Ukuleles are so versatile in so many ways. It can be overwhelming if you’ve never played a string instrument before, but with a little practice, you’ll prefer it to a wind instrument! There are several hacks for teaching ukulele to early years students and they add up to success very quickly! Before we start with ukulele hacks, if you’re thinking about purchasing a class set, consider which age you will be programming for. Some teachers use ukuleles beginning in kindergarten while others start in fourth grade. This will help you decide if you’d like soprano or concert-sized ukuleles. Also think about the weather in your classroom- wooden may not be the best option.
Ukulele in Early Years
Ukulele can be as easy or as complicated as you need it to be. Many students won’t have had the opportunity to hold one, so always start at step one. When introducing the ukulele, model the correct way to remove the ukulele from storage (rack, bag, bin, etc) and explain which way to hold it and why. Make note of students that hold it the opposite way of what feels natural. Chances are that they left-handed or ambidextrous. Typically, your dominant hand is the hand that strums the strings while your non-dominant handles (no pun intended!) the fret board.
Next, talk about the tuning pegs! This is so important to highlight. If this step is skipped, it will be a nightmare to tune your ukes every day. Discuss which strings are which notes and then explain the sounds being higher/lower than they need to be. At first, going through the tuning process will take some time, but insist on doing it every day will save you your own time as well as aid in developing their ears.
Ukulele Strings
After all the ukuleles are tuned, play something simple that will have them feeling success. Play “Simon Says” and be sure to call out the string names as you play them- as music teachers naturally will: “G, G, G, G” or “G, C-C, G, C-C”. Then offer students to be Simon or put them into small groups to play with each other. Use plenty of visuals so they can orient themselves. Make sure your students are confident in the strings’ order before moving onto fretting.
Ukulele Hack
Solfege-colored stickers placed near the tuning pegs are a huge asset!! Green = G (So), Red = C (Do), Yellow = E (Mi), Purple = A (La)
Ukulele Frets
Start with simple, common chords. One new chord a day is highly recommended. C major chords are a great choice to begin with- it only requires one finger and doesn’t come into contact with other strings. Spend some time practicing finger placement in the context of a rhythm.
Ukulele Hack
Give each chord it’s own song!! It is so confusing for new music or language learners worrying about finger numbers, fret numbers, string names. . . For the C-Chord, use something like “C-star, C-star, C-star is my favorite chord!” Singing it twice allows you to mention phrasing here, by the way! COMING SOON: a video of the chords that we sing about.
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Ukulele Practice
Practice makes better! If there is ever a place for Youtube play-alongs, this is it! Before you play along, talk about the chords used, the speed of the music (adjust as necessary) and what to do if their fingers need a break!
Some amazing play along channels:
Ukulele Hack
Lots of songs use tabs for fingerings but sometimes that is a lot to think about for a young student. Make sure you have a different kind of visual accessible while they are playing with the video. Check out this versatile set!
Uke Can Do It!
As a teacher, I find ukuleles not nearly as overstimulating as recorders. As a musician, I appreciate the simplicity of removing the breathing requirements of recorder… there is a time and a place. With young musicians still developing dexterity in their hands, ukulele is often more accessible. An added bonus is that students will sometimes have a ukulele at home and will practice automatically! They may even bring it in so you get an extra. 🙂
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