Guitar Chords For “Dry Bones”

http://www.chordie.com/chord.pere/www.gospelmusic.org.uk/a-g/dry_bones.htm

The Dry Bones Song By The Delta Rhythm Boys http://multikidsmusicvids.com/?p=1535

Links and Resources

Craft a spooky Halloween rattle based on a real jawbone instrument! http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/classroom-music/shake-them-rattles-and-bones/

Two Great Interactive Halloween songs – In English and Spanish

http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/babies-and-music/halloween-musical-fun-in-english-and-spanish/

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Posted in Babies and Music, Classroom Music, Early Learning With Music, Favorite Songs, Halloween, Homeschool Musical Fun, Silly Songs

Tagged African-American spirituals, babies and music, children and music, dem bones, dem bones song, dry bones, dry bones song, Halloween music, Halloween songs, Halloween songs for kids, James Weldon Johnson, music for babies, Music for children, music for toddlers, skeleton bones song, skeleton song, spiritual songs, toddler music, world music with daria

Shake Them Rattles… And Bones!

So many kids love Halloween and this particular holiday invites you to explore things that are fantastic, creepy or even a bit scary! So why not add some musical rattles to your slightly spooky fun? And this recycled project is doubly scary, because it’s based on an actual set of bones – a jawbone to be exact!

What is a Quijada?

The quijada (this word means jawbone in Spanish) is a real musical instrument made from the jawbone of a donkey. It’s a part of Afro-Peruvian music and keeps the beat by making the sound of teeth rattling in their sockets- like the teeth you see here (to the left). Most often it is played by striking it on the side of the jawbone with your fist but you may also see someone running a stick up and down the rows of teeth as seen here: http://multikidsmusicvids.com/?p=1530 .

A Green Version Of This Spooky Instrument

Since most folks won’t have access to jawbone and probably would not want to play one, we’ve created a version of this instrument from a recycled egg carton. You get to pick what take the place of the teeth in each of the 12 spaces of the egg carton. Try marbles, pebbles, rocks, pine cones, paper clips, beads, erasers buttons or any other object that that fits easily into that space.

Counting, Sorting and Listening Skills

One look at the empty egg carton and it’s easy to see how to incorporate counting and sorting skills into the creation of this musical rattle. Don’t rush to complete and close the rattle. Stay and play at this stage as long as you like.

And since each set of objects will make a distinctly different sound, you can fill the rattle (or several egg cartons) several times and discover the different sounds each set of items makes when placed inside.

Will a paper clip egg carton rattle sounds the same as a marble rattle? No way!

Seal It And Decorate

Last but not least, your rattle will need a great funny face. The activity pdf below has a series of full color and colorable images that range from scary to super-silly. Or create your own by outlining the top of the carton and designing away!

And since some egg cartons have holes in them, we suggest taping the finished rattle up with clear packing tape so none of the small pieces can escape.

Then, all that’s left to do is make some scary noises with the rattle and have lots of Halloween fun!

Links and Resources