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The song "This Little Light of Mine" is an Afro-American
spiritual. The words of the song describe how the light from within
will shine on and on.
The lyrics to "This Light of Mine" was made
into a book and illustrated by E.B.
Lewis (shown in the picture above).
Some people say that "This Little Light of Mine"
is a hymn. That is not accurate. Why?
According to the Wickipedia
Encyclopedia, a hymn and a spiritual are defined as:
A hymn is a song specifically written as a song
of praise, adoration or prayer, typically addressed to a god.
A spiritual is an African American song, usually
with a Christian text. These songs are also sometimes called Negro
Spirituals, Black Spirituals, African-American Spirituals, slave
songs, and jubilee's.
The form/structure of the song is call and response. This is
very typical of spirituals and African-American folk songs. Day-O
and Hill an' Gully were two Jamaican folk songs
that the 3rd and 4th grades learned that used call and response.
The tonality (pitches/notes used) is pentatonic, using
only five notes in the song. In the sheet music (click on
sheet music to view the music), notice that only the notes used
to sing the melody are D, E, G, B, A. The scale of the song is
G, A, B, C, D, E, F#. Notice that the song uses the first 3 notes
of the scale (G, A, B), the fifth and sixth notes (D, E). Most
of the time, pentatonic music will use the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th,
and 6th notes of the scale.
Remember Hill an' Gully? That song is pentatonic too!
Sound clips are coming soon!
This Little Light of Mine
Traditional Spiritual
Note: Lyrics in Italics (like the way this is
written) is sung by everyone!
Call: Response:
This little light of mine......................I'm gonna let it
shine.
This little light of mine......................I'm gonna let it
shine.
This little light of mine......................I'm gonna let it
shine.
I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel?.......(No!).......I'm
gonna let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel?.......(No!).......I'm gonna let
it shine.
Hide it under a bushel?.......(No!).......I'm gonna let
it shine.
I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Won't let no-one blow it out..............I'm gonna
let it shine.
Won't let no-one blow it out..............I'm gonna let it shine.
Won't let no-one blow it out..............I'm gonna let it shine.
I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Everywhere I go..............................I'm
gonna let it shine.
Everywhere I go..............................I'm gonna let it
shine.
Everywhere I go..............................I'm gonna let it
shine.
I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
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