Mix and match activities to create a fun lesson in which students will learn to combine downstrokes and upstrokes in a simple strumming pattern. Integrate Solfeg.io in teaching the basics of ukulele playing.
💻 Materials:
🎲 Activities included:
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎶 Recommended Song:
🎲 Activity:
What instruments do you hear?
Is there a ukulele played in this song?
Which chords are featured in this song?
What is the tempo, mood and genre of the song?
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎶 Recommended Song:
🎲 Activity:
-Distribute ukuleles to students. If there's one for each student - perfect! If you have less ukuleles than students, distribute one instrument to a small group of students - they will have to take turns when playing.
-Press “Play” and then pause the song at each new chord that appears in the chord diagrams at the bottom of the song player.
-If needed, explain to class how to read the chord diagrams:
1 - index finger
2 - middle finger
3 - ring finger
4 - pinky
🕐 Time: 10 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎶 Recommended Song:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎶 Recommended Song:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 10 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎶 Recommended Song:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎶 Recommended Song:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 10 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎶 Recommended Songs:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
To play downstrokes, simply strum all four strings in a downward motion with the flesh of the left side of your right thumb.
To play upstrokes, strum all four strings upwards starting from the bottom with the nail or fingertip of the right index finger.
Try not to change the hand shape when switching between downstrokes and upstrokes, simply move the hand upwards.
Make sure your shoulders are relaxed.
Use the wrist and the elbow while strumming, move them freely together with the hand.
After the downstroke, the right hand should continue the movement and come back up, stroking the strings.
🕐 Time: 15 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎶 Recommended Song:
🎲 Activity:
To boost the creativity of students, you could ask them to come up with their own strumming pattern using downstrokes and upstrokes in 4/4.
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.
If you wish to loop a selected part of the song, press the “Loop” button on the right side of the “Play” button.
When students are comfortable with the speed, repeat the exercise at a faster speed until the original speed of the song is reached.
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎶 Recommended Song:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
In your opinion, why do different strumming patterns are used in songs?
How does the feel of the song change, when a different strumming pattern is played?
What was the most fun/challenging part of the lesson?
What other songs would you like to learn to play on the ukulele?
🕐 Time: 3 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by…
In this lesson, students will learn to combine downstrokes and upstrokes in a simple strumming pattern. They will play this pattern in a popular 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: 50 min
🎓 Grades: 5-12
🎯 Objective(s): As a result of this lesson, students will be able to...
💡 Required Prior Knowledge and Skills:
💻 Materials:
🕐 5 min - Introduce the song
If you chose “drivers license”, play verse 1 and/or verse 2.
If you chose “Way Down We Go”, play chorus 1 and the verse.
If you chose another song, you can listen to any part of the song - they all have the same chord combination.
What instruments do you hear?
Is there a ukulele played in this song?
Which chords are featured in this song?
What is the tempo, mood and genre of the song?
🕐 5 min - Learn or recap the chords
- Distribute ukuleles to students. If there's one for each student - perfect! If you have less ukuleles than students, distribute one instrument to a small group of students - they will have to take turns when playing.
- Press “Play” and then pause the song at each new chord that appears in the chord diagrams at the bottom of the song player.
- If needed, explain to class how to read the chord diagrams:
1 - index finger
2 - middle finger
3 - ring finger
4 - pinky
- Depending on the chosen song, class will have to learn or recap these chords:
🕐 10 min - Exercise 1 - Get comfortable with the chord combo
In “drivers license” - verse 1 and/or verse 2;
In “Way Down We Go” - chorus 1 and the verse;
In other songs, you can freely choose the part to play.
🕐 5 min - Exercise 2 - Basics of strumming
To play downstrokes, simply strum all four strings in a downward motion with the flesh of the left side of your right thumb.
To play upstrokes, strum all four strings upwards starting from the bottom with the nail or fingertip of the right index finger.
Try not to change the hand shape when switching between downstrokes and upstrokes, simply move the hand upwards.
Make sure your shoulders are relaxed.
Use the wrist and the elbow while strumming, move them freely together with the hand.
After the downstroke, the right hand should continue the movement and come back up, stroking the strings.
🕐 15 min - Exercise 3 - Strumming pattern
The 1st pattern could be used in the verses of “drivers license”, “Savage Love” and the chorus of “Way Down We Go”
The 2nd pattern could be used in “Just the Way You Are”
The 3rd pattern could be used in “Death Bed” and the verse of “Way Down We Go”
You could also freely mix and match the patterns - they all are suitable for songs in 4/4!
To boost the creativity of students, you could ask them to come up with their own strumming pattern using downstrokes and upstrokes in 4/4.
🕐 5 min - Exercise 3 - Performance
🕐 5 min - Discussion
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by…
In this lesson, students will learn to combine downstrokes and upstrokes in a simple strumming pattern. They will play this pattern in a popular 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: 50 min
🎓 Grades: 5-12
🎯 Objective(s): As a result of this lesson, students will be able to...
💡 Required Prior Knowledge and Skills:
💻 Materials:
🕐 5 min - Introduce the song
If you chose “drivers license”, play verse 1 and/or verse 2.
If you chose “Way Down We Go”, play chorus 1 and the verse.
If you chose another song, you can listen to any part of the song - they all have the same chord combination.
What instruments do you hear?
Is there a ukulele played in this song?
Which chords are featured in this song?
What is the tempo, mood and genre of the song?
🕐 5 min - Learn or recap the chords
- Distribute ukuleles to students. If there's one for each student - perfect! If you have less ukuleles than students, distribute one instrument to a small group of students - they will have to take turns when playing.
- Press “Play” and then pause the song at each new chord that appears in the chord diagrams at the bottom of the song player.
- If needed, explain to class how to read the chord diagrams:
1 - index finger
2 - middle finger
3 - ring finger
4 - pinky
- Depending on the chosen song, class will have to learn or recap these chords:
🕐 10 min - Exercise 1 - Get comfortable with the chord combo
In “drivers license” - verse 1 and/or verse 2;
In “Way Down We Go” - chorus 1 and the verse;
In other songs, you can freely choose the part to play.
🕐 5 min - Exercise 2 - Basics of strumming
To play downstrokes, simply strum all four strings in a downward motion with the flesh of the left side of your right thumb.
To play upstrokes, strum all four strings upwards starting from the bottom with the nail or fingertip of the right index finger.
Try not to change the hand shape when switching between downstrokes and upstrokes, simply move the hand upwards.
Make sure your shoulders are relaxed.
Use the wrist and the elbow while strumming, move them freely together with the hand.
After the downstroke, the right hand should continue the movement and come back up, stroking the strings.
🕐 15 min - Exercise 3 - Strumming pattern
The 1st pattern could be used in the verses of “drivers license”, “Savage Love” and the chorus of “Way Down We Go”
The 2nd pattern could be used in “Just the Way You Are”
The 3rd pattern could be used in “Death Bed” and the verse of “Way Down We Go”
You could also freely mix and match the patterns - they all are suitable for songs in 4/4!
To boost the creativity of students, you could ask them to come up with their own strumming pattern using downstrokes and upstrokes in 4/4.
🕐 5 min - Exercise 3 - Performance
🕐 5 min - Discussion
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by…
In this lesson, students will learn to combine downstrokes and upstrokes in a simple strumming pattern. They will play this pattern in a popular 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: 50 min
🎓 Grades: 5-12
🎯 Objective(s): As a result of this lesson, students will be able to...
💡 Required Prior Knowledge and Skills:
💻 Materials:
🕐 5 min - Introduce the song
If you chose “drivers license”, play verse 1 and/or verse 2.
If you chose “Way Down We Go”, play chorus 1 and the verse.
If you chose another song, you can listen to any part of the song - they all have the same chord combination.
What instruments do you hear?
Is there a ukulele played in this song?
Which chords are featured in this song?
What is the tempo, mood and genre of the song?
🕐 5 min - Learn or recap the chords
- Distribute ukuleles to students. If there's one for each student - perfect! If you have less ukuleles than students, distribute one instrument to a small group of students - they will have to take turns when playing.
- Press “Play” and then pause the song at each new chord that appears in the chord diagrams at the bottom of the song player.
- If needed, explain to class how to read the chord diagrams:
1 - index finger
2 - middle finger
3 - ring finger
4 - pinky
- Depending on the chosen song, class will have to learn or recap these chords:
🕐 10 min - Exercise 1 - Get comfortable with the chord combo
In “drivers license” - verse 1 and/or verse 2;
In “Way Down We Go” - chorus 1 and the verse;
In other songs, you can freely choose the part to play.
🕐 5 min - Exercise 2 - Basics of strumming
To play downstrokes, simply strum all four strings in a downward motion with the flesh of the left side of your right thumb.
To play upstrokes, strum all four strings upwards starting from the bottom with the nail or fingertip of the right index finger.
Try not to change the hand shape when switching between downstrokes and upstrokes, simply move the hand upwards.
Make sure your shoulders are relaxed.
Use the wrist and the elbow while strumming, move them freely together with the hand.
After the downstroke, the right hand should continue the movement and come back up, stroking the strings.
🕐 15 min - Exercise 3 - Strumming pattern
The 1st pattern could be used in the verses of “drivers license”, “Savage Love” and the chorus of “Way Down We Go”
The 2nd pattern could be used in “Just the Way You Are”
The 3rd pattern could be used in “Death Bed” and the verse of “Way Down We Go”
You could also freely mix and match the patterns - they all are suitable for songs in 4/4!
To boost the creativity of students, you could ask them to come up with their own strumming pattern using downstrokes and upstrokes in 4/4.
🕐 5 min - Exercise 3 - Performance
🕐 5 min - Discussion
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by…
