Rain Songs (viola and piano) level 0.5

Title: Rain Songs

Composer: traditional children’s songs, arr. David Gable

Instrumentation: Viola and Piano

May be performed with violin and cello versions.

Printout: 2 pages

This medley consists of three tunes that will be familiar to many children: Rain is Falling Down; It’s Raining, It’s Pouring; and Rain, Rain Go Away. They are pentatonic melodies consisting of D, E, F#, A and B. The piano accompaniment utilizes whole tone scales and augmented triads so that even beginners can experience modern idioms. Children enjoy the imitation of falling rain in the piano part and the sound of plunking raindrops in the final pizzicato notes. Audio sample gives the beginning of each tune.

Skills: D Major; 4/4 time; uses only first and second fingers with no repositioning; repetitive melodic and rhythmic figures; all separate bows; bow recovery lifts; entirely on D and A strings; open string pizzicato at end.