Intermediate Ukulele - Rockschool Grade 3 Curriculum Part 2 - Semi-Private Class (Ages 8 - 12)

Experience Necessary

Recommended for students who have been playing for 3 or more years and have the chords C, G, Am, F, Dm, G7, C7, D and Em memorized, have a beginner knowledge of barre chords and have a solid understanding of basic rhythm and strumming.

Classes begin with warmups and exercises which encourage the development of excellent technique. Warmups include finger isolation exercises to develop strength in the left-hand and strumming exercises to develop right-hand technique.

Classes continue with technical exercises from the Rockschool Grade 3 Ukulele textbook:

Technical Exercises 
* Group A - Scales
* Group B - Arpeggios
* Group C - Chord Voicings

Unseen Tests 
* Sight Reading
* Improvisation & Interpretation
* Ear Tests (Test 1: Melodic Recall, Test 2: Rhythmic Recall)
* General Musicianship Questions

After warmups and technical exercises we work on the songs from the Grade 3 textbook.

* Viva La Vida - Coldplay
* Dreaming - Imelda May

Students are required to buy the Rockschool Grade 3 textbook for this class.  You can buy a digital or hard copy here:
https://www.rslawards.com/products/ukulele-grade-3/

Weekly Breakdown

Lesson 1 and 2
Welcome, Rules, Introductions
Warmup - left hand warmup - Major Scale
Strumming warmup - 16th note strumming
Barre Chord - shapes and exercises
Technical - Learn D Natural minor scale

SONG 1  - Viva La Vida
Discuss reading the tab and music from the textbook.
Listen to the audio example of the song while following the music
Learn the rhythmic values and how to clap and count
Learn Bars 4 - 12

Lesson 3 and 4
Warmup - left hand warmup - D Natural minor scale
Strumming warmup - 16th note strumming using Barre Chord exercise in B minor
Technical - Learn D minor arpeggio

SONG 1 - Viva La Vida
Continue studying rhythmic values and clapping and counting
Review bars 4 - 12
Learn bars 16 -32 

Lesson 5 and 6
Warmup - Moveable minor Scale  Barre Strumming warmup - 16th note strumming using Barre Chord exercise in B minor
Technical - Review D minor arpeggio

SONG 1 - Viva La Vida
Review the chorus and bars 4 - 32
Learn the Chorus - bars 33 -48

SONG 2 - Dreaming
Listen to the audio example while following the music
Learn the finger placement and rhythm for the first bar

Lesson 7 and 8
Warmup - Moveable minor Scale  
Barre Strumming warmup - 16th note strumming using Barre Chord exercise in B minor
Technical - Review D minor arpeggio

SONG 1 - Viva La Vida
Learn bars 60 - 75
Review all parts learned so far

SONG 2 - Dreaming
Review Bar 1 isolating the rhythmic counting and strumming accents
Learn Bar 2

Lesson 9 and 10
Warmup - Moveable minor Scale  Barre Strumming warmup - 16th note strumming using Barre Chord exercise in B minor
Technical - Review D minor arpeggio

SONG 1 - Viva La Vida
Bars 53 - 60 -  learn develop accompaniment section
  
SONG 2 - Dreaming
Put bars 1 and 2 together - discuss the similarities differences in bars 1 - 7
Learn bar 8

Lesson 11 and 12
Warmup - Moveable minor Scale  Barre Strumming warmup - 16th note strumming using Barre Chord exercise in B minor
Technical - Learn C Major Pentatonic

SONG 1 - Viva La Vida
Begin putting whole song together - discuss practicing with the metronome and how to get the song to full speed

SONG 2 - Dreaming
Review bars 1 - 8
Learn bars 9 and 10

Lesson 13 and 14
Warmup - Moveable minor Scale  Barre Strumming warmup - 16th note strumming using Barre Chord exercise in B minor
Technical - Learn C Major Linear

SONG 1 - Viva La Vida	
Isolate hard parts of the song and discuss how to practice them
Work with the metronome and backing track

SONG 2 - Dreaming
Review bars 1 - 10
Learn the ending bars 36 - 39

Lesson 15 - 18
Review of all material learned so far.
Learn student song requests
Optional: Student performances during lesson 18