Mousey at the Door

Every teacher knows the dangers of pizzicato and the need to train the internal metronome to resist the temptation to rush. This very simple piece is pizzicato throughout. It begins in unison, so anyone who comes in early after the rests or knocks will be "caught out"! Ask the students to say "Don’t rush" or "Not fast" in the two beats that the mousey "knocks". They only get one chance each time the mouse squeaks, so it must be together! The second and third times through, harmonic and rhythmic variations are added, but the knocks and squeaks remain the same.