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Where the Songs Came From

Three short lessons on where music comes from: four instruments from four places, the punched paper that played tunes before computers, and why so many children's songs use only five notes.

For grown-ups, from what BandPals teaches children at Spark & Anvil.

  1. Lesson 1Four ways to make a string or a bar sing
  2. Lesson 2Punched paper, the player piano and the first programs
  3. Lesson 3Why so many children's songs sit on five notes
At the table · two families, or two or three generations of one, ages 5 and up

One song from each of our families

You'll need: paper, a pencil, and the songs you already know.

  1. Each family (or each generation) chooses one song it sang to its children, in any language.
  2. Say where it came from: who taught it to you, and where they learned it.
  3. Sing or hum it once; the others join the second time.
  4. Write its first line and where it came from on a card. Keep the cards together, one from each family.
  5. If you like, write the words line by line in the Family Songbook so a grandchild can lead it.

Open One song from each of our families: run it, or print the seat sheets →

Print One song from each of our families as a card →

Print the guidebook (all lessons + the table activity) →