Hi there GuestATeacher,

Keep up the good work - hope all goes well for you on Feb 5th.

Here's one idea you might like to try with your pupils sometime. It worked well for both my sons when they were aged about 4-5, and just starting to play real tunes on proper instruments.

A great beginner's tune on almost any instrument is the old nursery rhyme "Three Blind Mice". Firstly, most kids are already familiar with it. Secondly, the melody has lots of repeated phrases. (Kids love repetition, and it's a great confidence builder for learners.) Thirdly, 3BM includes all the notes in the major scale, so once learners have grasped it, they can find their way round one octave in the basic key of their chosen instrument. (Later, they can extend their range by working out 3BM in other octaves, and other keys.)   Fourthly, it can also be played as a round, giving more advanced students an introduction to harmony.

A little while ago, after forty-something years strugging with guitars, I took up the anglo concertina. The first tune I learned on it was ..."Three Blind Mice". As I move on from its home keys (G & D) to more demanding ones (C, A and even F), I'm finding that 3BM is still a very helpful way of familiarising myself with their scales.

Wassail!