Listening Lesson: 'Little Train of Caipira'

In 'The Little Train of the Caipira,' Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos was inspired by the sounds of little trains that travel through the Brazilian countryside.

1. Think about trains. They make a lot of different sounds. Can you make a list of all the sounds a train makes? Use words or sentences to describe as many train sounds as you can. Draw a quick picture of a train and label any parts that make a sound.

2. Listen and watch 'The Little Train of the Caipira'. In the video, you will see images of these trains, as well as pictures from the Brazilian countryside:

3. If you want to see musicians playing the sounds you heard in the first video, watch this video:

4. Maybe you noticed a wind-up sound, especially at the beginning. That's a percussion instrument called the ratchet.

5. Did you notice that the tempo, or speed of the music, starts slow in the beginning and then speeds up, like a train gaining steam? In music, that's called an accelerando (ah-CHEL-er-ahn-doe). Can you try saying that? When the music slows down at the end- like a train pulling into the station, musicians call that ritardando (ri-tar-DAN-doe.) Try saying ritardando.

6. If you can find some sandpaper, make some homemade sandpaper blocks. Here are instructions:

• Find two small boxes. Empty soap boxes work very well.
• Cut out two rectangles of sandpaper to the size of the front of the box.
• Tape, glue, or staple the sandpaper to the front of the box.
• Rub the boxes gently back and forth, sandpaper on sandpaper, to get a great sound.

7. Sandpaper blocks make a great "chugga chugga" train sound. Use your sandpaper blocks to make an accelerando, like a train starting off, and then use them to make a ritardando, like the train coming to a stop.

Have a question or suggestion? Contact Katie Condon, music education specialist.

More: View all of our YourClassical Music Lessons.