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Ukulele Jumpstart - A Beginner's Class to Get Started FLEX Schedule (Ages 13-18)

Learn the basics of the ukulele - enough to get started playing songs.
John Barthelmes
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(344)
Class

What's included

Homework
1 hour per week. Students are asked to practice the skills presented in the videos each week and video their progress at the end of the week so I can see how they're doing and make suggestions for improvement. Having a set practice schedule of 20-30 minutes a day would create a clear path to improvement.
Assessment
I will view the student supplied videos each week and report on progress, suggestions for improvement and praise on mastery!

Class Experience

The ukulele (uke) is a fun 4-stringed instrument that is easy to learn, easy to take with you, and easy to have fun playing and singing along with friends and family! You'll be playing popular songs after just one class! Learn the basics of playing ukulele including tuning, chords, strum patterns and techniques. We will learn chords and chord progressions that are used in thousands of songs, new and old. We will also talk about how to find ukulele music online and useful apps for your phone. By the end of this class you'll be able to bring your uke with you anywhere so that you're ready when a song strikes you!
As a FLEX schedule class, I will post a video every Monday morning (10am ET) along with sheet music created specifically for this class. Following along with the video will give students the opportunity to practice new chords, strums and songs. 
Students will be asked to record and post videos of their progress at the end of each week, which I will be able to respond to and give a progress report and suggestions for improvement over the weekend before the next week's material is posted. Students can also interact with other students by sharing videos of their new skills, chords or strums they have mastered! Students can also request songs to learn, which I can create sheet music and learning videos for (if the song is appropriate).

Course Outline
Day 1: Topics covered will be
- Parts of the Ukulele
- Strings of the Ukulele
- Holding the Ukulele
- Tuning the Ukulele
- Playing your first chords: C, G7
- Let's play some songs! Row Row Row Your Boat, London Bridge, Three Blind Mice 

Day 2: We will first review the chords and songs from last week. Then we will jump into:
- Tips and Tricks to get that pesky G7 chord more comfortable
- New chord: F
- Using the old chords and new one in new songs: Banana Boat, Clemetine, Jingle Bells
- Start learning strum patterns that work for all the songs we've done so far

Day 3: We will first review the chords and songs from last week. Then we will jump into:
- New Chords: D7
- New Songs: The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Someone to Lava
- Picking Patterns - easy ways to make your songs sound super impressive!

Day 4: We will first review the chords and songs from last week. Then we will jump into:
- New Chords: Am
- New Songs: Somewhere over the Rainbow, You Are My Sunshine
- We will also discover how to find the chords to songs the students want to learn!
Learning Goals
In this course we will learn:
- Proper holding and handling of the ukulele
- How to tune the ukulele (initial tune and maintenance tuning)
- Strum techniques: simple strum, up/down strum, strum patterns, finger picking
- Chords: C, G7, F, D7, Am
- The songs:
    Row Row Row Your Boat
    London Bridge
    Three Blind Mice
    Banana Boat
    Clementine
    Jingle Bells
    The Lion Sleeps Tonight
    You Are My Sunshine
    Someone to Lava
    Somewhere Over The Rainbow
learning goal

Other Details

Supply List
Students need to have a ukulele for this course. These can be found in local music stores or online with prices ranging from $40 on up. 
Students will need to have access to either an electronic tuner or a free tuning app (such as Guitar Tuna on iPhone).
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
I will provide chord charts and sheet music for all songs. Students will need to have access to either an electronic tuner or a tuning app.
Joined December, 2018
4.9
344reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
I have been playing instrumental music my whole life, first learning piano then moving on to studying violin, guitar and ukulele. I have been teaching ukulele in person and online for the past 10 years to students of all ages and abilities.

Reviews

Live Group Class
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$55

for 4 weeks
4 weeks

Completed by 4 learners
No live video meetings
Ages: 13-18

This class is no longer offered
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