Go Fish!

As most music teachers know, that neat little Latin percussion toy that is scraped, rubbed, or tapped and is often shaped like a fish is actually called a guiro (wee-ro or gwih-ro). But since that's a little tough to say, it has been given the nickname "fish" as well. This is much easier for kids to remember. And some of us grown-ups, too. It's usually made of a hollowed out gourd of some type with slits carved into its side. There are many different shapes, but the fish is probably the most recognized and most often used by kids. (Yes, we do carry them at MusicK8.com)

This super simple Latin tune is written to feature the fish, hence the title. (You may groan.) As you can see on the music, there is a line for the fish players to play, either tapping or scraping pretty much on beats 1 and 3. The exceptions are noted, but if your youngsters keep tapping or scraping right through any rests, oh well. You can either have students sing and play, or divide them into two groups: singers and players. Then either or both can do the yelling as it occurs. To help your fish players get started in measure one, the drummer on the recording gives a two measure count-off.

If you have players who can handle a bit more sophistication, consider doing a "rub" when the words "fishy fish" are sung. This means playing three quarter notes, but scraping in such a way that the stick stays on the fish, rubbing it back and forth for three strokes.

For ease of reading, we have extracted a fish part. It also includes the lyrics for kids who would prefer to just read the words, not the rhythms. You could say they would be playing the fish by ear. (Yes, more groaning works here.)