Git Along, Little Dogie

Background information: The word "dogie" refers to motherless calfs with very large stomachs that cowboys called "dough guts". These big-bellied happened because the calfs had to eat grass before they could digest it properly (Griffith, 2013).

This cowboy song dates back to sometime during 1870. It is an adaptation of an Irish ballad called, "The Old Man Rocking the Cradle". Some versions of this ballad use Montana as a final destination, while others have no destination and are just about the troubles with herding dogies. This ballad is now considered one of most well-known cowboy ballads (Griffith, 2013).

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Video recording

Lesson Plans

Idea #1

-Sing the first verse and refrain for the students. Ask them what they think the song is about.

-Define a "cowpuncher" and "dogie". Explain that this is a cowboy song.

-Ask students what they know about cowboys. Help students see the difference between TV and movie cowboys and what real cowboys were like.

-Sing the rest of the ballad. Ask students if they heard anything that repeated. Isolate and sing the refrain.

-Teach students the refrain by rote.

-Have students sing the refrain while you sing the verses.

Idea #2

-Have students try to find the steady beat while you sing the ballad. Students might tap the dotted quarter note beat and some might feel the eighth note beat.

-Highlight that both ways of showing the beat are valid. Have them try both.

-If a tempo block is available, use it to create a three eighth note ostinato. Students can take turns playing it while the others sing the ballad. Have the lyrics displayed if you plan on having the students sing the whole ballad.