Lesson three with a very well-organised Year 3 class in a Wider Opportunities programme centred around this old favourite.
I’m a bit irritated that Sibelius has decided to notate G (Rain on the roof tops) as finger 3 on the E string but I don’t know enough about the inner secrets of Sibelius to over-rule it. I taught it using the open G string (the one nearest your nose). I do agree that finger 3 is technically the better solution, but this IS only the third lesson!
The class were focussed enough that we were able to divide into two, one half playing the melody – by rote, not from tab, and the other half strumming the C chord. Rhythm, melody,pulse, strumming singing and playing in two parts all in one go. I’d call that a result!
Sometime in the future I will go back to this, and maybe teach them the tab (that will check the notation box). We can also do my usual trick of changing the words, something along the lines of “Easter is coming, Easter is near, then lot’s of chocolate…inspiration fails me for a rhyming last line (hurrah – that deals with song-writing and composition.)