Site for kids.

Rllink

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 14, 2014
Messages
4,566
Reaction score
292
Location
Ames, Iowa
I learned the basics from Uncle Rod. I found him right off the bat and he sent me on my way with a pretty good foundation. Over the years I have pointed everyone who asks how to learn to play the ukulele toward Uncle Rod. This week I was asked if I would participate in a summer program designed to teach underprivileged kids aged six to twelve. They are teaching music this summer, and I've been asked to come to one of the sessions in each school district and introduce the kids to the ukulele. One of the questions that the organizers want me to address is how they can learn to play the ukulele. The kids will be divided up into three age groups. The older ones I will send to Uncle Rod, but he might be just a little too much for the younger ones. Anyone know a site that parents could go to for the six, seven, and eight year olds?
 
What do you mean by a site? An instructional page for parents to learn, or a page for parents to bring their kids to? I have a lot of ideas on this topic...and I love Uncle Rod’s work, but wouldn’t start a kid there (I work to it). In general, expect things to take 2 or 3 times longer for a kid to get, especially if they aren’t actually making the choice themselves to learn the ukulele.
 
What do you mean by a site? An instructional page for parents to learn, or a page for parents to bring their kids to? I have a lot of ideas on this topic...and I love Uncle Rod’s work, but wouldn’t start a kid there (I work to it). In general, expect things to take 2 or 3 times longer for a kid to get, especially if they aren’t actually making the choice themselves to learn the ukulele.
Yes, an instructional site geared toward that age group, where they could go. I'm not sure how involved the parents would be. I don't even know if the parents would buy the kids ukuleles. The organizers told me to tell them a little about the instrument, play some songs on the instrument to show them what it sounds like, tell them where they can learn to play the instrument, and then answer questions. If there aren't any questions, play more songs. I have them for an hour. One session is all, four different schools and three age groups per school, 6/7/, 8/9/10, 11/12. Maybe something like that. They have other people with other instruments on the other days. But I just feel like I should have somewhere they can go that would be on their age level. You have much more experience in this than I do. What would you tell the six and seven year olds? Should I just skip that with them and play more songs? Honestly, I don't know how many underprivileged kid's are going to have parents who will run out and get their kids ukuleles to play. But it is worth the effort on my part to plant the seed.
 
Last edited:
If you can get hold of some inexpensive instruments, it may help to bring them along. You can show them how to hold it, put their finger down for a C chord and let them strum a little. At the very least, you could finger it and just let them strum. It would probably excite them to feel what that is like and make them want more.
 
For an introduction, kids are, in general, way more interested in learning a song that's popular than learning the uke, if that makes sense. My at-the-time six-year-old granddaughter enjoyed learning Lava from Cynthia Lin. (And that was about it, she doesn't like ukulele much.) Anything from Frozen will hook most girls. Not sure about the boys, but if they learn a simple, popular, song, it's a good first success that might keep them coming back for more. Uncle Rod will make them hate you and your little ukulele too. He's great for a certain motivated, older, learner.

Good luck with the class! Thanks for passing it on. Working with kids is rewarding whether they learn what you think you're teaching them or not. They'll learn about an adult who took up something and succeeded, and who cares enough about kids to pass it on. They may learn a lot more.
 
Top Bottom