Kids with ukuleles

Hammond · Jul 14, 2015

Last Sunday we started a new ukulele group, with many young kids as well as few seniors. One of the youngest is 3 years old.

They were adorable when handing them their first new uke, they hug it like a precious.

How do you get young kid's attention? When trying to teach them make their first few chords.

PhilUSAFRet · Jul 14, 2015

Not sure you'll get a 3 year old's attention unless he wants to give it to you, LOL. How about singing and playing some 1 and 2 chord songs as you teach the chords.

Hammond · Jul 14, 2015

PhilUSAFRet said:
Not sure you'll get a 3 year old's attention unless he wants to give it to you, LOL. How about singing and playing some 1 and 2 chord songs as you teach the chords.

True.. lol

Other kids are 5~14, what we did was teaching them C & G7 chords and "Mary had a little lamb". Next time will be Am & F.

What would you suggest? I want to ask hints/tips for such situations.

Adrian Ortiga · Jul 14, 2015

The first song i taught my classmate was knockin on heavens door with only three chords and its a pretty cool song, some g c am f songs like riptide will appeal to the 14 year old ish people like me

bonesigh · Jul 15, 2015

I have some experience with this. Three is possible with some children but not many (my opinion). Tune the uke WAY down but in tune with yours. This makes the strings super easy to fret! Sounds a bit buzzy of course, but who cares, their little soft fingers won’t suffer as much! Use different colored smiley face stickers and only one finger chords and half chords, I'll attach a short vid. Make the "C" a yellow face, "Am" purple, etc. But first focus on just holding the uke and strum down open. It's very important to make a strap for them. Let them pick the material at the fabric store.

Play very slow songs and play with them. If they can't strum yet have them "pat" the ukulele to add percussion. Let them know how much they add to the music doing just that alone

Patience, patience you need tons of! Avoid the word "no". It's all yes, yes, yes, fun, fun, fun! Tell them Uke Time is rest time. This is a calm activity. It helps to put them to bed with it (I don’t mean in the bed but alongside or nearby). There's a chance when they wake up they will fiddle with it

You get them into bed usual routine etc. read, whatever, then you have them play you a night time song and then you play them one. This reinforces the “calm” when uking at other times in the day.

Oh, and I hope to gosh that you get them all a uke that is sturdy so you don't have to watch them constantly so that the uke is fully theirs (with rules of care, of course). I recommend the inexpensive all plastic KeAloha at Amazon. I have 2 of these. One plays very good the other is just so, so. But good for 40 bucks!

itsme · Jul 15, 2015

bonesigh said:
I recommend the inexpensive all plastic KeAloha at Amazon. I have 2 of these. One plays very good the other is just so, so. But good for 40 bucks!

I have one and it's pretty decent. But... they are concerts, and I think small kids would be better off with a soprano.

Hammond · Jul 15, 2015

bonesigh said:
I have some experience with this. Three is possible with some children but not many (my opinion). Tune the uke WAY down but in tune with yours. This makes the strings super easy to fret! Sounds a bit buzzy of course, but who cares, their little soft fingers won’t suffer as much! Use different colored smiley face stickers and only one finger chords and half chords, I'll attach a short vid. Make the "C" a yellow face, "Am" purple, etc. But first focus on just holding the uke and strum down open. It's very important to make a strap for them. Let them pick the material at the fabric store.

Play very slow songs and play with them. If they can't strum yet have them "pat" the ukulele to add percussion. Let them know how much they add to the music doing just that alone Patience, patience you need tons of! Avoid the word "no". It's all yes, yes, yes, fun, fun, fun! Tell them Uke Time is rest time. This is a calm activity. It helps to put them to bed with it (I don’t mean in the bed but alongside or nearby). There's a chance when they wake up they will fiddle with it You get them into bed usual routine etc. read, whatever, then you have them play you a night time song and then you play them one. This reinforces the “calm” when uking at other times in the day.

Oh, and I hope to gosh that you get them all a uke that is sturdy so you don't have to watch them constantly so that the uke is fully theirs (with rules of care, of course). I recommend the inexpensive all plastic KeAloha at Amazon. I have 2 of these. One plays very good the other is just so, so. But good for 40 bucks!

Thank you. I like your suggestion, I should ask earlier. Because we did bulk-purchase ukes for them, all laminated sopranos for $40 from a trusted local ukulele association.

Your video and comments are very inspiring, I am thinking to explain that to their parents, so that they could have a nice time before bed.

And also I am thinking to change the homework (we did gave homework for them to take home, like "Mary had a little lamb" song) to more simple & fun..

I am so appreciate it!

Kids with ukuleles

Hammond

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PhilUSAFRet

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Hammond

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Adrian Ortiga

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bonesigh

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itsme

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Hammond

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