Music Class with Ms. Hayashi 

4th Grade  
Ukulele Introduction 
Spring 2019 

So you want to learn ukulele? 

You will learn the most with me by using your ears to hear different music p
​ atterns​. The 
following information will help you know parts of the ​ukulele ​and how you can improve your 
technique. There may also be some activities to try out your ukulele skills. 

Music from the inside out 

Music is something that we do not see, but we hear. 
Our work with the ukulele will be an expression of 
music that we already have i​ nside u
​ s. 

Using folk songs 

Folk songs are a focus in our work because they 
reflect our ​culture a
​ nd communities. These songs 
can help us connect through games, melodies, and 
relatable messages in our classes. 

Let’s build our skills 

For our music classes, this is the first time we are 
formally using the ukuleles. Some students may transition s
​ moothly ​to this work and others may 
find it ​challenging​. All students are encouraged to make meaningful musical choices as they 
practice. Remember, new skills may take ​lots of t​ ime ​to develop. Be courageous learners, and 
embrace your m
​ istakes s
​ o that you can learn from them. 

 
 2  

Parts of the instrument 

Knowing the different parts of the instrument will help 
you receive instruction and communicate your learning 
with more precision and detail. 

What do you notice about the ukulele? 

Strings and Tuners 
How many strings are on the ukulele? ______________ 

How many tuners are on the headstock? ___________ 

How do the tuners relate to the strings? 

_____________________________________________________ 

_____________________________________________________ 

Neck, Fretboard, and Frets 

The frets on the fretboard indicate half step pitch 
changes. True or False? 

A fret makes the ukulele sound change. True or False? 

Both the neck and the fretboard have the same 

function for playing the ukulele? True or False? 

In your own words... 

Use vocabulary to describe where the sound hole is 
located on the ukulele. 

____________________________________________________ 

____________________________________________________ 

____________________________________________________   

 
 3  

Learning the Strings 

Chordophones 
The ukulele is a kind of c
​ hordophone​. A chordophone is an instrument that makes sound 
through vibrating strings stretched between two points. Other kinds of chordophones include 
the harp, violin, ​banjo​, and harpsichord. To make vibrations on the strings, we will pick the 
strings. To p
​ ick t​ he string, we will lift the sound from the string as the tips of the fingers as they 
move from the string and releases away from the s
​ ound​ h
​ ole​. 

Different kinds of strings 

There are four strings on the ukulele: G, C, E, and A. Longer and t​ hicker 
strings make lower sounds, and s
​ horter ​and thinner strings make high 
sounds. 

Explore the string pitches 

Write the string names in pitch order from lowest pitch to highest pitch: 

Change the string pitches 

To change the string pitch, press down your finger on the string between the frets. When you 
press down on a string, the string shortens and produces a higher pitch. 

Pitch Matching Challenge:​ By pressing down with only one finger, make both strings match 
pitch. Consider which string is lower in pitch for each challenge, and start with the lower pitch. 

1) Use only the G and A strings 

2) Use only the C and E strings   

 
 4  

Goal Setting 
Creating learning goals can help us focus during our work. Goals can keep us motivated and 
remind us that we are not expected to know everything at once or quickly. Instead, goal setting 
can help us construct questions about how to reach our goals. Actively working through these 
questions can help us improve our skills and accomplish what we hope to learn from the 
experience. 

KWL Chart about the ukulele 

My ukulele learning goal 

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________________________