ukulele teaching tips midwest clinic dealing with the voice - KBB Music

Tips for Teaching
Ukulele to Older Beginners
By Maria Winder, music consultant, The Sound of Music Education
& Trustee of NZ Ukulele Trust
The ukulele is a happiness machine, a weapon of massed affection.
It encourages people to sing and it’s so easy to play and teach.
TUNE-UP
Always start with tuned ukuleles. You’ll have a better time
playing and singing! Right from the first lesson, encourage
your students to listen to and play the open strings G C E A,
sing My Dog Has Fleas, so-do-me-la, 5-1-3-6, or create other
phrases with the note letter names e.g. Give Compliments
Every Afternoon. Encourage students to identify if a string is
flat or sharp.
STRUM A ONE-CHORD SONG
Strumming can be as simple as playing the down
beat with your thumb or index finger. Keep your
wrist floppy and relaxed as you strum. The wellknown
song “We Will Rock You” by Queen can be
played with just one chord.
Learn a more interesting rhythm for “We Will Rock You” using
this speech pattern as you strum: down-down-chk-rest.
GET READY TO CHANGE CHORDS
This works well as a warm-up activity. The leader plays the
chord changes and the class responds with body percussion.
2-chord song: pat your legs for chord I and pat your head for
chord V i.e. pat legs for C and pat head for G7.
3-chord song: pat legs for chord
I, shoulders for chord IV and head
for chord V i.e. pat legs for C,
shoulders for F and head for G7.
Kiwileles rehearsing at East Tamaki School
PLAY A REPEATED SEqUENCE OF CHORDS
It’s amazing how many songs use the same chord sequence.
Repeat this 12 bar blues sequence, ending on chord C.
C C C C F F C C
G7 G7 F F C C G7 G7
N.B. Bill Sevesi (the inspiration behind NZ’s ukulele revival and Patron of NZ Ukulele
Trust) uses the above format when teaching children about chord changes.
The 12 bar blues is one of the favourites in the NZ Ukulele
Kiwileles repertoire.
For details on how your school can get involved in the 2012
Kiwileles, see the NZ Ukulele Trust website
www.nzukulelefestival.org.nz or email Maria Winder
maria@thesoundofmusic.co.nz Maria coordinates the massed
Kiwileles Orchestra for NZ Ukulele Trust.
The 2012 NZ Ukulele Festival will be held on
Saturday 1 st December at The Trusts Stadium, Waitakere.
6 Random Notes Musical Instrument Specialists since 1888