Today, we are going to sing one of the important songs from early rock and roll. It was written and recorded by one artist (Carl Perkins) in 1955 and was also sung by the king of rock and roll in 1956. Does anyone know who is considered the king? (Elvis Presley)
Sit in a circle and take off one shoe. As you listen to the song, pass the shoes to the steady beat.
What special shoe was mentioned in this song? (blue suede shoe)
Why is this shoe special? Suede is made from leather. It is known for being soft and more supple than regular leather, so it is more expensive! Suede is also easily ruined by water.
What kinds of things can you do instead of bothering his blue suede shoes? (knock me down, step on my face, slander my name all over the place, burn my house, steal my car, drink my cider from an old fruit jar)
Sing this song together. At the dance break where there is no singing, stand up and clap this rhythm pattern: Rest, Ti-Ti, Rest, Ta. Who can write this rhythm?
Distribute unpitched rhythm instruments. Play the clapping rhythm on the instruments.
Optional: Try an Elvis Presley dance move, such as "rubber legs" where you wiggle each leg as if it were made of rubber.
One rhythm effect used in many rock songs is called stop time. This is where the accompaniment pattern interrupts or stops the normal pulse. This happens several times in the song, such as when they sing: one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready.
Distribute stop signs to hold up whenever you hear stop time in the accompaniment.
Optional Recorder Challenge: If your Soprano recorder students are familiar with low E, G, A, B, and high D, they can play the melody if they learn one new note: G#. They can begin on the phrase one for the money and play until But don't you step on my blue suede shoes.
Perform with singers and instrumentalists. Encourage dancers to show off their Elvis "rubber legs" move during the dance break.
Other Songs You May Be Interested In...
Loading, please wait...
Loading, Please Wait
Get Access...
To gain access to content and other user features, you must be a subscriber and logged into the site.
Want to view some sample content from our library?Click here to experience some of our exciting songs and features.
Upgrade to Download Plan
This content can be downloaded when you subscribe to our Downloadable Plan.
