Hey teachers!

Bob Bledsoe

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Hi guys, I'd love to get some input from fellow teachers.

I run a ukulele program at a summer camp each year. Up until now I've made it available to anyone at camp who wants to learn. There are a few times during the day (mornings and free time) that kids can work with me and I end up teaching about 20 out of 80-100 kids per camp session. I usually teach a C,G, Am, F progression to the new kids to get them going on songs and that works really well. The kids who already play get to learn whatever they want - finger picking, new chords, songs, whatever.

This year will be different. I'll still work with my core group of willing participants during down time, but we're now making ukulele part of the camp's official activity rotation. So every camper will spend at least an hour during camp learning ukulele (1 hour total, not an hour each day).

I have a basic plan for the 7-10 year olds and a basic plan for kids 11-17. But I'd love some other ideas that I might incorporate to bring something new to my program.
So, if you had only one hour to get a group of kids excited about ukulele, what would you do?

Thanks in advance for your creativity and input!

Bob
 
I'm not a teacher but my suggestion is show them specific songs that appeal to their age bracket so as to show them they can play their favorites on uke. If you play something old that they don't know or something they think is corny they will lose interest.
 
I'm not a teacher but my suggestion is show them specific songs that appeal to their age bracket so as to show them they can play their favorites on uke. If you play something old that they don't know or something they think is corny they will lose interest.

Absolutely! Thats the key right there. Its why C, G, Am, F works so well. They learn that and then I give them a list of top 40 songs that they can now play...
Some can get it in an hour, others it takes a few sessions. Thats my general plan with the older kids.

The younger ones will probably do a "traveling menstrel" thing with me. Our camp theme this year is Renaissance, so I'm planning to have the young ones play a rhythmic chord or two (and a few playing drums) as I play a renaissance tune on mandolin in Em. We'll wander around camp being traveling musicians. ;-)
 
As a teacher, I'd like to see a list of those top 40 songs :cool:
 
As a teacher, I'd like to see a list of those top 40 songs :cool:

We always start by learning I'm Yours by Jason Mraz. Kids still know it well and the chord progression never changes. Once they're happy with knowing how to play one song I have them sing lyrics for others and it blows their minds. ;-)
Here's a list of ones I can think of off the top of my head that we've used. I usually do some research each year and see if there are any new ones that fit the chord progression....
I'm Yours -Jason Mraz
Firework - Katy Perry
You Dont Know You're Beautiful - One Direction
Don't Stop Believing - Journey (kids know it from Glee)
Someone Like You - Adel
She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5
Can You Feel The Love Tonight - Elton John (Lion King)
 
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Seeso and I did a workshop for kids at Floyd Fest here in my town. If you teach the young ones C7, which is simply Lime in the Coconut, they feel super successful. Then worst case scenario they feel like they know one song!
 
Thank you!

We always start by learning I'm Yours by Jason Mraz. Kids still know it well and the chord progression never changes. Once they're happy with knowing how to play one song I have them sing lyrics for others and it blows their minds. ;-)
Here's a list of ones I can think of off the top of my head that we've used. I usually do some research each year and see if there are any new ones that fit the chord progression....
I'm Yours -Jason Mraz
Firework - Katy Perry
You Dont Know You're Beautiful - One Direction
Don't Stop Believing - Journey (kids know it from Glee)
Someone Like You - Adel
She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5
Can You Feel The Love Tonight - Elton John (Lion King)
 
Seeso and I did a workshop for kids at Floyd Fest here in my town. If you teach the young ones C7, which is simply Lime in the Coconut, they feel super successful. Then worst case scenario they feel like they know one song!

Good one Mim, thanks!
 
Using the C-G-Am-F progression is a great idea, so many songs use it, check out "Four Chords" by The Axis of Awesome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOlDewpCfZQ

You might also point out that the same chords in a different order (C-AM-F-G) gives the so-called "50s progression" or "doo wop progression", and also the "sensitive woman progression", Am-F-C-G, used in "One of Us" by Joan Osborne.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_containing_the_I–V–vi–IV_progression

Thanks Doug! Yeah, there are tons of options with those chords. We did a fundraiser in Hollywood last year where I had some of the campers perform a medley of pop songs like that. It was really fun.
 
I have a suggestion that takes a slightly different path, for what it's worth to you.

I am a teacher, but not of ukulele. I went to a "learn the uke 'jam' " at our local library wanting to see what these things are like and possibly to socialize a bit. I am already a fluent musician, so to keep myself interested in the row-row-row your boat sorts of songs, I pulled out a chord book and played chord variations up the neck --- a dandy exercise that made my evening worthwhile.

Anyway, There were about 20 new ukers in this session. I found it quite disappointing. It was all a mush and I couldn't hear myself or my part in it. Even with a pedagogical bass uke trying to force a beat on the crowd, there were still players way off the beat. At any given time I could see multiple folks playing the wrong chord...they weren't being musicians ( adjusting their sound by listening to what they were playing ). and so, here's my suggestion.

After a period of one-chord getting acquainted, I think it would be a good idea to group people in, say, threes or fours. It it's feasible, they can sit in 4 corners of the room. This way students can self correct and will be better on their way to musicianship. You can still start and stop them and talk to them as a group, the idea is simply to let them hear themselves.
 
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I have a suggestion that takes a slightly different path, for what it's worth to you.

I am a teacher, but not of ukulele. I went to a "learn the uke 'jam' " at our local library wanting to see what these things are like and possibly to socialize a bit. I am already a fluent musician, so to keep myself interested in the row-row-row your boat sorts of songs, I pulled out a chord book and played chord variations up the neck --- a dandy exercise that made my evening worthwhile.

Anyway, There were about 20 new ukers in this session. I found it quite disappointing. It was all a mush and I couldn't hear myself or my part in it. Even with a pedagogical bass uke trying to force a beat on the crowd, there were still players way off the beat. At any given time I could see multiple folks playing the wrong chord...they weren't being musicians ( adjusting their sound by listening to what they were playing ). and so, here's my suggestion.

After a period of one-chord getting acquainted, I think it would be a good idea to group people in, say, threes or fours. It it's feasible, they can sit in 4 corners of the room. This way students can self correct and will be better on their way to musicianship. You can still start and stop them and talk to them as a group, the idea is simply to let them hear themselves.

Great idea! In the mornings, before breakfast, I separate into groups just because I have kids at different levels learning different things. But I hadnt thought of doing that with a larger group learning tbe same thing. Listening is super important and that hodge-podge of different chords and rhythem that happens at the beginner level makes it tough... So that's going into the plan. Thanks pointpergame!
 
I'd incorporate some "current" songs that they may like. Like Riptide, and Best Day Of My Life. Sounds like you have a good plan going. It will be a great camp!!!
 
I'd incorporate some "current" songs that they may like. Like Riptide, and Best Day Of My Life. Sounds like you have a good plan going. It will be a great camp!!!

Riptide is a good one! We havent used that yet. I always use top 40 songs, so Riptide will be one of the new options. Thanks Ukejenny!
 
These are just ideas to help you find your own. Even if I don't mention playing and singing, these things are what will hold it all together, they would still be the core activity. The underlying theme of my ideas is to show the children how to have fun and enjoy their music, not necessarily to become a virtuoso player.
Call your part "50 Ways to Enjoy a Ukulele"
Source enough used Mahalo U30 ukuleles so everyone can have to look at. These may or may not be the ukes you use for the rest of the activities. Make sure they are spread from the late 1990s to new. This will be what you use to teach the collectors corner part. Teach the children how to pick differences and hear the sounds and do collector stuff.
Have a segment where the children do something with the ukulele other than playing it, clean it, re-string, or just a silly skit, rule - no damage is allowed.
String madness. Using the collection of mahalos do some string madness, swap around strings and carbon and nylon and black nylon etc..
Pretty wood. Use a collection of photos turned into A5 size cards to show the children the pretty wood, pick the top two traditional woods, koa and mahogany, and do some sound difference stuff, using real ukes or recordings.
Uke care and maintenance. Show the children how to do simple tasks like cleaning, hydrating, string change or adjusting position on tuner. Maybe give them some tuners to pull apart if they are at the right age.
Strap magic. Talk about straps. Maybe make some straps out of boot laces and rags.
Case decoration. Do a small decoration project on everyone's case. Instead of a camp sticker, they go home with a decoration. Adjust to age of children and safety.
Headstock decoration. Headstock decoration project.
Rock Stardom. Active playing, really active playing, like Mick Jagger moves, Pete Townsend windmills. Focus on the moves not the playing for a moment of two. Accompany with some material teaching about rock music genre(s), not teaching to play it on the ukulele, introducing the genre.
Bluegrass Mike. Set up a single mike, and everyone dances around the single mike, bluegrass style. Not necessarily bluegrass music. Accompany with some material on teaching about the Bluegrass music genre. Again introducing the genre, not learning how to play a tune.
Orchestral Manoeuvres. Maximum hair shaking and expression while playing, looking deadly serious the whole time. Accompany with some material about orchestral music. Including baroque styles. Introducing the genre, not learning any tunes.
Americana Americana Irish/English dance and so on introducing popular genres.
Street Ukulele Disco. How to set up a school yard dance session with just a ukulele and a percussion tin can. No electronic stuff. Turn off the device and stop texting for ten minutes and have a play and a dance.
Carrying the instrument. Learning how to safely lug the thing around everywhere. Impact of direct sunlight. Dents. cracks. Taking care.
Certified Uke Tech. Get some thin wood and crack it and dent it. Students assess the damage and according to their age do some repairs or just talk about how to avoid the damage.
Creative Ukulele Thinking. Draw a picture or make a short comic that is about ukulele playing.
Relaxing with a Uke. Random playing session. No rules. Maybe teach some disguised scale shapes to noodle and pick out.
Fretboard Genius. Simple card game that teaches the name of every note on the fretboard. Can be played by two people twenty people. Using ABC notation which goes C D E F G A B c d e f g a, lower case for higher octave and easy for children. Various rules and levels. Basically a card is held up and the other player finds the note. Advanced format can include hearing the note.
Thats enough for today.

Those are all great ideas Bill! If I had more than just a one hour session with the little ones, those would be great to incorporate. I'll hang on to them for when I've got some extra time. It seems like once we get playing an hour is over in short order. Thanks for those creative activities!
 
These are great suggestions. One other thing that may save you some time... In my school ukulele classes, I have the C, F and G chords marked with stickers - red for C, blue for F, yellow for G. I got the stickers at Staples. It took about an hour or so to put them on 25 ukuleles, but it has saved so much time in class. At this point, most of my students know how to read chord diagrams, but initially it was cool to say, "Play the F. It's blue," and most of the kids were on it immediately.

stickers.jpg
 
I like Bill's ideas, and I'm going to steal some of them!

Here's my pile:

- there are more melodic one-finger songs than London Bridge, Michael Row etc. I start out with 'Raindrops keep falling on my head', which sounds nice even without the sung melody. (0003, 0002, 0001, 0010 each 4 beats; 0202, 0100 two beats each; and again; 0210 for 12 beats; go back to start)
- lots of dance tunes (repurposed in the disco era) are two chords, I-V. Play that with a Fsus2 (0010) and a (C7) (0001) and some kids can learn the dance moves while the other half accompanies: Skip to my Lou, Brown Girl in the Ring, Hokey Pokey...
- don't use the chord names yet, stick to 'finger on the second string' and 'finger on the first string'. Em7 or G6 (0202) is 'the finger bridge'.
- I save the G chord for some time later, because it requires three fingers. And I start it from the Em7 or G6 above (0202), adding one finger (0232). One kid always calls it 'the Vee chord'. Which makes sense, and fun.
- one way to teach 'harder to grip chords', is to divide the class into two or three parts that each play one chord of the song - so the song is 'ping-ponged' (EDIT: tennissed for the Americans) through the room!
- silent conducting, with chord diagrams on cards. If you spot fluent kids, they can take your place as the conductor.

Overall, I found it important - as Bill suggests - to make it all very playful, not pushy. Bashing out song after song isn't what most kids want. Rhythmic games, making big moves, having little competitions (who's the loudest? who's the fastest?) and loud laughs because they missed it again, that's what will get them started.
 
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Thanks - the stealing bit was tongue-in-cheek, but I will use the henceforth Bill-method!

Concerning headstock decoration: since most ukuleles (except the open headstock ones) have four protruding tuners stems, almost anything with a hole in it can be stuck on top. As can old socks.

Just some masking tape and two googly eyes:
krokodil.jpg

Googly eyes (and some strong glue) can turn any ukulele gig bag into an instrument-eating monster. Did I eve mention how much I love googly eyes?
 
These are great, you guys! I knew if i posted here I'd get some really good ideas from creative folks. I'll be incorporating alot of this stuff on the island this summer - as well as in my private lessons... Its really cool to see what others are doing and how they're getting kids engaged and excited. Thanks again!
 
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