How to sing and play with your ukulele

Summary

Mix and match activities to create a fun lesson in which students will practice playing and singing at the same time. Integrate Solfeg.io in teaching the basics of ukulele playing and singing.

💻 Materials:

• Solfeg.io web app best used with Chrome browser
• Projector or computer and access to WIFI
• Ukuleles
• Mobile devices with the Solfeg.io mobile app installed (optional)

🎲 Activities included:

• Learning the C, D, G & Em chords
• Playing the C, D, G & Em chords in the song
• Learning to sign the song “Issues”
• Learning to combine playing and singing the song “Issues”

Introduction to the song

🕐 Time: 5 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Get familiar with the chosen song and its vocal and instrumental parts
• Describe the characteristics of a song

🎶 Recommended Song:

🎲 Activity:

• Select a song that students like the best from the suggestion list.
• Project the song onto a screen. Click on 'Ukulele' under 'Tools' - 'Visuals' so that the ukulele chord diagrams are visible.
• Listen to a part of the song.
• Shortly discuss the song with the class.

How would you describe the vocal part of the song?

What is the song about?

What chords are featured in this song? Do you know how to play them on the ukulele?

Chord recap - C chord

🕐 Time: 5 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Get familiar with chords of the chosen song
• Warm up for playing the chosen song

🎶 Recommended Song:

🎲 Activity:

• Distribute ukuleles to students. If there's one for each student - perfect! If you have less ukuleles than students, give one instrument to a small group of students - they will have to take turns when playing.
• Click on 'C' under 'Tools' - 'Chords' so that the Solfeg.io fretboard showing the C chord is visible.
• Tell your students to play the C chord on their ukuleles with their left hand. To play the C chord, students should place the 3rd finger on the 1st string, 3rd fret. Then strum downwards with their right thumb.
• Let them practice the chord and get familiar with it!
• Play the intro of the song and listen to it with your students.
• Tell the students that they will now have to try to play the C chord in this song.
• The rules are simple - as soon as the C chord passes the red line - play it! Other chords should be omitted now.
• Press play and let them practice the chord and get familiar with it! You can also press the loop button in the controls so that the intro section would repeat multiple times.

Play the D chord

🕐 Time: 5 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Learn to play the D chord on the ukulele

🎶 Recommended Song:

🎲 Activity:

• Click on 'D' under 'Tools' - 'Chords' so that the Solfeg.io fretboard showing the D chord is visible.
• Tell your students to play the D chord on their ukuleles with their left hand. To play that chord, students should place their 3rd finger on the 2nd string, 2nd fret. Add 2nd finger on the next string, same fret. Lastly - add 1st finger on the next string, same fret. Then strum downwards with their right thumb.
• Let them practice the chord and get familiar with it!

Combine C & D chord

🕐 Time: 10 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Learn to play the C & D chord on the ukulele

🎶 Recommended Song:

🎲 Activity:

• Tell students that they will have to play the C and D chords in this song.
• Look at the song and play C and D chords when they pass the red line
• Slow the song down by pressing “﹣” on the left side of the “Play” button. You can press it up to 4 times to choose the preferred speed.
• Play the chorus section of the song and let them practice the chords and get familiar with it! You can also press the loop button in the controls so that the section would repeat multiple times:
• For now, leave out G and Em chords.
• When students are comfortable with the speed, repeat the exercise at a faster speed until the original speed of the song is reached.

Play the G chord

🕐 Time: 5 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Learn to play the G chord on the ukulele

🎶 Recommended Song:

🎲 Activity:

• Click on 'G' under 'Tools' - 'Chords' so that the Solfeg.io fretboard showing the G chord is visible.
• To play the G chord, students should place 3rd finger on the 1st string, 2nd fret. Add 2nd finger on the 2nd string, 3rd fret, lastly - add 1st finger on the 3rd string, 2nd fret. Then strum downwards with their right thumb.
• Let them practice the chord and get familiar with it!

Combine C, D & G chord

🕐 Time: 10 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Learn to play the C,D & G chords on the ukulele

🎶 Recommended Song:

🎲 Activity:

• Tell students that they will have to play the C, D and G chords in this song.
• Look at the song and play C, D and G chords when they pass the red line
• Slow the song down by pressing “﹣” on the left side of the “Play” button. You can press it up to 4 times to choose the preferred speed.
• Play the chorus section of the song and let them practice the chords and get familiar with it! You can also press the loop button in the controls so that the section would repeat multiple times:
• For now, leave the Em chord.
• When students are comfortable with the speed, repeat the exercise at a faster speed until the original speed of the song is reached.

Learn the last chord - Em

🕐 Time: 5 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Learn to play the Em chord on the ukulele

🎶 Recommended Song:

🎲 Activity:

• Click on 'Em' under 'Tools' - 'Chords' so that the Solfeg.io fretboard showing the Em chord is visible.
• To play the Em chord, students should place the 1st finger on the 1st string, 2nd fret. Add 2nd finger on the 2nd string, 3rd fret. Lastly - add the 3rd finger on the 3rd string, 4th fret. Then strum downwards with their right thumb.
• Let them practice the chord and get familiar with it!

Combine all the chords

🕐 Time: 10 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Learn to play the C,D, G & Em chords on the ukulele

🎶 Recommended Song:

🎲 Activity:

• Tell students that they will have to play the C, D,G & Em chords in this song.
• Look at the song and play C, D, G & Em chords when they pass the red line
• Slow the song down by pressing “﹣” on the left side of the “Play” button. You can press it up to 4 times to choose the preferred speed.
• Play the chorus section of the song and let them practice the chords and get familiar with it! You can also press the loop button in the controls so that the section would repeat multiple times:
• When students are comfortable with the speed, repeat the exercise at a faster speed until the original speed of the song is reached.

Vocal warm-up

🕐 Time: 5 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Warm up for singing a song

🎲 Activity:

• Hum, sliding from C4 to C5. Repeat the exercise, starting one half tone higher - from the C#4. Continue repeating the exercise, each time stepping one half tone higher until the limits of a comfortable vocal range are reached. Then keep repeating the exercise, going one half tone lower each time!
• Do a lip buzz, sliding between two notes, for example, C4 and C5. Repeat it a few times.

Play the verse

🕐 Time: 15 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Get familiar with the chord combo of the chosen song
• Play along to the chosen song at different speeds

🎶 Recommended Song:

🎲 Activity:

• Click on the beginning of the verse on the timeline of the song player.
• Press “Play” and invite the class to strum all the chords when they appear at the red line.
• If needed, slow the song down by pressing “﹣” on the left side of the “Play” button. You can press it up to 4 times to find the most suitable speed.
• You can loop a selected part of the song by pressing the “Loop” button on the right side of the “Play” button.
• When students are comfortable with the chord changes at slower speed, click on “+” on the left side of the “Play” button to increase the tempo. Repeat the exercise until the original tempo is reached!

Learn the vocal part

🕐 Time: 10 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Get familiar with vocal part of the chosen song
• Sing along to the chosen song at different speeds

🎶 Recommended Song:

🎲 Activity:

• First, listen to Verse 1 and read the lyrics.
• Repeat Verse 1 and speak the lyrics out loud.
• Hum or sing the melody with syllables of choice, for example, “lah-lah”, “dah-dah” or just vowels - “ah” or “oh”.
• Sing the melody with lyrics.
• If you did all this slowly, try to repeat the verse at a faster speed until you reach the original tempo.
• Try singing Verse 1 with the vocal track muted - you can mute it under “Controls” - “Volume”.

Play and sing

🕐 Time: 5 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Practice the chords and vocal part in the song
• Practice ensemble playing skills

🎶 Recommended Song:

🎲 Activity:

• Split the class into two groups.
• Press “Play” and invite one group to sing and the other to play the chords on the ukulele.
• Repeat Verse 1 and invite the groups to switch - the one that did the singing previously now should play the chords and vice versa!
• You can slow the song down by pressing “﹣” on the left side of the “Play” button. You can press it up to 4 times to find the most suitable speed.

Perform Verse 1

🕐 Time: 5 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Practice playing and singing at the same time

🎶 Recommended Song:

🎲 Activity:

• Slow the song down by pressing “﹣” on the left side of the “Play” button. You can press it up to 4 times to find the most suitable speed.
• Invite all students to play and sing along!
• When students are comfortable with playing and singing at a slower speed, click on “+” on the left side of the “Play” button to increase the tempo. Repeat the exercise until the original tempo is reached!

Reflection

🕐 Time: 3 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Reflect on the learning process

🎲 Activity:

• Ask these questions to the class and have a short discussion

Was it challenging to play and sing along?

Homework assignment

🕐 Time: 3 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Practice playing and singing the whole song
• Consolidate the concepts learned in the lesson

🎲 Activity:

Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by…

• Taking the mobile ukulele class “Playing & Singing” - in this class, students can learn and practice singing and playing the song “Save Your Tears”