lele as well as the novelty “fluke” (flying “V” shaped ukulele). If you would like a more in-depth look at the types of ukulele and their ton- al qualities, the Austin, Texas based music company Austin Bazaar has produced a “Beginner’s Guide to Ukulele” video which is available on
YouTube (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4oxVDmizjM). The ukulele has four strings whose standard tuning is: 1st
2nd - E, 3rd - C and 4th - G; oddly enough the 4th - A, string - “G” is tuned
higher than the second and third strings. There are also string manu- facturers that offer a “lower fourth string option” – it is a thicker string and would be tuned an octave lower.
We hope that this first installment of Ukulele in the General Mu-
If one is acquainted with the parts of the guitar, then the ukulele will be familiar territory as the names are the same. Take a look at the diagram below.
Like other plucked
string instruments, the uku- lele utilizes both standard music notation and tabla- ture. Most commonly re- ferred to as “tab”, tablature is a notational system which can be traced back to the Renaissance and uses num- bers or letters to indicate fret position and lines to denote strings. Today common prac- tice dictates that the lowest line of the “tab staff” repre- sents the lowest string; the
top line represents the highest; and the use of numbers is used to indicate fret position.
sic Classroom has provided readers with a general working knowledge of the instrument and its history. Like any instrument, the ukulele can be as simple or complex as one chooses, but it is recommended to be introduced as one to be cared for and respected, rather than a nov- elty so students remain actively engaged. Keep in mind that with the ukulele, students can pluck melodies or strum chords; and for music educators the “how-to” of these basic skills are all that are necessary for a lesson plan or unit.
My Personal Classroom Uke Story & More by Tom Amoriello This may come across as a bit romanticized or overly embel- lished, but the truth is I became interested in the ukulele during a va- cation to Hawaii about ten years ago. The “time-share” at which I was staying offered free ukulele lessons by the poolside and even provided an instrument for those attending to use. Though I enjoyed the les- son with the “hired entertainment” my guitar skills easily transitioned to the ukulele and made playing a simple matter. I was so charmed by the instrument that within a few hours I had purchased my own instrument - a pineapple shape, to pay homage to my Hawaiian vaca- tion! Within weeks I was purchasing various method books and ukes of different sizes and shapes, and was even engaging in the occasional duet with my brother-in-law who plays accordion. I soon found that what I liked most about this instrument was that it brought a smile to the faces of those who listened to me. Sometime later, I came across a newspaper article about an in-
structor teaching ukulele classes for nursing home residents in San Diego, CA. After reading the article I envisioned incorporating a ukulele unit as part of my school music program, and knew the addi- tion would be exciting for my students. During the last five years, I gradually ordered 5 concert ukes
Moreover, Tab comes in two forms (as seen in the diagrams
above and below): (1) as a stand-alone notational system – where numbers indicate string/frets to be fingered and rhythms are attached to the numbers. (2) used in conjunction with standard notation - the actual notes and rhythms are viewed in standard notation, but “finger placement” is viewed in Tab.
JANUARY 2014
each year until I had enough for a full class (sharing in the mean- time). My classroom is equipped with spruce top Lanikai concert ukuleles (Model No. S-C). I prefer this size and brand because I feel that the concert uke has better intonation and they stay in tune a little better than the soprano sizes I have encountered; perhaps this is the result of the high quality tuning machines Lanikai puts on their con- cert ukes. Moreover, I believe the quality of this brand related to the price is a wise choice. Furthermore, the baritone size is also an option but pricing and popularity have dissuaded my decision. In order for my students to receive the most benefit from study- ing the ukulele, I teach a unit on the instrument. As part of the unit a typical lesson plan may include the historical background, record- ed samples and working from a method book. The method book I have chosen is Ukulele Book 1 by Lil’ Rev, published by Hal Leonard. However, given my penchant to mix things up I will try Everybody’s
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