Hey everyone! Here is my first blog post as I embark on my musical journey to learn the ukulele! I was inspired to learn the ukulele as I had picked it up in the 8th grade but never had the opportunity to continue learning it. I feel that the ukulele is an excellent instrument to play in the classroom as it is a small, light instrument that is relatively easy for people of all ages to learn.Ā 

This past week, I have worked on learning how to hold and tune the ukulele. When holding your ukulele, it is important to maintain good posture and keep the ukulele propped up so it is not resting in your lap. When you are holding it, put the body of the ukulele under your right arm, and use your right elbow to secure it in place. Then, place your left thumb against the back of the neck on your ukulele. Your fingers on your left hand will then create a ā€œCā€ like curve around the neck and be in the proper position to play.Ā 

Once I determined how to hold the ukulele properly, I worked on learning how to tune the ukulele. A ukulele has 4 strings: G, C, E, A. To tune a ukulele, you turn the tuning pegs to the right or left depending on if you need to make the sound lower or higher. Since I am new to tuning, I had to use a tuning app on my phone to help determine how close I was to the note. Over the next few weeks, I hope to work on tuning the ukulele by ear. I can ensure this by practicing singing the notes myself in tune.

ā€“ Ms. G šŸ™‚