5 Songs for Ukulele Music Classrooms Students Love to Play: Here’s How

Elevate your ukulele unit with 5 songs for ukulele that your students will be excited to learn and love playing over and over again. These songs are great for performances, for all levels of players. Plus teach different ukulele strums and use the ukulele tab for beginners with each song. In this article I break down how to teach songs for ukulele, so you will be able to use this approach over and over again on all songs. 

If you are just getting started teaching a ukulele unit check out these 5 tips for a successful ukulele unit here.

#1 Classical Songs For Ukulele: Ode To Joy

When looking for songs for ukulele to teach “Ode to Joy” is educational but surprisingly a favorite with students. Often students see classical music as difficult to play yet with the ukulele tab for beginners it is an easy accomplishment. Students also enjoy knowing the history of Beethoven and how he wrote music after losing his hearing. 

There is a fantastic YouTube video you can use to get music students excited to play “Ode to Joy.” It is a flashmob that begins with just a double bass and builds slowly adding the entire orchestra and chorus full of excitement and awe! It is truly amazing how “Ode to Joy” delights all ages. Songs for ukulele performed as a flashmob is still a fun way to begin a program.

Listen for the Syncopation

When teaching Ode To Joy there is a dotted quarter note followed by a single eighth note at the end of three phrases. Students understand how to play this rhythm just by listening. I have seen songs for ukulele where the ukulele tab for beginners changes the music to all quarter notes. Students will ignore that rhythm and play the syncopation because they are familiar with it. This makes for a great teachable moment. 

Song for Ukulele Form

I swear by teaching students form to learn songs for ukulele so they can see music as chunks instead of lots of individual notes which is overwhelming. Help students to see each musical phrase with the ukulele tab for beginners as the same, similar, or different. The musical phrases in “Ode to Joy” can be thought of as A, A, B, A.  The 2nd and 4th A section are similar to the 1st A section. Just the last measure of those phrases is different. 

Practice Ukulele Tab for Beginners

Once the song is analyzed, teach students to isolate difficult measures or phrases. This will train them to develop good practice habits. Teach songs for ukulele from the end to the beginning or spend time on one measure of ukulele tab for beginners and then ask them why. Asking questions lets students discover for themselves what works. They will see that always playing songs for ukulele from the beginning will make the ending weaker and never as solid as the beginning. 

Add Chords for Different Ukulele Strums 

We all have students who prefer to play chords instead of melody. If the ukulele tab for beginners is too much for some of your students, they will easily be able to play the chords F and C7 to accompany “Ode To Joy.” Students can use different ukulele strums on a steady beat or add the syncopation to go with the end of the phrase. This is another teachable moment layering all parts together to form an ensemble. Begin with a solo, add a small group on melody, and end with the entire class adding in the chords with ukulele strums. 

#2 Hawaiian Songs for ukulele, “Aloha Oe’”

If you are looking for songs for ukulele from Hawaii, Aloha Oe’ is a great one to choose from. 

“Aloha Oe’” was written by Queen Lili’uokalani in 1878. Queen Lili’uokalani was the last Hawaiian monarch.

This is a great song to reach all levels of players. You can play just the chorus or add in the verse. This song is great for teaching advanced syncopated rhythms, dotted eighth notes with a single sixteenth. Use the ukulele tab for beginners to easily play the melody and add those who prefer chords using different ukulele strums for a soft island sound. 

To get the island feel teach students to use the fleshy part of their thumb for different ukulele strums. Add syncopated island ukulele strumming D, DU, UD. Be sure to keep the wrist moving in a down-up pattern missing the strings on the rest which falls on the 3rd beat.  

#3 Songs For Ukulele that challenge “Daisy Bell”

“Daisy Bell” is a song about riding a bicycle built for two. It has a great real-life back story that is fun to share with students. For music theory, this song is written in a ¾ time signature and uses the dotted half note great to get students counting and feeling the rocking back and forth feel with this time signature. 

The song starts on the high D. The high D goes beyond the ukulele tab for beginners and is played on the 5th fret of the first string, making “Daisy Bell” a great song for ukulele to start teaching the advanced techniques of shifting the 4th finger up a fret. 

The chord accompaniment goes beyond the basic I, IV, and V7 adding in a II7 and vi in the key of G. Great opportunity to add more chords for different ukulele strums. 

#4 Holiday Songs for Ukulele Jammin’ “Jingle Bells” 

Teach “Jingle Bells” songs for ukulele for your holiday concert. The melody of this song goes beyond the ukulele tab for beginners. Now the whole hand shifts to 3rd fret position. This allows the 3rd finger to play the 5th fret and the pinkie to shift up to the 7th fret to play D and E on the first string.  Point out to students that they are playing dot to dot. There is a dot at the 5th fret and 7th fret.

But what really makes this ukulele song a hit is adding some jammin’ back beats! Pick it yourself or get students involved in creating a backbeat to go with the song. And rename it to “Jammin’ Jingles.” Students are eager to learn the song for ukulele with the beat groovin’. Here is one of those songs that uses the I, IV, and V7 chords throughout. This makes for a great theory lesson or reminder on how chords are formed, and what the numbers mean.

#5 Songs for Ukulele to Practice Chords in the Key of C

Add that positive vibe by teaching pop songs for the ukulele. “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars is a pop song that uses all the chords in the key of C except B. Create a chord playing warmup starting with whole notes and working up to quarter notes or even eighth notes. I have students play different ukulele strums on the chords C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, and then ukulele strums backward Am, G, F, Em Dm C. Here is a great YouTube video to play along with “Count On Me.”  

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