It’s for the Birds (viola and piano) level 0.5

Title: It’s for the Birds

Composer: traditional, arr. David Gable

Instrumentation: Viola and Piano

May be performed with violin and cello versions.

Printout: 3 pages

Note: This is a medley of three traditional songs about birds, all of which are easy to learn and play: The Cuckoo (German folk song), TheNightingale (German folk song), Chicken on a Fencepost (American folk song). Children enjoy the imitation of the cuckoo call in the first setting and the liveliness and humor of the third. Audio sample gives the first four bars of each tune.

Skills: D Major; 3/4 time; 2/2 time; tempo and meter change; simple rhythms and bowing patterns; entirely on D and A strings.