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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

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