Ukulele Workshops
With
KadaKaBoomArts.com
The Ukulele must be one of the funniest instruments around.
Its small. Its cute. It won’t damage your hearing and it can be relatively inexpensive.
(€30-40 for a starter pack!)
I found it wonderful for accompanying folk as they sing. In my school music workshops I look for the simplest songs that make the most progress and, in the end, give the student the most encouragement to continue exploring the world of music.
The course always starts off with the basics. Naming the different parts of the instrument, neck, strings, frets and so on. Learning how to hold it properly and (most importantly) when and how to carefully place it down. When to strum and when not to strum!
These are the tools / language I go on to use over the sessions.
Very quickly we move onto a song. By the end of the first session, the children will have at least accompanied me on a tune. As the sessions progress, we learn more chords, split the group in to sections, assigning one chord to each section, in turn creating a song. We work on pulse tempo, group work and listening skills are all re-enforced.
In my experience, some students will “Pick it up” quicker than others, but by strategically placing students beside each other, stronger ones with not so strong ones, no one is left out and all gain that positive element of self-esteem that comes with engaging in any creative arts practice.
Its small. Its cute. It won’t damage your hearing and it can be relatively inexpensive.
(€30-40 for a starter pack!)
I found it wonderful for accompanying folk as they sing. In my school music workshops I look for the simplest songs that make the most progress and, in the end, give the student the most encouragement to continue exploring the world of music.
The course always starts off with the basics. Naming the different parts of the instrument, neck, strings, frets and so on. Learning how to hold it properly and (most importantly) when and how to carefully place it down. When to strum and when not to strum!
These are the tools / language I go on to use over the sessions.
Very quickly we move onto a song. By the end of the first session, the children will have at least accompanied me on a tune. As the sessions progress, we learn more chords, split the group in to sections, assigning one chord to each section, in turn creating a song. We work on pulse tempo, group work and listening skills are all re-enforced.
In my experience, some students will “Pick it up” quicker than others, but by strategically placing students beside each other, stronger ones with not so strong ones, no one is left out and all gain that positive element of self-esteem that comes with engaging in any creative arts practice.
The class groups I have worked with range from first class students to sixth class students.
Songs and themes are all kept age appropriate. Loved by the younger classes and sometimes, when its coming to the end of the sixth classes final term and they begin to feel “too cool for school” my challenge is to keep it culturally topical with the current music scene. (More of a challenge for me than them)
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- What’s involved?
- How long are the sessions? - How many sessions make up a course? The school must supply the instruments/ukuleles. One for each student participating in the session, but the next set of students are able to use the same instruments. Ideally, it would be great for every student to have their own ukulele, but the reality of this is, most schools are unable to allocate the funding required for this. Nevertheless, some students will, on that next birthday, Christmas present time, go about asking for their own personal instrument. They are then encouraged to bring it in on the ukulele day. |
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The sessions last for 30 minutes and we would normally run six to seven sessions in one day with a range of different classes.
It is an eight-week course with three courses running over the entire school year. Many schools will have certain requirements which mean course dates, times and lengths need to be adapted. Once this is planned ahead, it is rarely a problem.
It is an eight-week course with three courses running over the entire school year. Many schools will have certain requirements which mean course dates, times and lengths need to be adapted. Once this is planned ahead, it is rarely a problem.
Where can I get a Ukulele?
Nearly all music shops will have an online presence. Shopping local is always encouraged but quite often, you may find a better deal on line. When this happens, re-approach your local shop and see if they will match it.
There are several sizes of Ukulele.
Soprano, Concert, Tenor, Baratone and Bass.
The Soprano, Concert and Tenor ukulele are all tuned the same. The Baritone is tuned differently. We would encourage you purchase a Soprano ukulele as a beginner.
Many suppliers, as part of a package, provide you with a soft case, a tuner and some plectrums. Every so often Aldi and Lidl will have them on sale. I wouldn’t recommend these. A minimum price would be €20 but by spending just €10 more (€30) it can be worth seeing what’s the best deal/package is you can source.
Below is a list of websites that sell ukuleles. I am affiliated to none of them so feel free to shop around.
https://www.thomann.de/ie/soprano_ukuleles.html
https://everestmusic.com/shop-by-category/ukuleles.html
ttps://www.gear4music.ie/Acoustic_Guitars/Ukuleles.html
https://www.soundshop.ie/product-tag/ukulele/
https://www.waltons.ie/home/products/?sid=3505
https://www.musicmaker.ie/guitar-bass/ukuleles
Nearly all music shops will have an online presence. Shopping local is always encouraged but quite often, you may find a better deal on line. When this happens, re-approach your local shop and see if they will match it.
There are several sizes of Ukulele.
Soprano, Concert, Tenor, Baratone and Bass.
The Soprano, Concert and Tenor ukulele are all tuned the same. The Baritone is tuned differently. We would encourage you purchase a Soprano ukulele as a beginner.
Many suppliers, as part of a package, provide you with a soft case, a tuner and some plectrums. Every so often Aldi and Lidl will have them on sale. I wouldn’t recommend these. A minimum price would be €20 but by spending just €10 more (€30) it can be worth seeing what’s the best deal/package is you can source.
Below is a list of websites that sell ukuleles. I am affiliated to none of them so feel free to shop around.
https://www.thomann.de/ie/soprano_ukuleles.html
https://everestmusic.com/shop-by-category/ukuleles.html
ttps://www.gear4music.ie/Acoustic_Guitars/Ukuleles.html
https://www.soundshop.ie/product-tag/ukulele/
https://www.waltons.ie/home/products/?sid=3505
https://www.musicmaker.ie/guitar-bass/ukuleles
