Jack O'Lantern Song

 I needed a new song for sixteenth notes for this season, so this morning I wrote one. Enjoy! The game is similar to others and will be a quick and easy way for my students to work on playing octaves and sixteenth notes!  Click this link for the google slide.

Enjoy,

Vamos a la mar

Let's go to the sea!  I love the ocean - I recently did a video on my facebook site - @ofortunaorff with the ocean in the background while I sang a beach song and used cockle shells!
This is a lovely song from Guatemala and has a rhythm activity where small groups create rhythms using ocean animals. You can choose to have the students create the contrasting sections in Spanish or English and there are four different "sets" of rhythmic building blocks - colored, black and white, with rhythms, and without.
Consider adding ocean drums and rainsticks.  This is also a good one for ukulele - F and C7!
Email me for the full pdf - musicquilt@hotmail.com.
Now make plans to go to the beach!

Ukuleles - A Tool for Teaching All Year Long - Part 2

If you missed the first post about ukuleles, check it out here!

When I first started uke I wanted to make ukes another tool, just as we use Orff instruments, drums, triangles, shakers, etc.  I didn't want to have students learn it for a short time then put it away as I don't see the meaning or value in doing that.  In the last post one of the suggestions I made for beginners was to tune up the bottom string from "A" to "C" to make a non-fingered, open string C chord.  This works well while learning proper hold and strumming patterns.
Let's delve a bit more into the "how" to make this a tool:

Dot it Up

When I first started ukuleles I "pish poshed' the idea of using dots but then I started an after school uke club and definitely needed the dots. Why did ever I nix the idea???  These dots made a tremendous difference in my students ability to play chords and move fluidly from one to the next.  I use the Mark -It Dots, available here from Amazon.  The one thing I wished I had done differently was to make my C chord red, F chord green and G chord turquoise or navy blue (more closely aligned with boomwhackers.  This way I can also have students playing the bass note of the chord on boomwhackers for some activities and I like the color consistency.  I am going to change them over the holiday break! 

Beginning of Class

Rhythm Cards - In my class we perform rhythms using rhythm cards and review a short song or two, then do some movement the first 5-7 minutes of class; instead of reviewing rhythms by speaking or through body percussion, half the class performs it with body percussion/spoken rhythms and the other half performs it by strumming (either open strings or fingered "C" chord).  After 4 rhythm cards, switch players. Transitions can often become times for students to talk, but I keep the beat going as I speak a silly tongue twister or rhyme; my youngest students learn that anytime I say, "Eeenie meanie deck a feanie, ooh, ah, alameanie, x, y, coomalatta, x, y, z" or "ock knock, ditty wock, picky picky poo, shimmy gimmy galiminny, you know what to do" or "Intry mintry, tribbledy fig, deema dime-ah, donna dig, howdy pouchy, noma nouchy, olliga bolliga boo", etc. they switch.  Switch Orff instruments with a partner, switch drums with a partner, switch triangles with a partner, and switch ukuleles.  Then I simply say, "one, two, ready, go" and we don't waste time talking or transitioning.  You can use simpler Humpty Dumpty rhymes, too, or sing, "Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream, until you hit the waterfall, then you start to scream". Or recite Betty Botter or How Much Wood Could a Woodchuck, etc. Have fun with it and you will quickly find your transition times move so much smoother.

If you play "Sol-La-Mi AKA Salami" with solfege - half the class strums a C chord to the beat - if you are working on tempo and need a review- ask one student to lead "andante" until "Sol-La-Mi" when they stop playing. Also consider having a student conduct the tempo.

Review

How many SLM or SM songs do you use?  Probably a LOT, right?  Any time after you have learned a song it is always good to keep that repertoire going; accompany using ukuleles.  Choose a rhythm or have students strum a simple down, up, down, up quarter note beat. 
A few lists to refresh your post- Thanksgiving brain:
SM - Beth's Music Notes
SLM -  Beth's Music Notes
SLMRD - Beths' Music Notes check to make sure Re doesn't happen on a strong beat as that would indicate a chord change is needed.

When playing/singing a song using Orff instruments - particularly pentatonic songs, and especially those pitched in "C", half the class can play the bordun on the instruments and the other half can play the same rhythm on the ukulele. 

Resources

There are SO MANY!!  Check out Bernadette Teaches Music, she is such a tremendous resource with great teaching videos.  Look for her "Ukulele Education Series". Find her on facebook, also, and you can ask questions- she is very quick to answer!
Ukes in General Music is another starting site- with free chord diagrams and other info.
Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) has so many, from Rainbow Ukulele to  "Sing & Strum Intro and One-Chord Songs".  Many, many others.  Spend some time online and you will find others.

Hopefully that gives you some ideas to get started!
Happy Holidays!

Ukuleles - A Tool for Teaching All Year Long, Part 1

I didn't play ukulele until just a few years ago, and even then I was not really playing anything beyond a C chord.  This is probably true for many of us catching the "wave" of uke in the general music classroom.  I don't teach uke as a "unit" as I am not a "unit" kind of teacher.  I incorporate uke throughout the year, beginning in first grade - yes, really!
Today we begin a short series about ways to use the ukes as a tool in the music room, and incorporate it in a meaningful way throughout the school year.

1.  Define

Before you begin, define your purpose; how will you use ukes?  Will you teach them to one grade level or several?  I know many music teachers who teach ukulele as a unit and extensive as it may be, I personally don't. I prefer to use it as a tool to teach and reinforce concepts and skills.  Think about it more as a vehicle to get in and ride; similar to how we use Orff instruments or classroom percussion; we aren't necessarily teaching the instrument for the sake of the instrument alone, but to learn/reinforce beat, rhythm, melodic direction, harmony, dynamics, etc.
Elizabeth at Organized Chaos has a great post about this and shares several other resources and ideas.
I prefer a ratio of 1:2; one uke for every two students.  Although I am incredibly fortunate to teach in a school with a plethora of instruments, and have enough Orff instruments for each student, I always have students share until students have learned a piece.  Students playing Orff instruments often disengage their singing voices as they are concentrating on what and how to play.  While this is not "always" true, it is often.  With ukulele there are more mechanics involved; correct hold, coordination of strumming, and fingering chords.  That is a lot of coordination for younger kiddos! 
Having a 1:2 ratio leaves half your class as the singers and the other half as instrumentalists. In an upcoming facebook video I will walk you through how to switch instruments quickly without losing focus or beat - the way I do it almost creates a short "B" section!

2.  Deciding What to Buy

West Music has a great blog post about the decision making process called, "Models and Tunings and Sizes, Oh My!  

Shelley at Pitch Publications has a side by side comparison of brands that is extremely helpful!

3.  Things to Consider

Where will your ukuleles be stored? Hanging them is the BEST way to ensure tuning is quick and easy! Mine hang on the wall while I tune and I can get my 13 tuned in about 5 minutes! These wall hangers are what I have. 

I have Diamond Head soprano ukuleles and like any uke, they need at least a week (usually 2) to stretch out after you unbox and hang.  There are lots of "cute" ukes out there- watermelons, sharks, pineapples, colors, etc. I decided to go basic and everyone got the same color - no arguments about who got to play the purple one last class and who hasn't played the blue one yet.

The first couple of weeks you will be tuning daily - trying to get them to the point where they need slight adjustments and not big ones. I really like the Diamond Head - good entry level uke and very affordable - around $30.00 and they stay pretty well in tune after the initial stretch.  I also personally have a Kala concert that I am a little in love with - it is turquoise!! The sound is richer and fuller and the slightly bigger size is a little more comfortable for me. 

4.  Getting Started

A fabulous "go-to" for me is Bernadette Teaches Music.  She is a music teacher with an extensive youtube channel and she is VERY responsive to questions!  Her youtube channel is invaluable - watch the video about Common Beginner Mistakes!  Love the dots on the fingers! This made a huge difference with my students and they love getting sharpie dots on their fingertips.
Definitely put the colored dots on the uke, too- I resisted this until I tried it with my after school ukulele group and it is amazing how much faster their progress was.
This video from Cynthia Lin Music is very detailed with great info about playing using your pointer finger. Her pace is great, and she is very clear!  The two main points in the video are:
1. Using the thumb to get more power and grip.
2. How to position the index finger to get more clarity and control.

5. Basic Strum Patterns 

THIS video from Ukuleletricks.com.  It teaches 5 basic strum patterns, and I appreciate his use of the words "steady beat" and counting in four. Again, great pacing on this video, very clear, and easy for everyone to grasp.

To use this concept with beginners, first tune bottom strings to "C" instead of "A".  When strumming open strings this creates a C chord without needing to worry about coordinating two hands.  Use this combined with strum pattern one below with a song in pentatonic you might normally play a bordun on!   I created these slides to go with these strum patterns - and look, already you are reinforcing the concept of steady beat. I would not teach all these the first day; strum pattern one is perfect to play along with a previously learned song in "C" pentatonic. All those SLM songs? Yes! Perfect to revisit them and play along! The next blog post will go into more detail about teaching uke as a tool all year!

6. Get Them Excited! 

Your students will love Grace Vanderwaal. She won America's Got Talent and is just 13 years young!!!  She has a very distinctive voice and has a timely message about not trying to be a pop star, but instead to simply be yourself.  Check her out here.

She has several videos on youtube- this is her initial audition for AGT and she surprised everyone!

See you next time for part 2 - we will start getting into the "how" with lessons, activities, and ideas for using uke as a tool to teach and reinforce concepts and skills!
Happy Holidays!

Valentine's Roses Are Red with the flu to use with Ukuleles!

So I just began to teach ukuleles two weeks ago.. we ordered them on a Wednesday, they got here on Friday (thanks, Amazon.com!) and I used them for the first time last Tuesday.  A fellow Orff teacher shared how to begin by teaching the story of the Four Little Pigs (George, Charlie, Edgar, Allison) to teach the string names.. kids loved it and the fourth graders remembered today the names of the strings!  Hallelujah! RETENTION! 
I have been working to develop some lessons where students play borduns (first and fifth of chord structures) on Orff instruments AND ukuleles and my last group of 4th graders just left and we had a BLAST!  I used "Roses are Red" set in 3/4; yes, I know most of you are probably saying, "It's 6/8!".  Well, yes... but, for our purposes today we used 3/4 in order to feel STRONG beats in 3 and also because while we experience 6/8, my 5th grade music teachers teach 6/8 and we don't label it in 4th.  :)
So... longer story longer... here it is! 

1.  Sing song, students pat or sway to the strong beat several times, then sing the song.  They will want to add "achoo" after the 2nd verse about the flu.. go for it!  Way more fun!
2.  Review how to play C chord (every other student has a ukulele; we are partnered and I tell them once they've learned it they are the expert and have to help their partners!). Let them just PLAY for several minutes to review how to strum down, etc. and then switch.. I walk around fixing fingers, etc.
3.  Show the slides with the music, talk through how to play only where it has a "C" above the measure, make a grand, STOP gesture or use a STOP sign to show where to NOT PLAY (G7 chords).  If your students already know this, wonderful; mine don't and this was their 2nd lesson in ukes. Switch so 2nd partner has a turn, do same thing (by this time I am NOT singing and only they are.. I'm pretty firm on this!).
4.  Show how to pluck the top string closest to their "chinny chin chins" for the "G7" chord.  Keep holding on to the C chord; don't let go!  Play using C chord and plucking G string (yes, I know.. but they don't know about G strings yet!).  Switch partners, play/sing.
5.  Each partner pair has an Orff instrument set up to play high C and G for C chord and remove bars around low G so they can switch to low G and high G (right hand stays in place on high G bar the entire time).  This will become the borduns the Orff instruments will play for C chord (high C/G) and G7 chord (low G/high G).  Play together with ukuleles, sing, switch, etc.
6.  Now comes the writing portion.  Show the slides new versions of the song and then the slides with the one syllable color words and rhyming words.  Students create new versions, give them about 10 minutes to practice, call time, one final minute to practice, then perform.  They were funny and clever.. some a little raunchy, which we had to discuss, of course.. ugh!  It was a fun lesson, though, and got them writing, singing, playing 2 kinds of instruments, accompanying themselves, and rhyming.. phew!  All in 40 minutes!!  Enjoy!
If you'd like as a pdf email me at musicquilt@hotmail.com