Intro to Ukulele: Middle School

 In the first session, students will get acquainted with the ukulele, starting with a basic overview of the instrument and how to hold it properly. The focus will be on learning two essential chords, C and G7. Students will practice these chords through a simple song like "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," applying basic downstroke strumming patterns. The session will conclude with a group jam session where students can play together and ask any initial questions. 

 This session builds on the foundational chords by introducing the F chord, allowing students to expand their chord repertoire. Using the newly learned C, G7, and F chords, students will work on playing a three-chord song, such as "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley. The focus will be on practicing chord transitions and exploring down-up strumming patterns. The session will end with a group jam session to reinforce learning and address any challenges. 

 In this session, students will dive deeper into strumming techniques, with a particular emphasis on mastering the island strum pattern, which is widely used in many ukulele songs. They will apply this strumming pattern to a song like "You Are My Sunshine," practicing the rhythm and feel of the strum. Students will have the opportunity to refine their technique during a jam session, where they can experiment with strumming variations and seek feedback. 

 This session shifts the focus to playing simple melodies and riffs on the ukulele. Students will begin with finger exercises to improve accuracy and dexterity before learning to pick out melodies on individual strings. A melody-based song like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" will be introduced to help students apply their newfound skills. The session will wrap up with a jam session, where students can practice combining melodies with chords.