Elementary Music · Ages 9–10 · 4th Grade

4th Grade Music
Lesson Plans
Songs That Match Where
They Are Right Now

4th grade music lesson plans built around folk songs and singing games — fa confident, ti introduced, minor mode intro, sixteenth notes, dotted rhythms, 3/4 meter, and rondo, theme and variations, multi-part. Every song demonstrated on video.

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150+

Songs total

Video

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4th grade is its own world

The right repertoire for exactly this age

4th graders are at a specific developmental stage — musically, physically, and socially. The songs that work perfectly in 3rd Grade don't always land the same way a year later. And the songs you'll teach in 5th Grade aren't quite right yet.

The Singing Classroom library is tagged precisely by grade level so you can find repertoire that meets 4th graders exactly where they are — with the right musical content, the right game complexity, and the right social dynamics for this age.

"Fourth grade students have real musical confidence — they've been making music for four years and they know it. The challenge is finding repertoire that meets them where they are and takes them somewhere new. This library does that."

David R.

Elementary Music Specialist, Illinois

What 4th graders learn

Musical concepts for 4th grade

Every song in the library is tagged with the concepts it teaches. Here's what 4th grade music focuses on — searchable by any of these criteria inside the library.

Concept	What it means for 4th grade
Ti and low ti	The chromatic pitches that complete the diatonic scale above and below — introduced through folk songs where their function is musically clear.
Minor mode	The tonal world beyond pentatonic and major — 4th graders experience minor through songs before they analyze its scale structure.
Sixteenth notes	Faster rhythmic values introduced through body percussion and speech rhythms that 4th graders can manage with their developing motor skills.
3/4 meter	Waltz and triple meter felt through folk dances and movement before it's counted or notated.
Complex ensemble	Multi-part arrangements with barred instruments, body percussion, and voice — 4th graders can manage genuine ensemble complexity.
Advanced partner games	Longer sequences, more precise timing, real musical challenge — the partner game repertoire for 4th grade demands genuine musicianship.

Sample repertoire

Songs for 4th grade music class

A sample from the library. Every song includes a full teaching video, printable sheet music, and a classroom poster.

Bobo Ski Waten Taten

Grades 4–6

Partner clap · Low sol

The upper-elementary partner clap game arrives in 4th grade. Students who've never experienced it are immediately challenged and engaged — this is the song that changes their minds about music class.

Four White Horses

Grades 4–6

Syncopation · Caribbean

A Caribbean hand-clap game with strong syncopation. 4th graders feel syncopa through the game before they ever analyze it in notation.

Alabama Gal

K–6

Folk dance · Phrase

By 4th grade, students can execute the longways dance with real sophistication — the physical musicianship required matches their growing capabilities.

Buy A Penny Ginger

Grades 3–6

Low ti · Ensemble

A circle passing game with low ti in the melody and barred percussion parts. 4th graders are ready for the multi-layer ensemble challenge.

A Capital Ship

Grades 3–5

Ti · Dynamics

A sea chantey with ti and low ti — 4th graders manage the chromatic content and the multi-part body percussion with genuine musicianship.

Sarasponda

Grades 4–6

Fa · Re · Stick game

A partner stick game with fa and re — 4th graders find the repetition and physical challenge genuinely absorbing. One of the most satisfying pieces at this level.

+ Many more 4th grade songs inside · Start free trial to access all →

How it works

Find a song. Watch it. Teach it Monday.

Search by concept

Filter by solfège set, rhythmic concept, activity type, or any combination. Find exactly what fits your 4th grade sequence in seconds.

Watch the video

Every song is demonstrated with real 4th graders by Deborah Skydell Pasternack — Kodály, Orff, and Dalcroze certified. See exactly how to teach it before Monday.

Print the materials

Download sheet music, poster, or manipulatives. Everything formatted for classroom use and ready to go.

Teach confidently

Know the song, know the game, know the musical objective — lesson planning and documentation for 4th grade takes minutes, not hours.

Questions

About 4th grade music lesson plans

Fourth grade deepens and extends the musical foundation built in earlier grades. Ti and low ti complete the diatonic scale. Sixteenth notes and dotted rhythms expand rhythmic vocabulary. Minor mode opens a new tonal world. And the game repertoire becomes genuinely demanding — 4th graders can handle partner games, complex dances, and multi-part ensembles that would have been impossible two years earlier. It's one of the richest grades musically.

Yes. Deborah Skydell Pasternack holds complete Kodály certification and has Orff and Dalcroze training. Every song is tagged with solfège content, rhythmic concepts, and activity type — so you can search from any methodological angle. Teachers using any approach find what they need quickly, and the demonstrations show the pedagogical thinking behind each song, not just the performance.

Yes — it's designed to work that way. Most members use The Singing Classroom alongside a published curriculum or their own unit plans, searching for repertoire that fits their sequence. Others use it as their primary resource. The library is organized by concept and grade, not by publisher sequence, so it slots into whatever approach you're using.

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