Finger-Pick and Strum Happy Birthday on Your Ukulele (Ages 8+)
In this 4 session self-paced Music class, ukulele students will learn to play "Happy Birthday" both as a solo and as an accompaniment.
Course Summary
In this 4 session self-paced class, beginning ukulele students will learn to play "Happy Birthday" both as a solo song to play for friends and family and also as an accompaniment for people singing. No prior knowledge is required, but it is recommended that students take my "Wipe Out" class first, where I explain how to read ukulele tablature (tabs). The students need to already have their ukuleles tuned to the notes G, C, E and A.
In the first class, students will learn the basics of playing the ukulele--how to hold their ukuleles and play these basic chords: F, Bb and C7.
In the 2nd class, students will review the 3 chords learned and practice playing the jazz waltz strum (Down Up, Up Down).
In the 3rd class, students will learn to finger-pick the melody to "Happy Birthday"
In the 4th class, we review both the accompaniment and finger-picking version of "Happy Birthday".
Since practice is an important part of learning an instrument, it is recommended that students practice 15 minutes, 4 days per week for a total of 60 minutes practice per week. Practice logs will be provided.
Since this is a self-paced, recorded class instead of a live class, students will have the opportunity to send me audio and/or video links to check their progress. I will provide personalized written feedback for each recording a student sends. I will also include models of how to correctly play each section of the song in the pre-recorded videos.
Happy Birthday is a song that every ukulele student should be able to play as they celebrate the birthdays of their family members and friends!
Course Curriculum
April Middaugh
I am passionate about Music and Christian education! I was a Music teacher in 3 Christian schools (Guam and NY) for 20 years. I have taught K-12 General Music, Band, Choir, Ukulele, Music Theory and Music History, as well as private piano and ukulele lessons. I switched to teaching online in 2017 so I could stay home with our miracle baby boy. For the past 3 years I have taught virtual music classes for a local Christian school as well as piano and ukulele lessons via zoom. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Bob Jones University and a Master’s Degree in Church Music from Pensacola Christian College. I am currently K-12 Music certified through ASCI.
