Goodbye, Old Paint

At Let's Play Music, we use several traditional songs to help teach music.

A favorite is Goodbye, Old Paint, a song we use in many ways to explore across all three years of the Let's Play Music. It’s a great example of how we can layer skills into an activity.

Goodbye, Old Paint originated as a trail-driving song around 1885. Cowboys spending long hours herding cattle created songs to pass the time. With no pianos available, they used whatever small instruments they could carry. Cowboy Jess Morris learned the tune from another cowboy who played a jew’s harp, then arranged it for fiddle. In 1928, Jess’s unique version earned recognition in a fiddle contest and was recorded on vinyl for the first time.

Let's Play Music students often ask, "What do the lyrics mean?" We tell them this made up story: The song is about a cowboy (let’s call him Winston) leaving Cheyenne for Montana to meet his bride, but he must leave his old pony, Paint, behind because she’s too old for the journey. It's a sad story.

For younger students, we like to explain the sadness of leaving a pet behind, but the twist of Annie pet-sitting makes it happy. Sometimes we even imagine Winston returning to visit and sing that version too.

Hello, Old Paint, I'm back in Cheyenne

Hello, Old Paint, I'm back in Cheyenne

I'm back in Cheyenne, yeah I came from Montana'

Hello, Old Paint, I'm back in Cheyenne

First Year: Autoharp and Bells

Students will learn Old Paint in their 1st Year during Blue Bugs. Since it only has one chord, it’s perfect for the student's first try at playing the autoharp independently. Without chord changes, students can focus on strumming and timing. If your child struggles with staying on beat, try using our practice-at-home harp techniques.

Next we play a broken accompaniment on the bells. Again, with only one chord, we can easily play do-mi-sol and create a lovely ostinato harmony!

We like to prop up the bells used in the case. (Just tip up the C E and G so they are easier to see and play.) For the first try, a student plays just the red C bell on the downbeats. Once they master this, they can add the E and G notes of the broken red chord (when chord notes are played separately).

Students also work on reading melodies. Our 8-Note Songbook with songs from 1st Year has this song for playing the melody on the bells.

Second Year: Keyboard

Old Paint helps second-year students play the red chord (I chord) on the keyboard. We play slowly to build strength in small hands, using correct fingering (1, 3, 5) to develop muscle memory. I paint students' 1, 3, and 5 fingernails red to help them match the chord stickers. At home, practice with extra verses or by playing a duet, with me on the melody and my daughter on chords. If your child struggles with the red chord, keep practicing and use our finger-strengthening games.

For advanced students try these fun variations:

• Take Paint for a walk: Play the lowest red chord and jump up octaves while singing.

• Kick him into a canter: Play quarter notes instead of whole notes, keeping a steady rhythm.

• Give Paint a friend: Play the left hand (fingers 5, 3, 1) while singing, then add both hands together.

• Go marching: Alternate hands playing chords slowly.

• Be a circus horse: Try broken chords slowly if your child’s hands are strong.

• Play the melody: Use bells to practice the melody before stretching hands on the keyboard.

Third Year: Mixed Paint

Old Paint returns in the third year when we focus on chord inversions. We sing the red chord as Do-Mi-Sol, but it can also be sung as Mi-Sol-Do or Sol-Do-Mi, and it's still the same red chord. We use a red triangle in class to show this—“Look! Old Paint is doing cartwheels!” We practice singing the chord inversions, and soon they’ll be playing them on the keyboard too. (Stay tuned for our upcoming post on inversions.)

Enjoy singing about our favorite horse, no matter where you are in the curriculum!

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