Brad Bordessa
Well-known member
A few weeks ago, one of my students requested I put together a list of things to practice/what skills make up each 'ukulele playing level. He thought this timeline of skills would be helpful for him to visualize what he needed to practice and check off the list.
It was a fun challenge for me to put together some skills and categorize them. I'm sure I missed a lot, but it seemed like the kind of thing that might be interesting/fun for UU peeps to help add to or just look at.
My groups are probably very idealistic - sort of the top edge of each level. Since it's on paper, I dreamed up things that I would want a "perfect" beginning student to know before showing up to an intermediate class.
Before anyone feels depressed or rips on me for imposing "rules" upon what they should know, please realize that I'm aware of a few things:
1. This is just a curiosity project
2. Learning is not a linear thing. Everyone approaches things differently, has strong suits and weak points, and takes their own time.
3. In real life there aren't any lines dividing levels or achievements. It's not bad to be considered "this" or "that."
4. One does not have to know or master everything on this list to be considered at the next level. I certainly don't claim to know it all perfectly.
5. Most importantly, music is not a competition.
Like I said, feel free to add your input. I'd love to make this a comprehensive resource for curious minds. I'll try to edit the original post to reflect updates.
UPDATED LIST (OCT 4):
I (Pre-Novice):
Knowledge:
The names of the strings
Simple 'ukulele terminology to aid learning (fret, up/down the neck, left/right hand, etc...)
C F and G7 chords (or similar)
Motor Skills:
Basic right hand motion to produce sound from instrument (downstrum and/or thumb pick)
Finger movement of the left hand to hold a simple chord
How to hold a chord and strum at the same time
How begin moving the fingers to new chord shapes while strumming
Musical Skills:
Be able to strum a simple song
II (Novice):
Knowledge:
Common chords in easy 'ukulele keys: C, F, and G7; G, C, and D7; F, Bb, and C7
Some basic music terminology like: key, chord, note, timing, rhythm, etc...
Motor Skills:
Chalangalang down, up strum
Moving fingers to achieve picked melodies.
How to strum and change through simple chords
Musical Skills:
How to stay on (or re-find) a basic beat when playing along with a group
Theory:
Chromatic scale
III (Beg 1):
Knowledge:
Proper posture and how to implement it
Basic chords in most keys: C, G, F, D, A, Bb, E
Simple picking exercises and melodies
Motor Skills:
Down, Up and Down, Down, Up, Up, Down strumming patterns
Begin playing chords just by feel, no looking
Musical Skills:
How to strum relatively in time when playing simple songs alone
Play a song from memory
Begin to hear when a chord change happens
Theory:
A better understanding of the chromatic scale, sharps/flats, enharmonics
IV (Beg 2):
Knowledge:
Open position Major, Minor, and 7th chords in all 12 keys
The C major/A minor scale in its basic position
What the notes are called up to the 3rd fret
Motor Skills:
Introducing the index finger to picking
How to add a "chop" or "chunk" to a strum
Musical Skills:
How to convey extremes in dynamics (loud, soft)
Hold confident timing (no rushing!) when playing alone
Play 2 or 3 songs from memory
Begin experimenting with improvising
Theory:
How a scale is created
V (Inter 1):
Knowledge:
How to transpose a basic song into any key
Some jazz chord shapes (6ths, minor 7ths, 9ths)
What the notes are called up to the 5th fret
Basic scales in 'ukulele-friendly keys: C, F, G, D, A, etc...
Motor Skills:
More exotic strum patterns like a reggae strum, country strum, hula strum...
How to integrate the thumb and index finger for picking string patterns
Musical Skills:
How to play with a metronome when strumming and for simple instances of playing lead
5 songs from memory (1-2 with picking)
How to play in simple odd time signatures like ¾ and 6/8
Learning start and stop notes for improv
Theory:
How a chord is created
Intervals
VI (Inter 2):
Knowledge:
All main major, minor, and 7th chord shapes up and down the fretboard
Simple open position jazz chords in 12 keys
All major scales in a simple position (relative minors too!)
What the notes are called up to the 7th fret
Motor Skills:
Basic picking articulations such as hammer-on, pull-off, and slide
Making what you already play more efficient/clean
Musical Skills:
How to recognize I, IV, and V chords in a progression
How to play triplet groupings
10 songs from memory
Beginning to solo in all keys
Theory:
Chord scales, how they are made, and create keys
VII (Adv 1):
Knowledge:
What the notes are called up to the 10th fret
All 6th, minor 7th, 9th, major 7th chords up and down the fretboard
Open positions for almost any other chord
All major and minor scales across the fretboard
Motor Skills:
Incorporating vibrato, hammer-ons, pull-offs, or slides into any lead
Musical Skills:
Play any song with a metronome
Enough songs to fill an hour set
How to accompany almost any song with confident strumming or picking
Incorporating ideas and energy in solos
Theory:
Modes
Memorizing key signatures
VIII (Adv 2):
Knowledge:
All notes across the fretboard
All scales across the fretboard
All chords across the fretboard
Musical Skills:
Figure almost any song out by ear on the fly
Close-to-perfect timing
How to play MUSIC: when to play, when not to play, feels, listening, what to play, what not to play, etc, etc, etc...
Expert:
All of the above, flawlessly
OLD LIST:
It was a fun challenge for me to put together some skills and categorize them. I'm sure I missed a lot, but it seemed like the kind of thing that might be interesting/fun for UU peeps to help add to or just look at.
My groups are probably very idealistic - sort of the top edge of each level. Since it's on paper, I dreamed up things that I would want a "perfect" beginning student to know before showing up to an intermediate class.
Before anyone feels depressed or rips on me for imposing "rules" upon what they should know, please realize that I'm aware of a few things:
1. This is just a curiosity project
2. Learning is not a linear thing. Everyone approaches things differently, has strong suits and weak points, and takes their own time.
3. In real life there aren't any lines dividing levels or achievements. It's not bad to be considered "this" or "that."
4. One does not have to know or master everything on this list to be considered at the next level. I certainly don't claim to know it all perfectly.
5. Most importantly, music is not a competition.
Like I said, feel free to add your input. I'd love to make this a comprehensive resource for curious minds. I'll try to edit the original post to reflect updates.
UPDATED LIST (OCT 4):
I (Pre-Novice):
Knowledge:
The names of the strings
Simple 'ukulele terminology to aid learning (fret, up/down the neck, left/right hand, etc...)
C F and G7 chords (or similar)
Motor Skills:
Basic right hand motion to produce sound from instrument (downstrum and/or thumb pick)
Finger movement of the left hand to hold a simple chord
How to hold a chord and strum at the same time
How begin moving the fingers to new chord shapes while strumming
Musical Skills:
Be able to strum a simple song
II (Novice):
Knowledge:
Common chords in easy 'ukulele keys: C, F, and G7; G, C, and D7; F, Bb, and C7
Some basic music terminology like: key, chord, note, timing, rhythm, etc...
Motor Skills:
Chalangalang down, up strum
Moving fingers to achieve picked melodies.
How to strum and change through simple chords
Musical Skills:
How to stay on (or re-find) a basic beat when playing along with a group
Theory:
Chromatic scale
III (Beg 1):
Knowledge:
Proper posture and how to implement it
Basic chords in most keys: C, G, F, D, A, Bb, E
Simple picking exercises and melodies
Motor Skills:
Down, Up and Down, Down, Up, Up, Down strumming patterns
Begin playing chords just by feel, no looking
Musical Skills:
How to strum relatively in time when playing simple songs alone
Play a song from memory
Begin to hear when a chord change happens
Theory:
A better understanding of the chromatic scale, sharps/flats, enharmonics
IV (Beg 2):
Knowledge:
Open position Major, Minor, and 7th chords in all 12 keys
The C major/A minor scale in its basic position
What the notes are called up to the 3rd fret
Motor Skills:
Introducing the index finger to picking
How to add a "chop" or "chunk" to a strum
Musical Skills:
How to convey extremes in dynamics (loud, soft)
Hold confident timing (no rushing!) when playing alone
Play 2 or 3 songs from memory
Begin experimenting with improvising
Theory:
How a scale is created
V (Inter 1):
Knowledge:
How to transpose a basic song into any key
Some jazz chord shapes (6ths, minor 7ths, 9ths)
What the notes are called up to the 5th fret
Basic scales in 'ukulele-friendly keys: C, F, G, D, A, etc...
Motor Skills:
More exotic strum patterns like a reggae strum, country strum, hula strum...
How to integrate the thumb and index finger for picking string patterns
Musical Skills:
How to play with a metronome when strumming and for simple instances of playing lead
5 songs from memory (1-2 with picking)
How to play in simple odd time signatures like ¾ and 6/8
Learning start and stop notes for improv
Theory:
How a chord is created
Intervals
VI (Inter 2):
Knowledge:
All main major, minor, and 7th chord shapes up and down the fretboard
Simple open position jazz chords in 12 keys
All major scales in a simple position (relative minors too!)
What the notes are called up to the 7th fret
Motor Skills:
Basic picking articulations such as hammer-on, pull-off, and slide
Making what you already play more efficient/clean
Musical Skills:
How to recognize I, IV, and V chords in a progression
How to play triplet groupings
10 songs from memory
Beginning to solo in all keys
Theory:
Chord scales, how they are made, and create keys
VII (Adv 1):
Knowledge:
What the notes are called up to the 10th fret
All 6th, minor 7th, 9th, major 7th chords up and down the fretboard
Open positions for almost any other chord
All major and minor scales across the fretboard
Motor Skills:
Incorporating vibrato, hammer-ons, pull-offs, or slides into any lead
Musical Skills:
Play any song with a metronome
Enough songs to fill an hour set
How to accompany almost any song with confident strumming or picking
Incorporating ideas and energy in solos
Theory:
Modes
Memorizing key signatures
VIII (Adv 2):
Knowledge:
All notes across the fretboard
All scales across the fretboard
All chords across the fretboard
Musical Skills:
Figure almost any song out by ear on the fly
Close-to-perfect timing
How to play MUSIC: when to play, when not to play, feels, listening, what to play, what not to play, etc, etc, etc...
Expert:
All of the above, flawlessly
OLD LIST:
Last edited:
