Click here to jump straight to the TAB.
Todays song is so beloved among the children’s music crowd that it has been performed by Raffi, Barney, AND The Wiggles. And then there was the time that Elmo, Abby Cadabby, and Grover all sang it together (Albeit in cartoon form rather than as Muppets. You can’t have everything, I guess.)
As Elmo & Co. teach directly in the above video, the song is and always has been about teaching kids about vowel sounds by playing with them. The origin of the song is unknown, though it appears to have emerged in the United States in the early 20th century.
I grew up with the Raffi version (on cassette tape, no less), and I was surprised to learn that Raffi was apparently pretty conservative with his lyrics on this one. While earlier versions of the song change every vowel in song, Raffi pulled back a bit, apparently to make the song easier to understand. Here’s a few lyrics from the original:
Aye lake tay ate, ate, ate ayples and bah-nay-nays.
Oye loke to ote, ote, ote o-pples and bo-nonoes.
I’m not sure which version I like better, but I suppose I should trust Raffi on this one. He’s never steered me wrong before.
“Apples and Bananas” Playing Tips
Much like how the lyrics of the song are all about demystifying vowels for preschoolers, the sheet music for “Apples and Bananas” will hopefully take some of the mystery out of complex-looking notation for you. On first glance, the page seems to be a mess. There are quarter rests all over, and there’s a whole bunch of dotted-eighth + sixteenth note stuff going on.
One of the best things about children’s music is that it helps us learn music backwards. Unless you didn’t grow up with this song (which seems almost impossible given the multiple generations of performers who have played it), you already have the rhythm of the notes embedded in your head.
So “eat, eat, eat” should make sense when you see it written as (using rhythm syllables):
TA SH TA SH TA SH
And those complex-looking dotted-eighth-sixteenth pairs followed by quarter and half notes for “apples and bananas” are much less intimidating because you already have this rhythm in your head, whether you want it there or not.
TIM-ri TIM-ri | TA TA-A-A
So have fun with the song, and never stress about a complex-looking piece of sheet music. Even the silliest songs can look a little scary on paper, until you learn to tame them. If you aren’t sure how it is supposed to sound, find it on YouTube or elsewhere to get the feel for it. Don’t feel like you have to be able to sight read a page of music right away. That’s a skill you will develop over time.
Click the link or the ‘Download’ button below to see the sheet music if your browser doesn’t display the embedded PDF.
Don’t have a low G uke? Not a problem. I’ve included a standard (high G) TAB for this song as well. Find the link at the bottom on the post. Happy picking!
“Apples and Bananas” Low G Sheet Music Download
“Apples and Bananas” High G Sheet Music Download
Leave a Reply