Beginning Ukulele for Adults
About Beginning Ukulele for Adults
This 45 minute class is for beginning adult musicians, who are learning the ukulele for the very first time. We will learn fundamentals such as how to hold and strum the ukulele, how to make chords, the names of the ukulele strings and how to play songs with at least 3 chords.
This class is limited to 10 students.
Class Structure
In each class we will learn one new concept, then practice it together and individually. As we progress it will be expected that students remember how to do what we worked on last time.
Class Materials Needed
- Ukulele
- Tuner - https://amzn.to/35h5Ng4 – This is a great one if your instrument didn’t come with one!
- A device that can display materials when students practice on their own, such as a laptop or iPad.
Class Goals
- - Learn basics of ukulele such as tuning, correct playing posture, and the names of the open strings
- - Explore basic rhythmic values of whole notes, half notes, and quarter notes
- - Learn how to strum simple chords
- - Play songs in different styles using these notes and chords
- - Develop correct practice habits that are critical for musical growth and improvement
- - Learn fundamentals of music that will apply to future music study on any instrument
- - At the end of this course, students should feel empowered to find their own next steps of their musical journey
Age Range
Adults
Skill Level
Beginner, no Experience Required
Lesson Outline
(These are approximate and will flex based on what is achieved in the previous class. I will always have 2 lessons’ worth of materials available in case we get ahead as a group or if students wish to move faster.)
Lesson 1
★ Introduce ourselves
★ Parts of the ukulele (head, neck, body, bridge, nut, tuning pegs, strings, fretboard, frets)
★ Tuning pegs (how to keep from breaking strings)
★ How to tune the ukulele
★ How to hold the ukulele
★ String names (GCEA) and practice playing 1 string
★ Left hand finger numbers, C chord (Row Your Boat)
★ Reading rhythms: Half note, whole note
Lesson 2
★ Review parts of the ukulele, string names, left hand finger numbers
★ Review C chord
★ How to read a chord chart
○ Learn C7 and F chords using chord charts
★ New song: Mary Ann (F and C7 chords)
★ Review half notes and whole notes
★ New rhythms: quarter notes and eighth notes
○ Strumming pattern: D DU D DU
★ New song: Hokey Pokey (F and C7)
★ New chord: G7
○ Practice transitioning from C to G7
○ Practice transitioning from F to G7
Lesson 3
★ Review: how to read a chord chart
★ Review C, C7, F, G7 chords
★ New Song: You Are My Sunshine
★ ¾ time patterns - D D DU and D DU DU
★ New song: My Darling Clementine (C and G7)
★ New chord: am (a minor)
Lesson 4
★ Review rhythms: whole note, half note, quarter note, eighth note - practice all with strumming
★ Group brainstorm - create and try different strumming patterns with quarter notes and eighth notes
★ Learn strumming pattern D DU UDU (Island strum)
★ Review C, am, F, G7 chords
★ New chord: G
★ New song: “Stand by Me”
★ Using Ultimate Guitar site as a resource for finding a song you like
○ Level feature
○ Transposition
★ Choose a song to prepare for the last class
Lesson 5
★ Warm up together: Stand by Me
★ Preparing to play for others
○ What to tell yourself when you’re nervous
○ What to tell others after they have performed (how to give feedback)
★ Students perform for the group
★ Wrap up: What’s next?
When
The class will meet for five weekly 45-min live online sessions on Tuesdays at 8 pm ET | 5 pm PT on the schedule below. The first session is on April 19.
(Convert to my time zone)
Enrolled students receive lifetime access to the video recordings of the classes.
How It Works
Students can connect to the online platform using a tablet or computer with reliable internet. To actively participate online students also need a webcam with microphone. The class is covered by the Lessonface Guarantee.
Students Say
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K-ren on April 21, 2022
Very good! I enjoyed insight as a beginner with zero music theory knowledge. I hope to learn more next session.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Verified Student on May 18, 2022
Excellent.
Book 1:1 online lessons with Stephanie Douglass on their Lessonface profile.
Stephanie Douglass
Originally from a tiny town in the Sierra Foothills in Northern California, I started taking piano lessons at the age of 9. Through the school band I picked up the clarinet and bass clarinet, and in high school my curiosity got the best of my and I learned how to play my grandpa’s cornet using a fingering chart printed from the Internet.
About Lessonface, PBC
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