Do you need to replace your strings on your ukulele? If so the easy to follow video (a kid’s words, not mine) below demonstrates how to do it.
Haere Mai is a Maori song of welcome, performed by the Kapiti School Junior Ukulele Group. They have been taught by my colleague Richard Bamlett. I’m sure you’ll agree they do a great job. Watch them perform it by viewing the video below.
Find the Five Foot Two chords here. It is easy to play even though it has five chords – C, E7, A7, D7, G7.
To get an idea of how the song sounds take a look at the video in the post Five Foot Two
To view our other videos visit our YouTube channel ukulele 4 kids.
View our other song chords page.
Let me know what you think, and I hope you enjoy playing it.
I discovered this ukulele chord chart in the forums of Ukulele Underground. It has been produced by Fred Sipe, who has kindly allowed Ukulele 4 Kids to host a free downloadable copy.
I think it is a super chord chart for kids of all ages. The chord positions are for standard GCEA tuning. It is clearly laid out over two sides. On one side there are three useful headings,
- ‘Ukulele Keys’, This shows the 11 basic ukulele chords in every major key.
- ‘Individual Notes’ for the first 12 frets of the fretboard are shown to help with learning individual notes.
- ‘Chords to Learn First’. Highlighted are the very first chords to learn – C, F, G & Am. These chords alone will allow you to play many, many songs.
On the other side of the chart are the root major chords, and variations of the root chord are shown.
There are more than enough chords on the chart to play thousands of songs over your lifetime.
It is available free to download in PDF format. You can also purchase a quality laminated copy for a very reasonable $4.95 US.
Here is an inspirational story. Matthew was born with a left hand that had three stubs, a half finger and a thumb. At four years of age his toe was transplanted to his hand, and he had bone from his hip transplanted into his half finger to make it straighter. He didn’t let this get in the way of learning to play a ukulele.
What does Matthew say. “When I heard my teacher Mr. Madge was starting up a ukulele orchestra, I thought it would be fun to give it a try even though I thought I would never be able to play it because of my hand. I like playing the ukulele and I think it is fun. If you want an easy instrument to play, you should give the ukulele a go and remember, even when it gets hard to shift from chord to chord, keep trying and never give up.”
I consider him an inspiration to all – go Matthew! Below watch Matthew play the Beach Boys classic Surfin’ USA.
There are many cheap starter ukuleles that can be bought for kids if they are starting to learn to play. This review looks at the Mahalo U30G ukulele that comes in a range of colours. The colours certainly make them attractive to kids.
Trey (photo) who is 12 years old has written this review of the yellow Mahalo U30G he has been playing recently. He said, “It’s hard to keep it in tune, even after playing it for a couple of months. It doesn’t sound very loud, maybe this is because the strings are cheap ones. A good set of strings may improve the volume. But if you are going to buy a new set of strings you may be better off getting a better ukulele. It is still in one piece after eight weeks of playing, and no parts have fallen off. It does come with a bag to store it in.”
If you want to buy one it is going to cost you about $40 NZ.
Ukulele 4 Kids and Trey suggests buying a Makala Dolphin as your first ukulele might be the better ukulele to start with. Click here to read about the Makala Dolphin ukulele.
The Ukulele
Hey kids, ever wondered about the origins of your the ukulele and how it got to New Zealand? Radio New Zealand Concert has a programme about the small and easy to play ukulele that has become the new recorder. Kiwi children and adults alike have recently re-discovered a secret that our Pacific neighbours have known for years. Megan Collins looks at the ukulele, from its early years in Hawaii, its establishment on every island, including the North, South and Stewart atolls (RNZ).
Interested in listening? It’s aired at 9am (NZ time) on Wednesday December 1st.
If you need to know what frequency to tune in to on radio, are not from New Zealand, miss the show, you may be able to still listen to it online. Click here for more information.
The former multi-platinum New Zealand band Goldenhorse, singer/songwriter Kirsten Morrell became the ambassador of The New Zealand Ukulele Trust last week.
Morrell will sing with the world’s largest ukulele orchestra, the NZ Kiwileles at the NZ Ukulele Festival on Saturday 26th November at Waitakere’s Trust Stadium.
The festival is on the national election day this year and a polling booth has been provided allowing those who attend the festival to vote.
For further information on The New Zealand Ukulele Trust and the festival visit www.nzukulelefestival.org.nz
The Wiggles Ukulele Baby DVD is great viewing for kids. The Wiggles play a compilation of 21 songs within an island beach theme. The ukulele is one of the main instruments used. There is a lot of singing and dancing that all kids can join in. It certainly kept my young son dancing and singing, and dad had to join in too.
Who’s in the DVD? All four wiggles, Murray Wiggle, Jeff Wiggle, Anthony Wiggle and Sam Wiggle. There’s also Captain Feathersword, I think he is cool! Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wag the Dog, Henry the Octopus and Ringo the Ring Master. Also featured are special guests Daryl Somers and Rolf Harris. Rolf plays his wobble board, this took me back to my childhood, watching Rolf on television listening to his Australian accent.
There are musicians from around the world playing a variety of instruments. Note, there is no instruction on how to play the ukulele, and it isn’t played in every song.
The main feature lasts nearly 60 minutes. The special features last for nearly 30 minutes, so all up nearly 90 minutes of viewing. This should keep youngsters who like the Wiggles engaged, allowing mums and dads the time to have a quick cup of tea and a biscuit.
It’s rated ‘G’ or ‘U’ so it is suitable for anyone. Get it from your local library first, and if your kid(s) enjoy it expect to pay about $19 NZ for your own copy.
My favourite lyrics from the songs are a good way to finish this review are,
“You can play the ukulele daily.”
The Fabulous “Kiwileles” is the biggest ukulele orchestra in the world, based in New Zealand. At this year’s New Zealand Ukulele Festival there are expected to be over 2500 Kiwileles (kids playing ukuleles) from 117 schools to perform alongside national and international ukulele artists. The Festival is in its 5th year, bringing together diverse musical styles, international artists, great local talent, emerging bands, school children and community groups with food, music stalls and instrument sales. The festival in its fifth year is organised by the New Zealand Ukulele Trust.
Take your ukulele along to the festival, it’s a family fun day for free!
The Trusts Stadium, Waitakere, New Zealand
Saturday 26th November
Gates open 11am
Ukulele 4 Kids 