Above I have attached my video of myself playing the three desired songs that I chose. The three songs that I chose were “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol, “Somebody that I Used to Know” by Gotye and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. I chose these songs because they all had a limited number of chords used throughout, and also had simple strumming. Chasing Cars and Somebody that I Used to know are two of my favourite calming songs that I listen to at night before bed or sometimes while doing homework. I decided to learn these songs because I listen to them rather often and am familiar with the lyrics. I chose The Lion Sleeps Tonight because I grew up listening to this song and have heard it played in my past jobs while working with kids. Also, I believe that students will know this song, which will make it fun to play and sing along to in the classroom.
While I tried my best to learn the full song to each of my three chosen ones, I found that learning the choruses from each song sounded better. I had some complications with the tuning of my ukulele, which required me to take it to a friend of mine that plays the guitar. He was able to tune it correctly for me, but it was a minor setback in my progress. However, setbacks can happen and are inevitable and all that matters is how you adapt to them, improvise and overcome them! Because of this, I worked extra hard to master the choruses to these songs and will continue to learn more and more songs as this program continues and as I progress through my teaching career. I found the most challenging part of learning the ukulele was the concept of multitasking. Especially when first learning a song, it was difficult to try and visually watch the YouTube instructions of where to put my hands, while also singing and strumming at the same time. However, with practice, multitasking got easier as I got more familiar with the chord transitions and more comfortable with strumming. Over time, I was able to not look at the video on my screen as often and was able to sing accordingly. However, matching up the singing and doing quick finger movements to the different chords was the biggest learning curve for me.
Overall, this was my favourite activity of the semester! I enjoyed learning a new skill and a new hobby as an assignment. While being in six classes and working part time, it is difficult to find time to relax or learn new hobbies because of pressing due dates and homework deadlines. However, since learning the ukulele was a project it was enjoyable and interesting to learn as a school assignment. I will always cherish this class and project and will continue to keep up my ukulele practice to learn more songs for my future classroom.
Originally, as per my musical demonstration action plan, it was my goal to learn three songs by April when classes end. As I have aforementioned above, I have been practicing for two to three nights a week, depending on other classes homework assignments, for about an hour to an hour and a half. I find that spreading out my times to practice the ukulele is more beneficial than practicing for long periods of time. When I first began practicing, my fingers would get rather sore as they adjusted to the feeling of the strings and chords on the tips. I even find that sometimes when I began to play for too long, they can start feeling sore again, which is why I try to spread out my practices into short periods of time throughout the week.
Since my goal was to practice and learn three songs, I have been practicing the choruses for these songs rather frequently. However, I am only a beginner on the ukulele and to a musical instrument in general. I had not played a musical instrument since I was 14 (11 years ago) so learning the ukulele was a new concept for me. It took me some time (as I mentioned in my midterm blog posts) to learn how to hold the ukulele, learn the chords, and learn how to strum it. Because I am a beginner and had to learn the basic fundamentals of the ukulele prior to diving into learning music, it took away a lot of practicing sessions from learning actual songs. I would try to learn the songs that I chose out of excitement but felt rushed and felt that I was forcing it when I was still unclear on certain fundamentals of the ukulele itself. Because of this, I had to take my time and not rush when it came to learning various songs. I started just strumming and listening to the chords and what sounds they would make, while ensuring that my ukulele was always in tune. Although it took some time to develop my understanding of the basics of the ukulele, I did get around to learning the choruses of my three desired songs. It took me longer than anticipated because I wanted to ensure that I got the sounds down correctly, and I made sure that I put hard work and dedication into each one. Although I was very eager and excited to be able to play a song, I had to take my time. I would familiarize myself with one songs chorus rather well, and practice that for a few nights. Then once I felt familiar with the chords, I moved onto the next song, and so on. I found that this was a beneficial way of learning, because playing a song flawlessly each time was rather difficult, and I did not want it to hold me back. Therefore, I would practice each song’s chorus every so often so that I became familiar with each one. I took my time and would follow instructional YouTube videos of the songs, while listening to some verbally announce which chords. By taking my time and keeping my dedication high, I learnt the choruses to my three desired songs.
Since my previous midterm blog posts regarding my musical growth, I have been constantly practicing my three chosen songs on the ukulele. Between online zoom classes, homework and working at my job outside of school, I have had a busy semester. However, the homework portion of this music class regarding learning the ukulele has been my favourite homework assignment. I enjoyed learning the ukulele because it provided diversity to our assignments away from the standard assignments of reading and writing. We were able to physically learn a new skill and lesson from a hands-on experience and build our own memories through practicing. Although it has been a challenge learning the songs, getting the notes right and strumming properly, I can confidently say that I have progressed and come a long way.
Originally, when I first picked up the ukulele, I had to find comfort in learning how to hold it and strum it. After watching several different YouTube videos and looking at online resource for assistance, I feel confident in my abilities of strumming and playing. However, I have realized that when practicing, some days my performance would be better than others. I have been practicing for about two to three nights a week for around an hour to an hour and a half and realized that some days I can flawlessly perform certain songs while other days I seem to face challenges. Consequently, this is most likely due to over-tiredness and stress with school. Â However, I would like to think that playing the ukulele has become a hobby of mine! Even when I am stressed and tired, I enjoy sitting down and learning a new verse or practicing a song. I believe that it allows me to sit down and relax, while also challenging my mind and physical abilities. The skill of learning the ukulele is now a skill that I can hold onto and continue to practice. It is a skill that I will be able to use in my future classroom one day and continue to get better at.
My action plan goal by March 1st was to learn a short section of one of three above mentioned songs that I hoped to learn on the ukulele. I strived to also learn parts of the additional two songs, but it also took several hours to learn basics of the cords and strum effectively.
When I first started learning Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol on the ukulele, it was my first song to ever practice myself. Because I am a beginner, I made sure to provide myself with time to get my fingers adjusted to the chords as well as get comfortable with strumming. After several hours practicing the physical chord movements, I began to practice sections of the song. I found a well-demonstrated video on YouTube that demonstrated the song very well and easy to follow. The first part of the song is more of a finger-picking through the chords opposed to just a strum. Because of this, I just learnt the chorus of the song first to learn it by strumming. It took me longer than expected to learn the chorus because my fingers were getting used to the pressure on the tips of them by holding down the chords. I also realized that I was probably pressing too hard initially because I was trying to ensure that it sounded correct. I noticed that when I would play along with the instructional YouTube video, I could recognize what song I was playing rather well. However, when I would play on my own, it did not sound as good. In addition, it was difficult to maintain strumming properly while also singing and ensuring that I have the proper finger positioning and moving them throughout the song in a timely manner. It was definitely an adjustment by trying to multi-task singing, strumming and proper finger movement. I first tried to ensure that I had the chords figured out, and then tried moving my fingers through them quicker and quicker in my transitions. It was hard to do while not looking at my fingers, and often led to me having to start over. I tried to not get frustrated with this, but it took several hours of practice to be able to master. I also found that when the playing was going well, there was always one little thing off about each performance. Over several hours of practicing this songs chorus, it took a decent amount of time to be able to multitask these skills. It seemed easier said than done to be able to do. However, after several hours of practicing this same chorus over and over again, I believe that I have the chorus to this song figured out pretty well and can efficiently strum, sing and position my fingers accordingly. In regard to my other two songs, I will continue to practice their chorus’s now that I have the strumming and finger transitions figured out. Although each song is challenging in its own way, I believe that I now have the basics sorted out and will continue to practice to the best of my ability.
Below I have attached a video of myself playing the chorus section of Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol on the ukulele in accordance with my action plan goal. Hope you enjoy!
My second goal for learning my ukulele was to be able to recognize and understand the proper chords. In addition, by February 8th, I was also hoping to be able to read sheet music and therefore have my three desired songs picked out that I was hoping to learn to play by February 15th. It took several hours of hard work and dedication to efficiently understand the chords, memorize them, and be able to recognize them in sheet music to learn my desired songs.
Throughout this course, each week we are required to watch provided videos and complete a music literacy worksheet that corresponds to the video. Because of these assignments, I was able to learn the basics of reading sheet music. However, I noticed that while researching different songs for my practice, most videos show visual pictures of how to hold your hands on the ukulele while telling you which position to place your fingers in. Although I am still learning how to read sheet music, I personally find it simpler to learn while looking at a picture of which chords to use and how to position my fingers.
While researching songs to learn for the ukulele, I had a difficult time narrowing down three particular songs. I found that every slow, relaxing and calm song sounded so beautiful on the ukulele that I wanted to learn them all. One of my favourite types of music is indie music, which I believe sounds lovely on the ukulele in particular. Also, I found that faster pace songs also have acoustic versions that sound beautiful on the ears when played on the ukulele. Because of these findings, I found it difficult to choose only three songs. However, I began to narrow down songs that I believe were easier to learn since I am only a beginner. After learning the chords to the point where I could play a short section of a song, I began to see which songs that I could play the best. One of my favourite songs is called Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol, which is the first song that I decided to learn. It consists of only three different cords, and fast and slow up and down strumming. After several hours practicing this song, I managed to learn the chorus rather well. In addition to this song, I have also been practicing playing “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” because it only consists of four cords, and is a song that elementary students are hopefully familiar with. My third song that I have been practicing is “Somebody that I Used to Know” by Gotye, because it also consists of only four cords, and is a calm and relaxing song to play in the classroom.
When I first decided to take on the skill of learning the ukulele, I knew that it would be a challenge. I knew that it would include several hours of practice and dedication in addition to our other assignments in this class. However, I was determined and eager to learn how to play. I pictured myself in my future classroom with my future students and thought how interesting and fun that it would be to be able to play in front of them, teach them songs and integrate music into my classroom. I believe that music is an important and beneficial concept that should be included in all schools. Music promotes engagement, motivation and enjoyment into classrooms. Also, I believe that certain modes of instruction can be facilitated through the use of music. For example, singing a relaxing song to inform students of quiet time, or even singing a song to settle kids at the carpet or prior to walking down the hallway. Overall, there are several vital benefits to implementing music into the classroom, which is why I decided to learn the ukulele.
By January 29th, it was my first goal to feel comfortable with how to physically hold my ukulele, how to strum it, and how to tune it. When I first picked up my ukulele, I asked the lady I got it from to assist me with tuning it so that I knew its tune was correct. To double check the tuning, I also used an app to ensure that the sounds were correct prior to learning the chords. In addition, I also researched various videos on YouTube that taught me how to physically hold the ukulele. While doing this, I learned to keep the ukulele close to my chest, which was news to me because I initially thought to hold it similar to a guitar. However, holding the body of the ukulele near my chest felt more comfortable with the long neck part and the strings horizontal to the ground. I practiced holding the ukulele comfortability in my hand, with the strings in my left hand and the body of the ukulele in my right, while bending my right elbow to have a grip on the strings in my right hand to strum. Furthermore, I researched how to properly strum the ukulele. At first, I was unaware that in addition to strumming downwards, it is equally important to learn how to strum upwards. It took some practice to find the perfect strengthen in my fingers to not hit the strings too hard or too soft. It was also an adjustment to hit the cords smoothly while keep consistency with the strumming. After a few hours of practice after the tuning, I was able to feel comfortable with my physical grip on the ukulele as well as perform consistent strum patterns.