Week 11 of 24
Goal: You play in 3/4 time and accompany “Zum Geburtstag viel Glück”.
Review
The island strum with C and F – is it even yet?
Step by step
- So far you’ve always counted to four. A waltz only counts to three: “one, two, three, one, two, three”.
- The one is a little louder. That way you hear where the bar starts – like dancing: big step, small, small.
- In Rhythm choose the “Waltz (3/4)” pattern. Later you can try “Waltz with up”.
- “Zum Geburtstag viel Glück” uses C, G7, C7 and F – you know them all! It starts with a pick-up: the singing begins just before the first one.
Time to make music: your piece
“Zum Geburtstag viel Glück” in waltz time – from now on you can play it at every party! Plus “Mein Hut, der hat drei Ecken”.
Homework for next time
Five days, about ten minutes each:
- Waltz pattern with C, counting “one, two, three” out loud.
- C – G7 – C7 – F, three strums each.
- “Zum Geburtstag viel Glück” with the backing.
- Fun: play it at the next family birthday!
Done when …
- you play in three and stress the one
- you accompany all of “Zum Geburtstag viel Glück”
If you get stuck
- You count to four out of habit? Say the numbers out loud and nod on the one.
- The pick-up confuses you? Wait with the first strum until “Zum Ge-” is sung – then comes the one.
For teachers: lesson plan
- ≈ 10 min Warm-up: waltz step in a circle – stomp on “one”, tiptoe on “two, three”.
- ≈ 15 min Practice: switch between four and three – the teacher calls “four” or “three”, the class changes the count.
- ≈ 20 min Song together: “Zum Geburtstag viel Glück” for a child whose birthday is coming up.
Differentiation: those who are confident play the piece with down-up or help a partner; those who need more time strum only on beat one of each bar.
For the board: openstring.de/ukulele/en/lesson/11/