For my final inquiry post I chose to play a song that I love. Growing up my mom would sing this song to me as I fell asleep, so it felt like a perfect song. I used this simple Youtube video to learn the song.
Song: You Are My Sunshine
This song is really simple and only uses three chords:
The first chord is C, where you put your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the 1st string
Second chord is F, where you put your pointer finger on the first fret of the second string, and your middle finger on the 3rd fret of the 4th string.
Last chord is G, where you put your pointer finger on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string, your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 1st string, and your ring finger on the 3 fret of the 2nd string
For this post I wanted to focus on one of the songs I’ve been learning: Riptide by Vance Joy. It’s one of my favorite camp songs and I’ve always wanted to learn how to play it. It is an iconic ukulele song, so it just made sense to give it a try.
The song uses three chords the whole way through: Am, G, and C.
For Am, I put my pointer finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string.
for G, I put pointer finger on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string, my middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 1st string, and my ring finger on the 3rd fret of the 2nd string.
For C, I put my ring finger on the 3rd fret of the 1st string.
The strumming pattern is down, down, up, down, up, and that pattern continues throughout the whole song. Once I got the rhythm down and felt comfortable switching between chords (still not perfect), the song started to sound right!
For this post I decided to learn Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and add an audio recording at the end! I’m still learning so it’s not the best, but I hope you enjoy! I used this really simple video to follow along and practice with.
This song could be used in an elementary classroom, especially younger grades like K-3. This is a great song for group activity and transitions!
This was a very simple song to learn and only uses 2 chords! Most of the song is played by only using the strings, which are G, C, E, A.
First chord is F, where you hold your pointer finger on the 1st fret of the 2nd string
Second chord is D, where you place your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string
This week I worked on getting better at strumming and switching chords smoothly. I used a short TikTok video that showed some easy down-up srtumming patterns, which was a lot better than watching a long tutorial video. I practiced a few times this week, usually for about 30 minutes. The hardest part was keeping rhythm while moving between the chords C, G, Am, and F, but once I slowed it down, it started to sound better.
The main thing I noticed was how much smoother it sounds when I relax and don’t overthink it. Switching chords isn’t perfect yet, but it’s getting easier each time. I liked the TikTok video because it explained things quickly and clearly, and I could follow along right away. It’s nice when things start sounding clean instead of all over the place, it makes it more fun to keep practicing.
I’ve been realizing how important it is to stay patient with myself. It’s easy to get frustrated when I mess up, but that’s part of learning. At my Link2Practice school, I saw a teacher play guitar and sing with our grade 1/2 class, and it made me realize I could use the ukulele in my own teaching. Even though the song was in French and my class is an English class, the students were still super engaged. It showed me how music can make learning fun and build a sense of community in the classroom.
I’m slowly starting to feel more comfortable playing the ukulele. My goal is just to keep things sounding cleaner and more consistent each week. I can already notice a difference each time I play, and I’m excited to keep going.
This week I focused on setting up my ukulele and learning my first few chords. I used UkeBuddy to tune it using the standard G-C-E-A method, which is the most common tuning style. It took a few tries to match each pitch, but once I got the hang of it, it wasn’t too bad and it was nice to finally hear it sound right.
Then I followed this Youtube video to learn the finger placements for each chord and practiced switching between them.
What I noticed/learned:
At first, pressing down the strings felt super awkward and difficult, especially the G chord, but after a few tries it started sounding smoother. I realized how much practice and muscle memory matter, and that even short practice sessions make a big difference if I stay consistent.
Connection to my future classroom:
Learning these first few chords really reminded me about the importance of patience when teaching something new. If I found it tricky to get my fingers in the right spots, students learning instruements, or any new skill, will need time and encouragment too. This also made me think about my Link 2 Practice class, where I noticed kids remebering songs their teacher used for lessons, they were singing them the rest of the day! It showed how helpful music can be for learning, memory, and keeping kids engaged.
After learning how to tune and play the first few chords, I’m excited to keep going and see what else I can learn next!
Photo taken by Charlie’s Mom on Iphone. Used with permission.
For my inquiry project, I decided I want to learn how to play the ukulele. I played the ukulele when I was younger, and I’ve always wanted to get back into it, so I thought this was the perfect chance. The ukulele is such a fun instrument and is pretty simple to learn, so I’m excited to be starting! I also think that learning to play the ukulele will be very beneficial in my future classroom.
I grew up surrounded by music and the performing arts, so music has always been a huge part of my life. My love for music is something I have always wanted to incorporate into my future teaching. Throughout elementary school, I was part of a ukulele group called Little Ukers, and I remember feeling so proud and excited to perform for the parents. By the end of the semester, I hope to feel the same way, excited and proud to show off my new skill.
As much as I think about incorporating the ukulele into my future classroom, my main goal is to find a new hobby that I enjoy and can spend my free time on instead of scrolling on my phone. Life gets too busy and chaotic with work and school that we sometimes forget to take a break and make time for ourselves. I think that gaining this new skill will not only be beneficial but also something that makes me feel good.
My plan each week is to learn a simple skill, like how to hold the instrument properly or play a new chord, and not to overcomplicate it, so it stays realistic and achievable. Each week as I reflect on what I’ve learned, I also want to think about how I can incorporate it into my future teaching. I hope to use this blog as a resource for myself in the future, especially as a way to teach it to kids! By the end of the semester, I hope to know a few simple songs and feel confident saying, “I play the ukulele.”
I’m super excited to not only start but also share this ukulele journey and to see how much progress I can make by the end of the semester.
