Course Topics
– Holding, tuning, and taking care of your instrument properly. – Strumming techniques. – Reading (standard notation and tablature) and playing rhythms. – Reading (chord diagrams, chord symbols, tablature and standard notation) and playing chords. – Playing chords changes. – Transposing songs. – Playing arpeggios. – Playing scales. – Practicing, arranging, writing, and performing songs. – Adapt the repertoire to suit the age and level of the children. – Incorporate the ukulele into a teaching strategy.

Teaching format
Practice-based laboratory consisting of concise frontal lectures to introduce individual and group exercises, discussions, and development of group ideas and tasks.

Educational objectives
This course introduces students to the ukulele, a portable, affordable, and resourceful instrument that can be used profitably in the classroom. The ukulele can help children learn music theory, approach different musical repertoires and the performing arts in general. Its accessible qualities make it particularly suitable for inclusive education, as it can be used to engage pupils in active, participatory, and creative music-making. It is in fact a flexible instrument, which can adapt to the teacher’s needs, for example by transposing a song into a more comfortable or child-friendly key. Especially for those who do not play an instrument, approaching the ukulele can be useful for putting musical concepts, which might otherwise appear abstract, into practice. For all these reasons, in addition to the pleasure of playing music, it can become a very effective educational tool. The course is aimed at providing an introduction to the mechanics, structure and workings of the ukulele. Hence, if they aren’t already, the students will become familiarised with stringed, fretted instruments, establishing the foundations for learning other similar instruments, such as guitar, mandolin, and banjo. While specific techniques and learning outcomes, as identified in the course outline, will be covered during each class, the workshop will be practice-based. In particular, songs and arrangements appropriate to the learning level will be played, together or in small groups, during each workshop. As such, the course emphasizes the importance of critical listening skills and experiential learning. The course will also advise on ways to make the ukulele even more inclusive, e.g. by helping the child find the right type of instrument, tuning the instrument depending on a child’s hand preference, dealing with disabilities, etc. Some further notes The acquisition of theory and technique will go along with the learning of songs and song accompaniments that are consistent with the respective learning stage. To participate in the course and prepare for the assignment, it is not necessary to already play a musical instrument. The purchase of a personal instrument is recommended for home practice. For demonstrations, in order to avoid problems of transposition, soprano, concert or tenor ukuleles will be used in class (standard tuning: gCEA). Disciplinary competence Knowledge and understanding: distinguish different types of ukuleles; handle (hold, tune, change strings, etc.) the ukulele; recognize chords and chord positions and play them on the ukulele; recognize and reproduce basic time signatures with the ukulele; perform different strumming techniques; perform simple pieces with the ukulele (solo and in an ensemble). Applying knowledge and understanding: transpose simple songs for the ukulele; adapt and transpose songs for children of different age; arrange songs rhythmically for the ukulele; learn to use different arranging techniques on the ukulele (e.g., strumming, arpeggio); identify achievable learning outcomes while teaching ukulele to children of different age. Transversal competences and soft skills Making judgements: evaluate the suitability of a piece of music for a particular target group; apply known knowledge to new material (e.g., adding ukulele accompaniment to a spoken verse, a theatre piece); stimulate creative practices with the ukulele in a classroom setting. Communication skills: use the appropriate technical vocabulary (ukulele parts, key, chords, time signature, etc.); play simple pieces with confidence; be able to teach ukulele basics to children of different age. Learning skills: develop basic techniques progressively; use different material (e.g., tablature, songbooks, chords symbols, video tutorials) to improve technical knowledge of the instrument; be able to independently find additional material to further the use of the ukulele.

Assessment
Project work: (a) written task + (b) oral exam (presentation of the project + performance) a) Written task: Educational project with children consisting of the adaptation of one or more musical pieces chosen from a given or proposed repertoire (subject to agreement with the teacher). The project consists of: (i) description of the project, with a pedagogical justification (target, learning outcomes, learning stages, pedagogical approach – group or individual task*); (ii) personal reflection on the work done and its theoretical motivations (individual task*); (iii) musical arrangement in the proper notational format (group or individual task*). 1,500 words overall: (i) 1,000 for the description of the project; (ii) 500 for the personal reflection; (iii) the musical arrangement is not included in the word count. b) Oral exam Oral presentation of the project + performance of the arrangement for the ukulele (group or individual task*). * The project work (written task + oral exam) can be done individually, in pairs or in small groups (3 to 4 students), subject to agreement with the lecturer. Only the personal reflection is individual.

Evaluation criteria
Project work (individual or group task): Accuracy of the arrangement; appropriateness of the method to the stated aims and the chosen target (i.e., children age and context); overall pedagogical coherence of the project; ability to summarise, evaluate, and establish relationships between topics; capacity to reflect creatively on the work done; style. Project work (either individual or group task + individual task): Capacity to use a language that is proper for the given subject (music theory, music performance, education sciences); capacity to provide argumentation and supporting evidence (including theory and literature); ability to summarise, evaluate, and establish relationships between topics; capacity to reflect creatively on the work done; style. Oral exam (group or individual performance) Consistency in relation to the educational project (project work – written task). Technical facility: posture, intonation, physical control of the instrument, quality of tone and other technical factors appropriate to the expected level (basic ukulele technique). Communication and interpretation: the ability to convey musical intent to the listener (and, especially, to children) with commitment and a sense of performance. Oral exam (group or individual presentation) Capacity to use a language that is proper for the given subject (music theory, music performance, education sciences); capacity to provide argumentation and supporting evidence (including theory); ability to summarise, evaluate, and establish relationships between topics; capacity to reflect creatively on the work done.

Required readings

Clauhs, Matthew, Powell, Bryan, & Clements, Ann C. (2021). Popular Music Pedagogies: A Practical Guide for Music Teachers. New York & Abingdon: Routledge. [Chapter 2: ‘Introduction to guitar, bass, and ukulele’; Chapter 5: ‘Ukulele’] https://doi.org/10.4324/978042929444

Johnson, C. (2016). Ukulele for Kids Method & Songbook. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard, 2nd ed.

Rev, L. (2005). Ukulele Method Book 1. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard.

Supplementary readings

Cara Faith Bernard, C.F. & Cayari, C. (2020). ‘Encouraging participatory music making through differentiation on the ukulele’. General Music Today, 34(1): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/1048371320926608

Coppola, J.W., Hebert, D.G., & Campbell, P.S. (2021). World Music Pedagogy, Volume VII: Teaching World Music in Higher Education. New York & London: Routledge. [Chapter 3: ‘Participatory musicking. Engaged listening and enactive listening’] https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429278617

Fox, C. (2014). ‘Choose your uke and teach it, too: A guide to the ukulele in the general music classroom’. Educator, 52(1): 13–15.

Giotta, K.K. (2020). ‘Trading my baton for a ukulele’. In Smith, T.D. & Hendricks, K.S. (eds.), Narratives and Reflections in Music Education: Listening to Voices Seldom Heard, Cham: Springer, pp. 65–76. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28707-8_5

Greenberg, M. (1992). ‘The ukulele in your classroom: The ukulele is an ideal instrument for general music classes’. Music Educators Journal, 79(3): 43–48. https://doi.org/10.2307/339848

Hourigan, R.M. (2023). ‘Music as a vehicle for caring for students with learning differences’. In Hendricks, K.S. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Care in Music Education, New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 373–383.

King, F., Wilson, E., Stevens-Ballenger, J., Arney, S., & Hillman, J.A. (2025). ‘A ukulele for everyone: A collaborative self-study of an initiative for student-owned ukuleles in an Australian university’. Music Education Research, 27(2): 136—147.

Rev, L. (2008). Ukulele Method Book 2. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard.

Shimabukuro, J. (2017). Jake Shimabukuro Teaches Ukulele Lessons. Learn Notes, Chords, Songs, and Playing Techniques from the Master of Modern Ukulele. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard.

Smith, R. & Secoy, J. (2019). ‘Exploring the music identity development of elementary education majors using ukulele and YouTube’. Journal of Music Teacher Education, 29(1): 71–85. https://doi.org/10.1177/1057083719871026

Thibeault, M.D. & Evoy J. (2011). ‘Building your own musical community: How YouTube, Miley Cyrus, and the ukulele can create a new kind of ensemble’. General Music Today, 24(3): 44–52. https://doi.org/10.1177/1048371310397348

Tranquada, J. & King, J. (2012). The Ukulele: A History. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai'i Press.

Vasil, M. (2022). ‘Participatory music making with fretted instruments’. In Abril, C.R. & Gault, B.M. (eds.), General Music: Dimensions of Practice, New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 56–73. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197509012.003.0004

Further information
During the course, handouts will be provided on a regular basis, focusing in particular on music theory, instrumental techniques and transcriptions of the exercises and musical pieces covered in class. It is recommended that you install music notation software on a personal device. There are a number of free programmes available for this purpose. The Faculty can provide ukuleles for use in class. However, the instruments can only be used on the premises and with the teacher’s permission. It is therefore advisable to purchase or rent your own instrument. Advice on the type and features of the most suitable instrument will be provided during the first lesson of the course, or even before that through personal contact.