Simple Piano Sheet Music & Vocal Round
Canoe Song
Simple piano sheet music that is quickly learned - as in one sitting! - is sometimes exactly what your student craves!
With this SIMPLIFIED version of the original Canoe Song, even students with agility for only 5 notes can make this happen.
A lead sheet arrangement
Please scroll down the page for the download links.
Avoiding the tucking under - jump instead
Yes, if you wish for younger students to be able to play this desirable song, you must sacrifice your piano-teaching principles and allow them to jump to the high D. There will be plenty of opportunities later for tucking under and crossing over!
An extra measure at the end, for ATMOSPHERE
I frequently like to end piano songs with a flourish of some kind, when I'm playing along with my students; this extra measure, using the shape of open chords happened gradually. Pretty soon, I couldn't help myself, at the end of Canoe Song! With the the pedal depressed, this measure lends a great deal to the MOOD of Canoe Song.
The original simple piano sheet music
This arrangement of Canoe Song, below, is just right for students who are beginning to tuck fingers under in scales.
Please scroll down the page for the download links.
It's a round for singing
Canoe Song is also a round for singing!
Please scroll down the page for the download links.
But even without singing in round fashion, the melody is captivating, and you and your piano student will enjoy leaning into the half notes as you sing it together.
Lots of energy = LOUD PLAYING?
I love this energetic song with its unpredictable rhythm. Like Indian Dance, it allows students to really pound the piano if they are in the mood!
Not that pounding is something you should encourage!
However, young students frequently DO enjoy pounding, as we all know.
More skill required to "tuck under"
This easy piano sheet music for beginners will probably remind your students of Indian Dance, but the melody requires a much higher skill level.
Don't give this second arrangement to them until they really understand how to do a simple C scale, otherwise they will substitute other fingers to get up high and take 10 times longer to learn the song! Really!
The easy left-hand chords which follow the rhythm of the right hand allow concentration on the twists and turns of the melody.
A syncopated feeling
The syncopated feeling of this melody poses an additional challenge for beginners, many of whom are extremely resistant to counting aloud! For them, it will help to sing the words of the song, and also to clap their hands, or tap their lap as they count.
Practice "drumming" the rhythm
Separate the timing issue from the note-playing for beginner students just learning the "tucking-under" technique. I set the rhythm to 4/4 so I wouldn't have to use eighth notes, to make it easy to count.
Grab a pen for each of you and beat the rhythm aloud on the piano lid.
Here is an ambitious group of 3rd and 4th grade students, with drums and recorders (and another set of instruments I couldn't really see) with a fancy version of the Canoe Song:
The links for the piano music:
Download easier arrangement with helper notes of Canoe Song
Download simple piano sheet music Canoe Song
The links to the singing rounds:
Download the vocal round Canoe Song in Cm
Download Canoe Song for singers in Dm
Download singing round Canoe Song in Em (shown above)
Interested in songs from the Bible for your students or church? Check out my other website, SingTheBibleStory.com!
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This beautiful song book for piano & voice "Esther, For Such a Time as This", available as a digital download, tells the riveting story of the time when Jews in ancient Persia faced a foe named Haman, and how a brave young queen risked her life to save her people.
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This book is also available from Amazon as a paperback.
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And when they start reading white-key notes on the staff, this is a fun easy resource to say each week, "Choose a new black-key song at home this week and figure it out to show me next lesson!" They will be spending more time at the piano.
A perfect read aloud storybook
for little boys or girls.
The Adventures of Tonsta highlight the travels of a very young boy with a good heart, who goes about helping folk in trouble.
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Audrey:
I just wanted to tell you that I have found your website EXTREMELY helpful!
I have a young group of children that I have started a youth choir with and I was searching for music ideas and I came across your website. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
Anna Lee:
What a fabulous website! I've been a keen amateur piano player since I first learnt 56 years ago at the age of 8.
I now have a three year old granddaughter and am hoping fervently that she'll want to learn - at which point I'll teach her. This is just the kind of resource I'll need to make it comprehensible. Thank you very much.
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About the Author
Hi, I'm Dana! (Say that like "Anna".) I'm the owner of Music-for-Music-Teachers.com, and a newer site, SingTheBibleStory.com.
Like some of you, I've been playing the piano since early childhood, and have added a few other instruments along the way, plus an interest in arranging and composing music.
You can find out more about me and the reason for this website at my About Me page.
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