Welcome back to Summer 2 and what a great first week back we have had! This week in Music, Year 5 have been continuing to develop their ukulele skills and they sound AMAZING.
The ukulele is a 4-stringed member of the lute family. Its origins are Portuguese and it became popular in Hawaii. Famous ukulele players include Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole, Zooey Deschanel, Eddie Kamae and Ingrid Michaelson. The instrument is featured in a range of song genres, and is a popular companion for the singer-songwriter in lieu of the guitar or the piano.
Similar in appearance to the guitar, the neck of ukulele has a fretboard placed along it, however the students noted the main differences between the instruments are the size, and the fact that the guitar has 6 strings while the ukulele has only four. They also remarked that the pitch of the ukulele is higher than that of the guitar. The students have been learning chords such as ‘C,’ ‘E minor,’ ‘A minor,’ ‘G,’ and ‘F.’ They have discussed how major chords sound happy, and minor chords sound sad. Our fledgling musicians have practised getting their fingers into the correct position for the chords and placing them on the correct position on the fretboard. The students have noted that the chords are easier to practise when they are thought of in terms of shape, for example, the chord ‘E minor’ is in a diagonal line, and the chord ‘G’ is in the shape of a triangle. Both hard-working Year 5 classes have become maestros at changing between the different chords, something which they were finding more challenging at first. However, they soon realised that practise makes perfect, and therefore found this easier by our most recent lesson.
The students have been enjoying learning a variety of songs from nursery rhymes to pop songs, showcasing their knowledge of all the chords they have learned. They have also become nascent songwriters, collaborating on writing a song together in class, a skill that they will now further develop this term as they write their own songs in groups and accompany themselves on the ukulele!
Miss Marshall commented on how impressed she was with each and every person in Year 5! They have all been so enthusiastic in lessons, and have been working so hard to master their craft.
