Guitar, Ukulele & Banjo Catalogue
Faber Music's Guitar, Ukulele & Banjo Catalogue
Faber Music's Guitar, Ukulele & Banjo Catalogue
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<strong>Ukulele</strong><br />
ukulele for young players<br />
by Lorraine Bow<br />
Over the last few years, ukuleles have taken the world by storm. From gigs and concerts to schools and festivals, they have<br />
become a key part of musical life across the country. So why has the ukulele become so popular? And what makes it such<br />
a great instrument for young players? The key is simplicity: ukuleles are very easy to learn, fun to play and give immediate<br />
satisfaction. And don’t forget that they are excellent value for money!<br />
If you are looking to try something fun and different in your classroom, perhaps after having focused on the recorder for<br />
many years, why not try the ukulele? Non-specialists need not worry as no prior musical knowledge is needed to learn or<br />
teach the ukulele. However, to get you started, here are a few practical tips and ideas:<br />
Tuning<br />
Tune ukuleles every day to begin with: if you do this for a week, they should only need a little adjustment before your<br />
lessons. Nowadays ukuleles are usually tuned to G, C, E & A, making the chord of C6, (or Am7). The alternative traditional<br />
English tuning was A, D, F# & B – the D6 chord. Either one is fine, but there’s less music available for the D tuning<br />
these days.<br />
Behaviour tips<br />
• If you have different coloured ukuleles at your school, the children may make a fuss about colour in the first few<br />
lessons. I overcame this by getting children to play each colour ukulele in turn to the rest of the class. I asked them to<br />
tell me what the difference in sound was, and what a ukulele is for. After this exercise, the boys played pink ones with<br />
no hesitation!<br />
• Even as an adult, it is difficult to sit whilst holding an instrument and not play with it. Spend time establishing a ‘rest’<br />
position as well as the correct ‘playing’ position. Rest position could be strings down on the children’s laps, or back<br />
in the boxes, or holding the ukulele out in front of them. Think about which strategy you feel most comfortable with,<br />
and establish that from lesson one.<br />
Singing and playing<br />
One of the great things about the ukulele is that children get to practise singing as well as playing. In my method <strong>Ukulele</strong><br />
Basics, we have included the ukulele parts to loads of great songs. While the key of each song has been selected primarily<br />
with ukulele learning and development in mind, many songs sit comfortably within children’s vocal ranges. Many also<br />
feature in the Sing Up Songbank – so you can link your ukulele lessons with school singing.<br />
<strong>Ukulele</strong> Basics<br />
From how to hold your ukulele, through basic chords and strumming patterns, to playing<br />
accompaniments and simple tunes, this carefully paced method provides a complete<br />
resource for aspiring players. The <strong>Ukulele</strong> Basics Repertoire collection is designed both<br />
to consolidate and further the techniques presented in <strong>Ukulele</strong> Basics, introducing new<br />
skills and concepts gradually alongside a variety of new repertoire. Suitable for absolute<br />
beginners aged 6+.<br />
0571535887 <strong>Ukulele</strong> Basics (with CD) Lorraine Bow & Alex Davis £8.99 € 13.04<br />
0571538673 <strong>Ukulele</strong> Basics Repertoire Alex Davis £5.50 € 7.43