Learn the three basic chords C, F and G7 and 25 songs with ‘Uke’n Play Ukulele for Kids’ by Mike Jackson. This is a super little book to help kids (of all ages) learn how to play ukulele.
The book uses a simple method of adding coloured stickers to the fretboard to allow quick identification of where to place your fingers to play a chord.
With a little assistance from an older person kids as young as five will find it a helpful resource. There is also a play-along CD that comes with the book that allows you to feel the beat and improve your technique.
You can buy it at a reasonable price too. I’ve found the cheapest place to buy it is from an Amazon site at US $10. But if you live in New Zealand try NZ $23 on Trademe, or your local music shop.
It contains 25 mainly Australian traditional songs, with a few that have had the lyrics adapted to add more interest. The book starts with easy to play songs, and the further you go through the book the more difficult the songs become. The songs it contains are:
- Five Little Monkeys
- Kookaburra Sits In The Old Gum Tree
- Frere Jacques/R2D2/Young Bart Simpson
- Row Row Row Your Boat
- Baby Bumble Bee
- The Doggie Stole A Sausage
- Found a Peanut
- Did You Ever See A Lassie
- Black Socks and Blue Jeans
- A Nosey Song
- Tennessee Wigwalk
- Hot Cross Bunny
- I’m A Nut
- Jingle Bells
- Frog Went A Courtin’
- The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)
- On My Ukulele
- One Man Went To Mow
- This Old Man
- Alice
- The Camel
- The Bear Went Over The Mountain
- Horse Named Bill
- Ging Gang Goolie
- Bring Back My Neighbours To Me
- Dinky Di
Watch these young kids we’ve taught to play Baby Bumble Bee:
Ukulele 4 Kids 