Let's Play the Ukulele!
I've been teaching ukulele to my classes for several years now and I've learned a lot along the way. There are so many little things that can make your teaching a big success. In this course I'll share both my successes and how I've learned from my mistakes.
My goal is for you to walk away with lesson plans and ideas as well as the techniques and classroom management tips to make those lessons come to life.
What's Included?
- Do you want some suggestions on the type of ukulele to buy yourself or what you might want to purchase for a classroom set of ukes? I've got that.
- Need some tips and suggestions on how to tackle that first day of teaching ukulele? There's a video all about how to hand out ukes, teaching kids how to hold them, strumming starters, and all of the other "first day" things.
- Want to talk through lesson content and songs to use along the way? I've got scaffolding, chord progression helpers, and play-along suggestions that you'll love.
- How about "next steps" like an after-school ukulele club, self-guided ukulele learning centers, communication with parents about what ukes to buy their kids. There's a video for that!
- If there's a question or topic that's NOT covered in this course reach out to me and I'll do my best to add it in!
Getting Started
We'll talk through how to pick out a ukulele for yourself and your students. You'll also see all the extras that you might want like tuners, capos, books, and more.
Lesson Ideas
I'll go through my process from Day 1 with playing technique, song ideas, classroom management, and content to use in your lessons. You'll see how I sequence lessons and the resources I use along the way.
Teaching Tips
Sometimes the most impactful things you learn at a workshop are the little tips and tricks along the way that make teaching easier. I'll share all my favorite tidbits at every step in the process.
Example Curriculum
- Welcome and Course Outline (6:42)
- Goals for Students - What Could They Learn? (5:43)
- Ukulele Sizes, Brands, and Buying Suggestions (13:21)
- Resources & Accessories - Everything You Need To Get Started (12:52)
- Ukulele Play Alongs - How, Why, and Where to Find Them (6:19)
- PDF - Buying Suggestions for Uke & Extras
- Learning the C Chord, Hawaiian F, & Play Along Prep (17:27)
- Play Along: Best Day of My Life (C & Hawaiian F)
- More Play Along Options for C and Strategies for Playing (3:16)
- Hawaiian F to F Major (7:40)
- Play Along: Don't Worry Be Happy (Transition from Hawaiian F to F Major)
- Transition Chords - A minor (9:56)
- Play Along: Thunder (Add Am)
- Strumming 101 (18:21)
- Buying or Making Pics - A how-to guide. (9:32)
- How to Make Felt Picks - Blog Post
- Teaching New Strumming Patterns (6:23)
- Strumming Patterns Based On Song Lyrics (4:13)
- Play Along: Baby Shark
- Strumming Patterns: Song Specific (7:28)
- Play Along: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
- Different Strumming Patterns Based on Song Form (3:45)
- Play Along: The Lion Sleeps Tonight
- Building Out Chords - A7 - D7 (3:18)
- Play Along: I Feel Good (A7 and Hawaiian D7)
- Practice - Putting Chords Together In New Ways (3:33)
- Try Out and Explore - What Else Could We Play (2:48)
- Uke Play Along Modified Dm: Don't Worry Be Happy
- Find Motivating Songs! (3:10)
- Play Along: You'll Be Back from Hamilton
- Ukulele Learning Centers - A how-to guide and Download (2:58)
- Teaching for Fluency - Slow to Fast Chord Shifting (3:41)
- Play Along: Run Run Rudolph
- Push Them - Use the Zone of Proximal Development (3:35)
- Play Along: I'm On Top of the World
- Teaching Kids to Simplify and Adapt on their own (3:49)
- Play Along: Sweet Caroline
- App Focus: The Amazing Slow-Downer (2:16)
- Amazing Slow Downer - iPhone View (2:31)
- Slow Down the Song YouTube - A How-To Guide (4:01)
- Play Along: Butter by BTS
- Where Does the Chord Go? (2:56)
- Dance Break - When Chord Progressions are Too Crazy (3:01)
- Play Along: Can't Stop the Feeling with Dance Break/Bridge