UPDATE: after 5 weeks teaching Boot Camp

Uncle Rod Higuchi

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Just a heads up.

I just completed teaching the 5th of 9 beginner ukulele lessons using the Ukulele Boot Camp method and Practice Sheets.

So far... great! The students are very attentive and faithful in doing their homework, ie each Practice Sheet.

I began with a row of very basic chords ( C, C7, F, A7, D7, G7 ). (I transposed this series of chords for each of the subsequent keys of F, G, A, and D). We played through the progression, slowly at first after introducing each chord and explaining and demonstrating how it is conventionally formed.

I also introduced a couple of very simple songs ( 1-Hawaiian, 2-Hokey Pokey) to get them playing songs after learning chords and practicing chord changes.

Homework was the regular Boot Camp Practice Sheet in the respective keys.

The next lesson reviewed the first set of basic chords then introduced the next set for the new key. Same songs in the new key and homework was the Practice Sheet in the new key. All subsequent lessons repeated this procedure.

A couple of lessons ago, because there's a Holiday Cruise put on by the Ferry workers for the Disabled, I introduced the SUPA Holiday Songbook to the group and invited them to join us for this event. By then, the students had learned the keys of C, F, and G, so we played Blue Christmas, and the Chipmunk's Christmas Song.

Last night, key of D, we hurried through the 'formalities' so we could get to more Holiday Songs. I must tell you they were real troupers! Although I had to point out that I observed that not everyone was playing the same chords I was playing :). They got a kick out of that. But my point was that when playing in a group/song circle IT DOESN'T MATTER!! Everybody is so intent on what they are doing that we hardly every pay attention to what anyone else is doing or sounding like! They enjoyed that too!

So, just to let you know, we have a couple more lessons before the Ferry Cruise/Recital? :), and I'll be introducing the Chromatic Scale - for reference purposes, and Moveable Chord shapes; then the concept and practice of Transposing - using Transposing Charts and 'Wheels'.

I'll report back after the Holiday Ferry Cruise :)

Thanks for 'listening'. Just wanted to encourage anyone doing the Boot Camp or teaching it, or who just wanted a bit of a heads up!

keep uke'in',
 
Alooha Unko Rod,
Thank you for all you do with the ukulele movement....we certainly appriciate your efforts and your boot camp program and songbooks too....Happy Strummings...
 
Thank you.. I wish I still lived in Seattle.. I would love to learn from you and attend uke circles with you! Thank you I learned (and still learning) so much from your Boot camp!
 
Hey Rod -

We had a young woman come through Guitar Merchant on her way to Argentina to do things I don't want to know about. Turns out her mother bought her a ukulele a couple of months ago as a birthday gift. She also paid for one lesson (when her daughter got back into town). Monday was the day.

They called me out of the wood shop and had me give the 30 minute lesson. Thinking fast, I pulled out Uncle Rod's Ukulele Boot Camp Chord Lessons in C. We had a great time as she was already familiar with how to do it and just needed some guidance. We went for 45 minutes and had a good time of it. Hats off to you!
 
Harold O., no, hats off to you!

Thank you for feeling free to pass along the Boot Camp.

It was designed to be used and to be passed on for further use :)

Please feel free to make as many copies as you feel the need to have on hand to pass along
or use as course material.

Thanks for the kind words.

keep uke'in',
 
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