Sunny Funny Bunnies

Equally at home in an Easter setting, a spring setting, a nature setting, or just in the classroom, this jazzy piece will make your kids sound cool. Right off the top, the style is set on the Performance/Accompaniment recording with swinging rhythm section – drums on brushes, acoustic bass, piano, and archtop guitar. Performers enter with snaps mostly on the offbeats, except where otherwise indicated on the music. But the thing that makes this fun and unique is that it is all spoken. No singing. At first, it's subdued during the verse, then it goes to forte during the chorus. Back down to mezzo forte for the D.S., the repeat, and on to the coda.

The lyrics are not particularly difficult, just a touch tricky with all the similar syllables and rhymes. It's likely the toughest thing will be getting your students to swing, which makes this an excellent way to study swing rhythms. All of the eighth notes have a triplet undercurrent even though they look like straight eighth notes. Before the first measure, listen to the drums do the triplet set-up, then continue with a swing groove. The countermelody lines in the horn band are also a decent demonstration of what swinging sounds like. These are indicated on the right hand piano part in the endings, chorus, and on the D.S. in case you want to follow along.

Because we could, we added an optional ukulele part to this. Players only need Ami and G chords, which makes it simple. While there is a line on the music for them with suggested strumming, you can let them play more freely. Just half notes, for example, will make it easier. In bar 8, play only the downbeat if that rhythm is too difficult. You will find an extracted ukulele part on our web site.