Tag Archives: first instruments

5 Tips to Introduce Your Child to the Ukulele

running boy and uke

Guest Post By Colleen Kinsey

The ukulele is a fun sized instrument that has kids and adults, grinning after the first string is plucked.  Ukuleles are the perfect instrument for kids because they are small and easy to play, plus it’s relatively inexpensive compared to other instruments. Learning the ukulele will increase your child’s memory skills, improves coordination, boost confidence, and nurture skills to make them successful as adults.

When I talk to parents, one of their favorite reasons for getting their kid started on the ukulele is because the soft, mellow tune isn’t heard throughout the entire house! Before you run to the local music shop and to purchase one, follow these five steps to introduce your child to the ukulele.

ukulele COMPLETE coloring pageStart from the Very Beginning

Music lessons take all forms and can begin right after birth. As a new parent, swaying and dancing with your baby introduces them to a musical environment. With your toddler, you can play simple movement activities and games. Even playing music in the car can count as a music lesson, which helps them build a positive relationship with music.

Around the age of three, you can start putting your child in more formalized lessons. The goal isn’t to pick up a ukulele and start plucking, it’s more for them to develop basic skills like identifying a beat or a melody. When you’re looking for classes, make sure you and your teacher have the same musical goals for your child.

By the age of 5, you can introduce your child to a variety of instruments. I recommend finding a program that allows your child to play many different types. Forcing your child to only play the ukulele, without trying out other options can be a recipe for disaster. It helps to see what instrument your child is drawn to and enjoys playing before investing in one.

If you and your kid decide that the ukulele is the right instrument, you can start them in formal ukulele lessons. When your child reaches the age of 10, they will have acquired enough skills and physical strength to play the ukulele for longer periods of time.

Choose the Right Ukulele

Before you run out to buy a shiny new ukulele, make sure you are getting the appropriate size, shape, and style for them to learn on. I suggest consulting with a music teacher or a knowledgeable ukulele player before buying this uke prize packinstrument. If you purchase one for your child without doing a bit of ukulele research, you will risk their ukulele education being counterproductive.

Have your kid test out a few ukes at the music shop. My favorite method is to pick 3 ukuleles that are the appropriate size, style, and in your budget then let them choose their instrument. After all, they are the ones that are going to be playing it every day. Empowering your child to choose their own ukulele and make decisions helps cultivate a good relationship with the instrument.

Be an Involved Parent

I have seen many children that have real talent and knack for the ukulele, but ukulele parenttheir skills fall flat due to the lack of time spent practicing at home. Having a practice schedule at home goes well beyond mastering the instrument. It teaches your child self-discipline, which is something that will help them be a successful adult. Self-discipline isn’t second nature for a child, so it’s your job as the parent to find engaging and positive ways to encourage self-motivation.

If you have a child that struggles to get their daily practice in, try different approaches to the task. Consider what time you’re having them pick up the ukulele. The typical student will practice after school, but sometimes children are more motivated at the beginning of the day. It may take some trial and error to determine what works best for your family.

I had one parent that thought of a unique way to motivate their child. They got a handful of dried beans and let their child decorate the beans with paint and glitter. When they practiced at home, she would get a bean for each part of the lesson she completed. Finding fun ways to motivate your child will help them associate fun with learning the ukulele and teach them self-discipline.

 Set Easy to Accomplish Goals

A practice session can be useless without attainable goals for your child to accomplish. Children will feel proud when they have successfully completed a goal, which will motivate them to continue playing. Writing down what they want to accomplish or adding gold stars to their practice log is a great way for them to feel proud of themselves.

Work with your ukulele teacher to determine what the appropriate benchmarks should be. Each practice session should incorporate multiple goals, whether it’s to hit every ukulele chord without faltering or play a song from start to finish.  Here’s a great resource for learning  ukulele chords .

Performances

Ukulele girlPerformances provide a motivation to practice, because your child will want to play well front of other people. Your music teacher should have an end of the year recital, but as a parent you can incorporate small performances throughout the year.

Start by having your kid play the ukulele for the family after dinner. The sound of applause after a song well done is a great incentive. If your child feels comfortable, some don’t, try to get them to play at your extended family gatherings. This provides them a safe environment to play in front of people they know. It also allows them to get over the feeling of stage fright and boosts their confidence.

Not only is the ukulele a fun instrument to play, but it helps teach your child self-discipline and boosts their confidence. Learning the uke increases their math, listening, reading, comprehension, and social skills all excellent reasons to put a ukulele in your child’s hands.

About The Author  – Colleen is a traveler, ukulele instructor, and Editor in Chief to  Coustii a website devoted to teaching guitar and ukulele skills to people online. She is based in Des Moines, Iowa, but her ukulele has been with her around the world.  You can find out more about here musical travels, here: Travel Meets Happy.

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Doum – beka- Doum-beka – Doum! Middle Eastern Drums!

doumbek imageMusic is a great way to explore the world with your kids. If your cultural heritage is from the Middle East, doumbek and darbuka drums are probably part of the soundtrack of your life. If you’re adding music to your family’s fun or studying that region, then this easy-to-play drum is a great first instrument for any child.

Doumbeks and Darbukas

Both the doumbek and darbuka are goblet shaped played throughout the Middle boy and darbukaEast, Turkey and North Africa. There are lots of names for each drum and plenty of variations for the spelling of each name. For doumbeks, you might see “dumbec”, “dumbek” or “doumbec”.  Darbuka style drums are also called debuka, dumbelek tablah, tarabuka and toumperleki.

Historians think that these drums date back to Ancient Babylonia and that the name comes from the Arabic word “darba”, meaning “to strike”.

How Do You Play?

little girl plays darbukaOne of these simple Middle Eastern drums, there are three basic sounds. The “doum” sound comes from striking the drum in the center. Tapping the drum near the edge produces a higher sound called a “tek”. Tapping then muting the drum creates a third sound called a “pa”.

What If You Don’t Have a Drum?

Don’t have a drum? Although it may not sound exactly the same, you can also tap on a round container in these three different ways and make all the basics sounds you might hear on a doumbek or darbuka. You’d be surprised how good a “recycled drum” may sound when using even the most basic material found around your home or garage!

doumbek black and white imageColor A Doumbek!

Although some are plain, many doumbeks and goblet drums have beautiful folk or mosaic patterns that wrap around the body of the drum. In the coloring page below you can create your own colorful Middle Eastern drum.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Middle-Eastern-Drums-Doumbek-Background-Coloring-Page-2049118

The Ukulele – A Great First Instrument For Young Children

 

Is your child interested in learning an instrument?

Although kids get excited about all kinds of instruments as they explore music, it can be helpful to choose an easier “first instrument” to begin to learn to play.  That way, the process is rewarding sooner and it builds confidence in their ability to learn.

Here are 8 reasons why a ukulele can be a good first choice for any child interested in rocking out on a stringed instrument:

real ukelele color posterThe ukulele is a perfect size for children to hold and play.

The fretboard is easy to see and the strings are not hard to hold down.

The ukulele has 4 strings and most common chords are formed from very easy combinations of finger positions.

Most ukulele songbooks are written in tablature – an easy-to-read graph that shows you where to place your fingers.

By following the tablature, you can learn many of your favorite songs within hours.

A ukulele is small and lightweight – easy to take out to practice or perform for others.

A ukulele can easily play the chords to a song while a parent, sibling or other friends clap along or play the beat on a simple percussion instrument like a tambourine or shaker.

A ukulele can easily play the chords to a song while a parent, sibling or other friend play the same song on guitar for an instant musical duet!

Kids Play Ukuleles

It’s easy to be inspired to play when you see young children really shining as they master the basics of this easy instrument.  Take a look at this 8 year old sharing one of his favorite songs at a ukulele festival or  check out our Hawaiian video page that features a variety of ukulele players – many of them under 10 years old!

Hawaii videos on Multicultral Kids Music Vids
http://multikidsmusicvids.com/?cat=79

Learn With Your Child

A ukulele is a great first instrument for an adult as well.  And you can give your child a real gift by learning along with them.  They can see you try and fail, try and succeed and understand what it means to have patience and to take the time to learn and grow at a new skill.

Showing a child how everyone struggles with learning new things and eventually succeeds is a powerful life lesson that will resonate in every area of their life.

Don’t Buy The Cheapest Ukulele

Although a good ukulele is not very expensive, make sure you buy one that sounds good to your ears and has sturdy tuning pegs (the little knobs at the top of the fretboard).  Cheaper ukuleles will not hold their tuning and can be incredibly frustrating to play.  It’s hard for a child or any new learner to be getting their part right while the uke slips out of tune and sounds like it’s playing the wrong chords.

You can opt to buy from a local music store where the staff can show you several options and hopefully play them for you.  Or you can buy online after checking customer reviews.  Look for a model that fits your budget but also gets good reviews from first time players.

Resources And Related Musical Fun

Ukulele Coloring Page from DARIA MUSIC

http://www.dariamusic.com/docs/Ukelele%20BW%20Coloring%20Page.pdf

The Ukulele – 4 Strings and Jumping Fleas!

http://makingmulticulturalmusic.wordpress.com/2014/02/05/the-ukelele-4-strings-and-jumping-fleas/

Make Your Own Pu’ili – Hawaiian Rhythm Sticks

http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/classroom-music/make-your-own-puili-hawaiian-rhythm-sticks/

“Beach In A Bottle” Rattle

http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/babies-and-music/beach-in-a-bottle-rattle/

Playing River Rocks As An Instrument – Hawaiian `ili`ile

http://makingmulticulturalmusic.wordpress.com/2014/02/13/playing-river-rocks-as-an-instrument-hawaiian-iliile/