Outschool
Open currency, time zone, and language settings
Log In

Ukulele for School-Age Beginners

In this one-time course, students will come away playing a simple song using 2-3 chords.
Mx. Erika Rose, LMHC, MT-BC (she/they)
Average rating:
4.8
Number of reviews:
(417)
Class

What's included

1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hours

Class Experience

PLEASE READ ENTIRE DESCRIPTION. I welcome all registered students to attend my class, but cannot issue refunds for students who are disappointed due to attending class without a suitable instrument and/or who are not yet developmentally ready.

This course takes place via live video chat. The course is designed for students with no prior playing experience. Students do need to be solidly at at least a first-grade developmental level and be accustomed to structured learning. Students who have only been in play-based settings may be more suited for my beginning class for preschool/early childhood, which can be found in my profile. Most six-year-olds and many seven-year-olds would benefit from taking the younger class first. 

To be successful in this course, students should be solid in these developmental skills: Consistently knowing right hand and left hand without much thought, fine motor and spatial skills around the level of skills such as writing fluently and shoe-tying, solid number sense up to ten, and sufficient impulse control to refrain from making sounds on the instrument until called on to play. While it can be helpful to have a parent nearby for periodic assistance, students should be at a school-age learning level and be mostly independent with readiness skills such as remaining in class, attempting to follow most directions when given, and so forth. It is of course understood that some neurodivergent students may have unique ways of staying focused and engaging; these are just general guidelines for rough developmental of the course in order to avoid frustrating/disappointing students who are overall at a younger learning level.

Students will learn the basics of the instrument and will begin playing some basic chords (C-major, G-major, F-major, and possibly a-minor and others depending on learning curve and time). Students will be able to play at least one simple song after this course, and often more. Students who are already familiar with the basics of playing and can switch between a C-major chord and G-major chord without too much hesitation would likely prefer one of my one-time Ukulele Hero classes.

This course is suitable to take multiple times for repetition and reinforcement. Students and families are welcome to determine whether they prefer to master the skills through at-home practice, frequent retaking of the course, or something in between. 

Students need a working and tuned ukulele. Non-musicians/absolute complete beginners: Please see my blog post at http://bit.ly/ukulelesetup. It explains how to set up and tune the ukulele, and has tips for purchasing a beginning ukulele on Amazon.

Other Details

Parental Guidance
American popular music from various eras and styles (most likely Beatles through the present) will be used in these courses. Any songs with questionable language will be used in their "clean" version, but families who are sensitive to popular/rock/folk artists and the various associations that go along with them should be aware.
Supply List
Students need to have a ukulele and have it WORKING and IN TUNE. Please see the blog post I made detailing how to purchase/acquire a ukulele and how to set it up for your first lesson: http://bit.ly/ukulelesetup

Students who are younger and/or have little musical experience might want an adult nearby to assist with retuning and finger placement if needed. Outschool policy states that no one but the learner should be on camera, due to safety and privacy, but it is appropriate in these types of hands-on courses for an adult to be nearby and able to reach over and assist as needed. 

TO SET YOUR STUDENT AND DEVICE UP FOR THIS CLASS: 

1) Please put your device in GALLERY VIEW once you enter the live Zoom session. This is found at the top of the Zoom screen. Gallery view allows students to see each other and the teacher all simultaneously, which leads to better peer interaction and student comfort, and minimizes distractions of the speaker view changing. 

2) Please position yourself so that I can see both of your hands when you are holding the ukulele. Ideally I will be able to see approximately from the forehead to the waist. Some setups that tend to work include tilting laptop or iPad downward from normal, scooting the chair away from the desk/device a bit, or sitting on the floor with a laptop on a chair in front of you and angled slightly downward.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined February, 2020
4.8
417reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree in Psychology from Lesley University
I have 40 years of experience as an instrumentalist and 20 years as a music therapist. I enjoy teaching all different types of learners.

Reviews

Live One-Time Class
Share

$20

per class
Meets once
55 min

Completed by 318 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 7-12
4-6 learners per class

This class is no longer offered
About
Support
SafetyPrivacyCA PrivacyLearner PrivacyManage Data PreferencesTerms
Financial Assistance
Get The App
Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play
© 2024 Outschool