Music You Can Read®

"Arkansas Traveler"
       
     
"Arkansas Traveler"
 


"Arkansas Traveler," Lyrics, Text Format



Advanced syncopation, extended range, and two
ascending tonic arpeggios sung to a fast pace.

Click to hear melody.
 



Description
 
  • Grade: Fifth

  • Origin: USA - music: Colonel Sanford C. 'Sandy' Faulkner - words: Arkansas State Committee*

  • Key: F Major

  • Time: 2/4

  • Form: ABCD, A,B, & D include a portions of previous phrases

  • Rhythm: advanced: | ti ri ti ri ti ti | ti ti ti ti |
    | ti ti ti ti ri | ti ri ti ri ti ti ri | ti ri ti ti ri ti | syncopation, | ti ti ri ti ti ri | syncopation,
    | ti ti ri ti ti | syncopation

  • Pitches: intermediate: So La Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do - extended range

  • Intervals: intermediate: So/Do/Mi ascending tonic arpeggio (I, F) Do\La (m3), So/Do/So/Do8 ascending tonic arpeggio omitting the 3rd (Mi) - intervals: P4, P5, P4; Do8\So (P4), Fa\Re (m3), Re\So (P5), Re/So (P5)

  • Musical Elements: notes: eighth, sixteenth; pickup beat, syncopation, two tonic arpeggios, melodic rhythms

  • Key Words: USA geography: Arkansas, state song, upon, cabin door, fiddled, played by ear, sawed, popular air, roof tree, leaked, waterfall, bother, traveler, a-practicing, a-float, feet, seem to fret, stranger, seems, mend, rainy day, replied, quite, true, patch, fair and bright, good and tight, a-playing, reel, tapped, ground, leathery heel, pain, leaks; contractions: tho' (though), didn't (did not), you'd (you would), couldn't (could not), doesn't (does not)

  • Recorder: advanced: introducing B flat, improving finger dexterity

*The state song of Arkansas from 1949 to 1963, the state historical song since 1987. Begins with the same melody as "Baby Bumblebee."


 
 

"Arkansas Traveler"


       
 
1.
Oh, once upon a time in Arkansas,
An old man sat in his little cabin door,
And fiddled at a time that he liked to hear,
A jolly old tune that he played by ear,
It was raining hard, but the fiddler didn't care,
He sawed away at the popular air,
Tho' his roof tree leaked like a waterfall,
That didn't seem to bother the man at all.
 
       
 
2.
A traveler was riding by that day,
And stopped to hear him a-practicing away;
The cabin was a-float and his feet were wet,
But still the old man didn't seem to fret.
So the stranger said "Now the way it seems to me,
You'd better mend your roof," said he.
But the old man said as he played away,
"I couldn't mend it now, it's a rainy day."
 
       
  3. The traveler replied, "That's all quite true,
But this, I think, is the thing to do;
Get busy on a day that is fair and bright,
Then patch the old roof till it's good and tight."
But the old man kept on a-playing at his reel,
And tapped the ground with his leathery heel.
"Get along," said he, "for you give me a pain;
My cabin never leaks when it doesn't rain."
 
       


Back to top.

 

Additional Formats


music

"Arkansas Traveler," Music Format
click image to enlarge



beats

Click to enlarge: "Arkansas Traveler," Beats Format
click image to enlarge



rhythm

Click to Enlarge: "Arkansas Traveler," Rhythm Format
click image to enlarge



pitch numbers

Click to Enlarge: "Arkansas Traveler," Pitch Number Format
click image to enlarge



solfeggio

Click to Enlarge: "Arkansas Traveler," Solfeggio Format
click image to enlarge



letter names

Click to Enlarge: "" Letter Names Format
click image to enlarge


 
       
     
Music You Can Read is a registered trademark of Music Notes, Inc.