Spooky Ukee

by Teresa Jennings

Even ukuleles can sound spooky when they play a minor chord! And what a great chance to tie a music lesson to the revue. Using only the Ami chord with a simple three-beat strum, this song is easy enough to sing and play at the same time. The fourth beat of each measure contains a stomp which can readily be done with one foot, or just the heel from a sitting position. It doesn't have to be a big stomp, just a thump.

To teach this, get the strum, strum, strum, stomp groove under control by just letting students practice that much first. Start slowly, then get up to tempo as they go. Once they have it mastered, let them play along with the recorded tracks. Then, when they feel more confident, add the singing. For older students, this should be fine. If younger students have a rough time playing and singing, mix the group up. Let some play and others sing. Switch on the repeat, or switch on a second time through.

Text is taken from Music K-8 magazine.