Summary
Mix and match activities to create a fun lesson in which students will learn how to read ukulele tabs. They will practice playing a short popular melody from tabs and trying to guess the song.
💻 Materials:
- Solfeg.io web app best used with Chrome browser
- Projector or computer and access to WIFI
- Ukuleles
Introduction to ukulele tabs
🕐 Time: 10 min
🎯 Objectives:
- Understand how to read ukulele tabs
🎲 Activity:
- Explain to students that notes on the ukulele can be written using the standard notation or tablature, also called tabs.
- Tablature is a diagram of the ukulele fretboard.
The four horizontal lines represent the strings. The highest sounding string (the 1st or the A string) is located at the top - like when you're viewing your ukulele from above while holding it in playing position!
The numbers represent the frets.
Try it out
🕐 Time: 10 min
🎯 Objectives:
- Understand how to read ukulele tabs
- Practice reading ukulele tabs
🎲 Activity:
- Show these tabs and demonstrate how to read them.
- It starts with the open A string, then you have to press the 1st fret on the same string, then move on to the 2nd fret and finally the 3rd fret.
- Each note should be plucked with the right thumb, index or middle finger.
- The same four notes then are played on the other strings one after the other.
- Distribute ukuleles to the class - either one for each student or one for a group of students.
- Invite students to try to read tabs on their ukuleles.
Guess the song!
🕐 Time: 10 min
🎯 Objectives:
- Play a short melody from ukulele tabs
- Guess a popular song from a short excerpt, played on the ukulele
🎶 Recommended Songs:
🎲 Activity:
- Split the class into seven or less small groups.
- Give each group a printout of different tabs (1-7). They all contain a short melody from a popular song. You can find the printout at the "Classroom Lesson Plan" section of this page.
- Each group should try to play the melody on their ukuleles and guess the song.
- When the groups have figured out their songs, invite each group or a selected member to play the melody to the rest of the class.
- The task is to guess the song just played!
- Here are the right answers:
- “As It Was” by Harry Styles
- “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals
- “Vacation” by Dirty Heads
- “Riptide” by Vance Joy
- “Happy Birthday”, traditional song
- “Ily (I Love You, Baby)” by Surf Mesa feat. Emilee
- “Meet Me at Our Spot” by The Anxiety
- Open one or several of the songs students just played (they can be accessed by clicking on the images in the song suggestions list above or through the Solfeg.io song library). Listen to a part of the song and ask the students to find the part they played!
Reflection
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
- Reflect on the concepts learned in the lesson
🎲 Activity:
- Ask these questions to the class and have a short discussion
What was the most challenging/fun part of the lesson?
Was it difficult to play the melody on the ukulele?
Do you think the ukulele is a suitable instrument to play melody on?
Why are tabs so popular to notate music on the ukulele and the guitar?
Homework assignment
🕐 Time: 3 min
🎯 Objectives:
- Practice the melody students played in the class
- Explore different parts of the song
🎲 Activity:
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by…
- Playing the short melody along to the song;
- Learning the vocal part of the song.
Summary
In this lesson, students will learn how to read ukulele tabs. They will practice playing a short popular melody from tabs and trying to guess the song.
The timing and pacing of the exercises in this lesson plan example are approximate and will differ depending on your students' skill level. If the pace of this lesson plan is too fast for you, divide it into several lessons and add additional activities (see 'Activities' section). If the pace of this lesson plan is too slow for you, explore the 'Beyond the lesson' chapter at the end of this lesson plan for additional activities.
⏰ Time: 40 min
🎓 Grades: 5-12
🎯 Objective(s): As a result of this lesson, students will be able to...
- Understand how to read ukulele tabs;
- Play a short melody from ukulele tabs;
- Guess a popular song from a short excerpt, played on the ukulele.
💡 Required Prior Knowledge and Skills:
- Basic rhythm
💻 Materials:
- Solfeg.io web app best used with Chrome browser
- Projector or computer and access to WIFI
- Ukuleles
Song suggestions
Introduction
🕐 10 min - Ukulele tabs
- Explain to students that notes on the ukulele can be written using the standard notation or tablature, also called tabs.
- Tablature is a diagram of the ukulele fretboard.
The four horizontal lines represent the strings. The highest sounding string (the 1st or the A string) is located at the top - like when you're viewing your ukulele from above while holding it in playing position!
The numbers represent the frets.
Warm-up
🕐 10 min - Try it out
- Show these tabs and demonstrate how to read them.
- It starts with the open A string, then you have to press the 1st fret on the same string, then move on to the 2nd fret and finally the 3rd fret.
- Each note should be plucked with the right thumb, index or middle finger.
- The same four notes then are played on the other strings one after the other.
- Distribute ukuleles to the class - either one for each student or one for a group of students.
- Invite students to try to read tabs on their ukuleles.
Practice
🕐 15 min - Guess the song!
- Split the class into seven or less small groups.
- Give each group a printout of different tabs (1-7). They all contain a short melody from a popular song. You can find the printout at the bottom of this page.
- Each group should try to play the melody on their ukuleles and guess the song.
- When the groups have figured out their songs, invite each group or a selected member to play the melody to the rest of the class.
- The task is to guess the song just played!
- Here are the right answers:
1. “As It Was” by Harry Styles
2. “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals
3. “Vacation” by Dirty Heads
4. “Riptide” by Vance Joy
5. “Happy Birthday”, traditional song
6. “Ily (I Love You, Baby)” by Surf Mesa feat. Emilee
7. “Meet Me at Our Spot” by The Anxiety
- Open one or several of the songs students just played (they can be accessed by clicking on the images in the song suggestions list above or through the Solfeg.io song library). Listen to a part of the song and ask the students to find the part they played!
Reflection
🕐 5 min - Discussion
- What was the most challenging/fun part of the lesson?
- Was it difficult to play the melody on the ukulele?
- Do you think the ukulele is a suitable instrument to play melody on?
- Why are tabs so popular to notate music on the ukulele and the guitar?
Beyond the lesson
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by…
- Playing the short melody along to the song;
- Learning the vocal part of the song.
Summary
In this lesson, students will learn how to read ukulele tabs. They will practice playing a short popular melody from tabs and trying to guess the song.
The timing and pacing of the exercises in this lesson plan example are approximate and will differ depending on your students' skill level. If the pace of this lesson plan is too fast for you, divide it into several lessons and add additional activities (see 'Activities' section). If the pace of this lesson plan is too slow for you, explore the 'Beyond the lesson' chapter at the end of this lesson plan for additional activities.
⏰ Time: 40 min
🎓 Grades: 5-12
🎯 Objective(s): As a result of this lesson, students will be able to...
- Understand how to read ukulele tabs;
- Play a short melody from ukulele tabs;
- Guess a popular song from a short excerpt, played on the ukulele.
💡 Required Prior Knowledge and Skills:
- Basic rhythm
💻 Materials:
- Solfeg.io web app best used with Chrome browser
- Projector or computer and access to WIFI
- Ukuleles
Song suggestions
Introduction
🕐 10 min - Ukulele tabs
- Explain to students that notes on the ukulele can be written using the standard notation or tablature, also called tabs.
- Tablature is a diagram of the ukulele fretboard.
The four horizontal lines represent the strings. The highest sounding string (the 1st or the A string) is located at the top - like when you're viewing your ukulele from above while holding it in playing position!
The numbers represent the frets.
Warm-up
🕐 10 min - Try it out
- Show these tabs and demonstrate how to read them.
- It starts with the open A string, then you have to press the 1st fret on the same string, then move on to the 2nd fret and finally the 3rd fret.
- Each note should be plucked with the right thumb, index or middle finger.
- The same four notes then are played on the other strings one after the other.
- Distribute ukuleles to the class - either one for each student or one for a group of students.
- Invite students to try to read tabs on their ukuleles.
Practice
🕐 15 min - Guess the song!
- Split the class into seven or less small groups.
- Give each group a printout of different tabs (1-7). They all contain a short melody from a popular song. You can find the printout at the bottom of this page.
- Each group should try to play the melody on their ukuleles and guess the song.
- When the groups have figured out their songs, invite each group or a selected member to play the melody to the rest of the class.
- The task is to guess the song just played!
- Here are the right answers:
1. “As It Was” by Harry Styles
2. “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals
3. “Vacation” by Dirty Heads
4. “Riptide” by Vance Joy
5. “Happy Birthday”, traditional song
6. “Ily (I Love You, Baby)” by Surf Mesa feat. Emilee
7. “Meet Me at Our Spot” by The Anxiety
- Open one or several of the songs students just played (they can be accessed by clicking on the images in the song suggestions list above or through the Solfeg.io song library). Listen to a part of the song and ask the students to find the part they played!
Reflection
🕐 5 min - Discussion
- What was the most challenging/fun part of the lesson?
- Was it difficult to play the melody on the ukulele?
- Do you think the ukulele is a suitable instrument to play melody on?
- Why are tabs so popular to notate music on the ukulele and the guitar?
Beyond the lesson
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by…
- Playing the short melody along to the song;
- Learning the vocal part of the song.
Summary
In this lesson, students will learn how to read ukulele tabs. They will practice playing a short popular melody from tabs and trying to guess the song.
The timing and pacing of the exercises in this lesson plan example are approximate and will differ depending on your students' skill level. If the pace of this lesson plan is too fast for you, divide it into several lessons and add additional activities (see 'Activities' section). If the pace of this lesson plan is too slow for you, explore the 'Beyond the lesson' chapter at the end of this lesson plan for additional activities.
⏰ Time: 40 min
🎓 Grades: 5-12
🎯 Objective(s): As a result of this lesson, students will be able to...
- Understand how to read ukulele tabs;
- Play a short melody from ukulele tabs;
- Guess a popular song from a short excerpt, played on the ukulele.
💡 Required Prior Knowledge and Skills:
- Basic rhythm
💻 Materials:
- Solfeg.io web app best used with Chrome browser
- Projector or computer and access to WIFI
- Ukuleles
Song suggestions
Introduction
🕐 10 min - Ukulele tabs
- Explain to students that notes on the ukulele can be written using the standard notation or tablature, also called tabs.
- Tablature is a diagram of the ukulele fretboard.
The four horizontal lines represent the strings. The highest sounding string (the 1st or the A string) is located at the top - like when you're viewing your ukulele from above while holding it in playing position!
The numbers represent the frets.
Warm-up
🕐 10 min - Try it out
- Show these tabs and demonstrate how to read them.
- It starts with the open A string, then you have to press the 1st fret on the same string, then move on to the 2nd fret and finally the 3rd fret.
- Each note should be plucked with the right thumb, index or middle finger.
- The same four notes then are played on the other strings one after the other.
- Distribute ukuleles to the class - either one for each student or one for a group of students.
- Invite students to try to read tabs on their ukuleles.
Practice
🕐 15 min - Guess the song!
- Split the class into seven or less small groups.
- Give each group a printout of different tabs (1-7). They all contain a short melody from a popular song. You can find the printout at the bottom of this page.
- Each group should try to play the melody on their ukuleles and guess the song.
- When the groups have figured out their songs, invite each group or a selected member to play the melody to the rest of the class.
- The task is to guess the song just played!
- Here are the right answers:
1. “As It Was” by Harry Styles
2. “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals
3. “Vacation” by Dirty Heads
4. “Riptide” by Vance Joy
5. “Happy Birthday”, traditional song
6. “Ily (I Love You, Baby)” by Surf Mesa feat. Emilee
7. “Meet Me at Our Spot” by The Anxiety
- Open one or several of the songs students just played (they can be accessed by clicking on the images in the song suggestions list above or through the Solfeg.io song library). Listen to a part of the song and ask the students to find the part they played!
Reflection
🕐 5 min - Discussion
- What was the most challenging/fun part of the lesson?
- Was it difficult to play the melody on the ukulele?
- Do you think the ukulele is a suitable instrument to play melody on?
- Why are tabs so popular to notate music on the ukulele and the guitar?
Beyond the lesson
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by…
- Playing the short melody along to the song;
- Learning the vocal part of the song.
