This was a very practical workshop where we played the Ukulele for the majority of the time allocated. Also, we discussed the various instruments that can found in a typical school music department, both tuned and untuned. The Ukulele is a stringed-instrument originally from Hawaii that has similarities to the guitar. However, the Ukulele has a much shorter scale than the guitar and as a result, it has a higher standard pitch. They typically have four strings that are made from Nylon. Ukuleles can come in many different forms including; Soprano, Concert, Tenor, and Baritone. The Soprano Ukulele is usually considered to be the standard size.
As a cohort, we learned the 4 class chords which link to many popular songs. These chords can be viewed in the video clip below.
As this was the first encounter with this instrument for most people, Julie created a diagram on the board to aid us in correctly placing our fingers for each chord. I personally found it very difficult to position my fingers correctly on the strings. I also believe that children might be more able to play the Ukulele as their fingers are smaller to place on the strings but I would teach them how to play over a number of lessons instead of one like we did.
Below is a picture of the Ukulele I used. As you can clearly see it is very small, this instrument might be beneficial for children to use as it is an appropriate size for them, especially younger children.
References
- 2017 (2017) Ukuleles [Online]. Available: http://www.gear4music.com/Acoustic_Guitars/Ukuleles.html [Accessed 8 Jan 2017].
