Finding Time to Play at Home

I love hearing the brilliant ways my students are finding time to play the ukulele, and I thought I'd share a few of those ideas here on the blog. After all, what's working for them might work for you, too! Here are a few ideas for incorporating your new hobby into life at home:

• Do you have a child who's a picky eater? Mama H plays her ukulele to entertain her toddler at mealtimes. Isn't that clever?

• What about after dinner? Mama C has a nightly jam with her sons. How fun is that? I love that it's become a ritual in their home!

• Mama S plays with her daughters in the morning before heading to work. What a fun way to start the day!

• Mama E takes her son to preschool in the afternoon and sometimes ends up having some time to kill before pickup time. I suggested she bring her ukulele and Musical Mama binder in the car so she can jam on the go!

• Another mom has a toddler who really wants to play her mama's ukulele. In instances like these, I recommend having a few kid instruments on hand. Or even a second (cheap) ukulele so your child can feel more involved in the music making.

• When my children were 1 and 3, my most successful time for playing was right after breakfast. Now that they're 4 and 6, I can usually fit in some time in that narrow window between picking up the kindergartener from school and dinnertime. And if I'm honest, my current favorite time to play is probably after bedtime— my kids sleep soundly enough that my playing doesn't wake them and after a long day, it's a nice way to remind myself that I have an identity that extends beyond "mom." :)

You may find you have to adapt your music habit to your children's evolving rhythms as they grow but as with most other aspects of parenting, a little flexibility and creativity can go a long way. 

How are you finding time to make music at home? I'd love to hear about it! 

Dance!

New musicians have a lot to juggle when learning the ukulele-- the strumming, the chords, the singing, and (most importantly) maintaining a steady rhythm for the duration of the song. People frequently think of learning an instrument as a chore involving a lot of homework, like locking yourself away in a room to practice for a set amount of time every day. Fortunately that's not true, because that sounds pretty awful to me! There are many ways to work on your skills without even picking up your instrument. One idea I really suggest you try is.... Dance!

Here's why:

Feel the Music

This is really what we're trying to do when we play an instrument— feel the music! In addition to mastering the mechanics of music making, we want to bring our songs to life. When you dance, you're essentially translating a song's rhythm and emotion through your movements. It doesn't really matter how sophisticated your movements are. Swaying or bopping in time to the music is good enough, unless you're Lil Buck. Then you can do things like this:

Improve your timing

Beginning musicians typically find it challenging to maintain a steady beat for the duration of the song. Dance can be great training for your musician's mind in this way. In dance, your movements have to match the rhythm of the song, and transferring that rhythm through your entire body is wonderful training for your internal metronome. 

Improve your musicality

In dance, we're essentially approaching music from the other side. We're working with a finished product (a song) and translating it into another language (dance). Working your way backwards into a song, whether you're dancing at home with your kids or in a ballroom, thinking about the emotional tone or narrative arc of a song is good practice for your singing and playing, especially as you branch out into playing different genres and styles. 

Whose Body is it Anyway?

If you're a parent (especially a mom), it can feel like your body doesn't even belong to you. It starts with pregnancy, when you give over your entire being to growing a baby. Then you have a baby who is completely dependent on you. Then that baby grows into a toddler who literally doesn't know how to stop touching you! Dance is a great way to reclaim your body as being your own after all the changes that pregnancy and parenthood can bring. 

Dance with Your Kids

Just as most kids love to sing and make music, most kids love to dance! Dancing is another form of self-expression and it's a wonderful way to relax and play with your children. Do your kids love to choreograph elaborate routines? Or do they like to wiggle and spin? If dancing feels super awkward to you, try following their lead. Be open to being silly and not worrying about how good your moves are. You'll have more fun that way. :)

Free Song Sheet: Peace Like a River

Here's a simple, powerful song that I sing to find comfort on hard days. Peace Like a River is a sweet song with very simple lyrics that make it easy to improvise your own verses. It uses the 1, 4, and 5 chords, and in the video I play it in the key of C (with a little "help" from my daughter). 

Download the free PDF so you can play along at home! Want to strum along to another version? Search Apple Music or Spotify (or wherever you stream your music) for Elizabeth Mitchell's version, which is also in the key of C. Happy strumming! 

What Ukulele Should I Buy?

I frequently get asked for my advice on purchasing a ukulele. And in general, I recommend new musicians start off with an affordable one! But what about when you're ready to upgrade?

I suggest beginners first learn how to play on an inexpensive instrument, then have fun browsing music stores and trying out different makes, models, and sizes. Which one feels good in your hands? Which one has a beautiful tone? What's your budget? Those are all reasonable questions to consider, but there's no rush to upgrade. It's not the instrument that matters, it's what you do with it.

UPDATED 3/21/17: When I initially posted this, I should have gone into more depth on what's probably the biggest factor to consider when you're upgrading your ukulele— the size! The ukulele comes in four sizes and from smallest to largest, they are: soprano (sometimes called "standard"), concert, tenor, and baritone (baritone follows a different tuning, however). There are pros and cons to each, but I think the most important thing to consider is the size of the instrument in relationship to the size of the player. Many players do well with the soprano/standard ukulele, but plenty of others prefer the size of concert of tenor ukes because the longer necks give your fingers more room to shape the chords. It's always best to try the instruments so you can compare what each one feels like. 

Want to read more? These links may be helpful as you consider your options: 

Ukulele Buying Guide from ukuguides.com

Ukulele Sizes from liveukulele.com

Happy strumming!

My Musical Gift Guide for Children

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If you have kid-friendly instruments around the house, it's easy to turn your ukulele practice into a family jam session! All of the instruments I'm recommending come from years of being tested in my own home. They've held up to years of use (and abuse) and still sound great! 

My All-Time Favorites Kid Instruments

When you think of rhythm instruments, you might think of drums. But really, there's an array of instruments that fit this category that can add dynamic sound to your family jams at home. Rhythm instruments are great because there's no learning curve. Odds are, your kid already knows how to bang on things, so all of these options work for babies, toddlers, big kids, and even adults!   

Tambourines 

Tambourines are an easy way to add a friend in to the mix. I recommend buying a "real" one versus a kids' version. The sound will be much fuller and that alone will make it more fun to play. And if it's too big for your child's hand, don't let that stop them from playing! Set it on the floor and have them bang on it as if it was a drum!    

Egg Shakers

Babies get pretty thrilled when they discover that they can make music on their own! These shakers are a great size for tiny hands, and they make a surprisingly nice sound. Babies love to mouth them, but there's no danger of choking with these perfect-sized shakers. We frequently bring these on road trips so we can rock out to the radio on long drives. 

Jingle Bell Bracelets

These jingle bells are perfect for when you're singing holiday songs at home. They can be worn as bracelets or simply held in the hand to add a fun rhythmic element to your singalong at home.  

Floor Drum:

Babies and toddlers have a great time banging on this durable drum, and it's a little easier to stomach one (relatively small) floor drum than a full drum kit! It includes two soft-head mallets for playing, but it's just as fun to tap out rhythms with your hands. 

My Personal Favorite: Resonator Bells

These individual xylophone keys are fun to play all at once, sure, especially if you like to tap out melodies. But if you want your child to sound in tune with your ukulele, give them just the 1 and 5 tones for whatever key you're playing in (what I'm saying makes sense if you've gone through my beginner’s ukulele course!). For instance, if you're playing in the key of C, have them bang on the C and G bells; if you're playing in the key of G, give them the G and D notes to play.  

Baby-proofing note: the black tips of the little mallets have repeatedly fallen off of our sticks, so please be careful if you have a child who likes to mouth objects. 

Don't Forget About Hand-Me-Downs 

I recommend you kickoff your ukulele adventure with an affordable instrument. In large part, this is because I want you to have an ukulele you can hand down to your children when you're ready to upgrade. You are their role model, and it's natural for them to want to play the same instrument you're playing. 

Why I Advise Against Buying Instruments in Sets

A set like the Melissa and Doug Band in the Box is a fine shortcut to building your at-home instrument collection, and if you already have one, great! Play with what you have! But in general, I recommend buying instruments individually so that you'll have more control over your instruments as well as higher quality materials and better quality sound. 

Ready to Jam?

Once you've assembled a few kid-friendly instruments, you'll need to find a good place to keep them! I recommend stashing them in a basket or bin in your living room or whichever room you're most likely to hang out in. When your kid instruments and ukulele are nearby and easy to pick up, it makes it that much easier to host impromptu family jam sessions! And that's kind of the point of all this, isn't it? :)

Happy jamming! 

What to Bring to the Lessons: My Ukulele and Tuner Recommendations

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So you've signed up for lessons? Yay! This is so exciting! Now let's make sure you have what you need. There are really only two things you'll have to bring to the first lesson: a digital tuner and a ukulele. Here are my recommendations for obtaining those items with only a modest initial investment.  

The Tuner

A good digital tuner is as important as your instrument. It won't matter how great your playing is if you're out of tune! My current favorite is the Snark SN5X. You can find it on Amazon Prime for about $10, and it has a big bright interface that makes it easy to tune up your uke. There are other methods for tuning instruments, like phone apps and pitch pipes, but I find the digital tuner to be the easiest, the fastest, and the most accurate way to tune up an instrument. 

The Ukulele

If you already have a ukulele:

Great! Make sure it's a soprano, concert, or tenor ukulele. Sopranos are also called "standard" ukuleles, and it's the small, friendly size you typically picture when you think of a ukulele. Concert and tenor ukuleles are bigger and have a slightly different sound, but sopranos, concerts, and tenors all have the same GCEA tuning, which is what we use for the course. The only ukulele that won't work for the Foundations course is the baritone ukulele, which has a different tuning. 

If you don't already have a ukulele:

Start with a cheap one. I recommend the Diamond Head and Mahalo brands. Both companies make really happy looking entry-level ukuleles that are available from Amazon Prime for around $30. Choose one in your favorite color or one that matches your decor at home! It doubles as a sculpture, you know. :)

Why I Recommend Starting with a Cheapie:

If you were just learning how to drive, you wouldn't learn on a Ferrari, would you? And it wouldn't make much sense to go car shopping if you didn't know how to drive, would it? How would you even know what to look for, or what features were important to you? If you buy an expensive ukulele, I think you're more likely to look at the instrument as a burden than a source of joy. You may feel guilty for not already knowing how to play it, or feel a responsibility to practice instead of viewing it as a source of fun. You won't feel that pressure if your start-up costs are low. 

Learn to play first. Then you can make an educated decision on what kind of ukulele you'd like to buy. And most importantly, once you've upgraded, please pass your starter uke on to your child, so s/he can play with you! 

Updated 3/2/17: I've received multiple requests for a recommendation that's a step above the candy colored Diamond Head and Mahalo ukuleles. If you'd prefer to invest a bit more in your instrument, Kala is a brand that makes several ukuleles with good tone and good construction in the $50-150 range. Happy strumming!

What Beginning Musicians Can Learn from Jimmy Fallon's Classroom Instruments Series

Have you seen any of the songs performed in the Classroom Instruments series on Jimmy Fallon? The Roots, Jimmy Fallon, and a musical guest (or band) all cram into a small room, where they then jam to the guest's hit song, playing only "kid" instruments like maracas, toy xylophones, and, of course, a ukulele. It's pretty much my favorite thing ever.

Check out this video of Idina Menzel singing a song you're probably sick of hearing! What do you notice when you watch it? Two things stand out to me: 

1- The movement

There they are, all squished together, yet no one looks uncomfortable or stiff. In fact, their bodies are all in motion! Do you see how they're all transferring the rhythm of the song through their movements? They're feeling the music! Maintaining a steady rhythm can be difficult when you're learning a new instrument, but that steady beat becomes a lot easier to maintain if you allow yourself to relax and feel the music!  

2- The joy

Can you count the smiles? Doesn't it look like they're all having a blast? Making music with others can be incredibly fun, even when you're just learning how to play, and even if you make mistakes! Did you catch how Idina Menzel started singing the second verse too early? (The goof happens at the 1:29 mark). She laughs it off and keeps going. When you begin any new venture, musical or otherwise, mistakes are bound to happen. Please don't let them interfere with the joy of learning something new! 

Care to see another example of movement and joy? Check out the Classroom Instruments version of Call Me Maybe: 

And with the holidays rapidly approaching, we can't forget about the Classroom Instruments version of the best Christmas song of all time: 

Are you ready to learn the joy of making music? Contact me for more information on the Foundations beginner ukulele course! 

The Beginner's Ukulele Course

My beginner's course is a series of four ukulele lessons. In the first lesson, you'll learn three chords, two strum patterns, and three songs! Lessons two, three, and four build on material covered in previous lesson(s), and we cover new information in a very thoughtful way. Basically, I've created the class I wish existed when I was learning how to play! 

Here's what you can expect to gain from the course:

• The basics: how to tune your uke, how to hold it, how to strum

• A variety of strumming patterns

• How to fingerpick melodies

• An introduction to music theory

• How to transpose a song into different keys

• Tips on how to incorporate playing into your daily life at home

• Course materials to support your playing long after you've completed the course

• A songbook consisting of fifteen fun (and easy to play) songs

And bonus: it's all been created for parents and caregivers of young children. I know how precious your time is! We're not going to waste a minute!

Have any questions? Shoot me an email at hello@musicalmama.com. I'd love to hear from you!