Down In The Valley

Traditional/arr. Paul Jennings

This familiar old folk song was popular among those expanding the country in the 1800s. In various versions, it could have been heard in the mining camps, on the range, and around campfires of wagon trains heading west. There are many available verses which a quick Google™ search will reveal, but the same search will also reveal a number of tales that aren't necessarily appropriate for young singers.

Our arrangement is in a gentle folk style, with a rich recorded accompaniment of several guitars, dobro, fiddle, and acoustic bass. We have given you three times through the song, with two kid-friendly verses and one verse where the singers hum. Each verse is essentially an "A - A" form, and in the second half of each verse, there is an optional, but easy to learn second part. (Special teaching tracks for part 2 are available online. See the following box for details.)

As with all of our tunes, we give you permission to adapt the arrangement with other verses. You can also substitute "Ooh" or "Ah" for the humming.

Online extras - The free, downloadable extras mentioned can be found under the "Graphics and Extras" for Volume 18, No. 3 at MusicK8.com

Text is taken from Music K-8 magazine.