Uke ‘n’ Sing
Hampshire Music Service
World Record Breaking
Ukulele Resources
What you need for the
Guinness world record attempt
You will need
• a ukulele for each player taking part
• this power point
• a copy of the song words, sheet music and the song
backing track – all available to download for free from
Firesticks And Song website
www.firesticksandsong.com
What you need to do next
• Learn to pluck open strings
• Learn the note names of the strings
• Learn to strum
• Learn to strum C F G or G7 and A minor chords
• Learn to play along to the Uke ‘n’ Sing Song
Ukuleles come from Hawaii!
What does ukulele mean?
Jumping flea!
Get warmed up!
Use Uke ‘n’ Sing song as backing track
Start by responding to the steady beat and identify the metre (4)
• Tap along to the steady beat – experiment with other body actions
• Move to the steady beat – try tiptoeing, swinging arms, marching
feet
• Try tiptoeing in each verse, marching in each chorus and standing
still and swinging arms at all other times e.g. during the introduction,
linking sections and the ending
• Play “air” ukulele (strum on your tum!)
Play games to rehearse counting in 4 - All in, Switch, Roll the ball
The Ukulele Strings
(nose) String 4
String 3
String 2
(knees) String 1
Good*
Children
Eat
Apples
*The string and chord letters are different colours to make it easier
to differentiate between them and see when they change – if it helps
you can colour code the position of the fingers on the ukulele for
each chord with matching coloured sticky spots (see slide 10 –
Chords - description and tab)
Ostinato song
developing your plucking skills
Pluck string G C E A (string 4 - 3 - 2 - 1)
to steady beat
Ostinato, sounds like tomato
Ostinato, on and on
Ostinato, squashed tomato
Ostinato, ’til it’s gone
Rhythm games
Developing your strumming skills
Start by using open strings then progress to using C chord
• Don’t strum this one back
• Copy and match rhythms 4 beat rhythm patterns - except x x xx x
(don’t strum this one back)
• In the gap improvisations
All strum 2 x 4 beats,
Leave a 2 x 4 beat gap (count quietly / in heads)
All strum 2 x 4 beats
Once the gap is secure invite groups and soloists to fill the gap
Chords – description and tab
C chord – string 1 fret 3 =
F chord – string 2 fret 1 and string 4 fret 2 =
G chord – string 3 fret 2, string1 fret 2, string 2 fret 3 =
or G7 – string 2 fret 1 string 3 fret 2 string1 fret 2 =
A minor chord – string 4 fret 2 =
Sing and play to the tune
of Frere Jacques using C chord
Ukulele (x 2)
Having fun (x2)
Playing altogether (x2)
Strum strum strum (x2)
Sing the song
• Try as call (leader) and echo (everyone else)
• Try performing in 2 equal groups
• Add steady beat body percussion accompaniment
• Strum the steady beat using C chord
Introducing the F chord
•
•
Don’t strum this one back using F chord
Copy and match any 4 beat rhythm patterns - except x x xx x (don’t strum
this one back)
This is my chord
Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 out loud (not too fast)
Once secure:
Play C chord on beat 1 (repeat this until secure)
Continue playing C chord on beat 1 and add F chord on beat 5
Play C chord on beat 1 and 2, F chord on beats 5 and 6
Play C chord on beats 1 2 3 and F chord on beats 5 6 7
Finally play C chord on beats 1 2 3 4 and F chord on beats 5 6 7 8
If changing chord is tricky divide into a C group and an F group
If keeping in time is tricky try using a keyboard rhythmic backing
If this is easy challenge children to invent their own patterns
*You are my Sunshine – C and F
Count 1 2 3 You / are / my
(C) sunshine, my only sunshine.
You make me (F)happy when skies are (C)grey.
You’ll never (F)know, dear, how much I (C)love you.
Please don’t take my (F)sunshine a (C)way.
(C)I’ll always love you and make you happy
If you will (F)only stay the (C)same
But if you (F)leave me to love a (C)nother
You’ll regret it (F)all some (C)day.
*Copyright pending
A minor chord
If you can play the F chord then the
A minor chord is quite easy
– just take your index finger off string 2
leaving your second finger on string 4
Introducing the G chord
you can choose to play G or G7
• Don’t strum this one back using a G chord
Copy and match any 4 beat rhythm patterns –
except x x xx x (don’t strum this one back)
• This is my chord
Play – This is my chord – using C and a G chord
For the very adventurous make up own rhythm patterns
using C F and a G
Oh When the Saints
Introduction
CC/CC
oh when the
CCCC/CCCC/CCCC/GGGG
saints…….
CCCC/FFFF/CCGG/CCCC
(oh when the)
Introducing Uke ‘N’ Sing Song
•
•
Listen to the verse and learn to sing along to one or all of the verses if you have time!
Listen to chorus 1 and then chorus 2 and learn to sing along if you have time
IDENTIFY THE STRUCTURE SO YOU KNOW WHEN TO PLAY THE VERSE AND
WHEN TO PLAY THE CHORUS (see next slide)
There are a variety of ways you can play along to this song
See suggestions below listed in order of difficulty
•
Play along using plucked open strings to the verses and then the chorus either playing on all the
beats or on beat 1 (of four)
•
Play along in 3 or 4 groups following the chords each group plays one of the chords – one group
could play F and A minor
•
Play along altogether following simple chord patterns
•
More advanced players could play the full chords or the melody using the music downloaded
from the Firesticks and Song web site (www.firesticksandsong.com)
The structure of the song
4 bar introduction into
2 bar link into
4 bar introduction into
2 bar link into
4 bar introduction into
2 bar link into
4 bar introduction into
2 bar link into
Verse 1
Chorus
Verse 2
Chorus
Verse 3 (instrumental)
Chorus
Verse 4
Chorus
Coda
(The introductions and links are all Gs)
Plucking to accompany the verse
Introduction to every verse
GGGG/GGGG/GGGG/GGGG
Verse
C C C C / C C C C / C C C C /C C C C
CCCC/CCCC/CCGG/CCCC
The string letters are different colours to make it easier to see the
changes (they also match the colours used for the chords)
Plucking to accompany the chorus using
open strings 1 3 and 4 (A, C and G)
Link into every chorus
GGGG/GGGG
Chorus
GGGG/CCCC/GGGG/CCCC
GGGG/CCCC/GGGG/CCCC
AAGG/CCCC/AAAA/GGGG
GGGG/CCCC/GGGG/CCCC
Coda
AAGG/CCCC/AAAA/GGGG
GGGG/CCCC/GGGG/CCCC
GGGG/GGGG/C
(Colour coding has been used to make it easier to see the string changes)
Chords to accompany the verse
Introduction
GGGG/GGGG/GGGG/GGGG
Verse
CCCC/CCCC/FFFF/CCCC
CCCC/CCCC/FFGG/CCCC
Chords to accompany the chorus
Link into chorus
GGGG/GGGG
Chorus
CCCC/FFFF/GGGG/CCCC
CCCC/FFFF/GGGG/CCCC
F F G G / C C C C / Am Am Am Am / G G G G
CCCC/FFFF/GGGG/CCCC
Coda (after the last chorus)
F F G G / C C C C / Am Am Am Am / G G G G
CCCC/FFFF/GGGG/CCCC
GGGG/GGGG/C
F and A minor are both shades of green as a reminder that the position of the A minor
chord is the same as F with the index finger lifted off string 2
You did it – well done!