If you are a fan of the Recorder Karate method, you will love this new ukulele method! Ukulele Karate is based on the highly motivational method developed by Barb Philipak with dozens of songs arranged by Paul Jennings.
Philipak’s karate method adds gamification to the ukulele learning experience. With the completion of each level, students earn a new belt color. This motivational method focuses on more than just earning belts. The method includes tuning, strumming, reading and understanding TAB, playing and mastering chords. The use of Dojo Groups allows students to take responsibility for their learning and support their classmates.
The Dojo Groups are unique to Philipak’s karate method. This utilizes a peer-to-peer instructional strategy by assigning group roles. These roles are:
- Music Maestro – The conductor; they set the tempo and start the group
- Music Critic – The listener; they stop the group if they hear a mistake
- Dr. Ukulele – The fixer; they will try to solve the problem the critic has identified
- Ukulele Sensei – The checker; they listen to make sure the original problem is solved
The student roles rotate weekly to give each student a chance to serve as a conductor, a listener, a fixer, and a checker.
The songs in this book are a great mix of familiar folk songs and other typical classroom songs. A few of the 25 total tunes: Shortnin‘ Bread; Chumbara; Lil Liza Jane; Apples and Bananas; Michael Finnegan; On Top of Old Smoky; Down in the Valley; Oats, Peas, Beans and Barley; When the Saints Go Marching In; Molly Malone; Shenandoah; Deck the Halls; I Have A Little Dreidel; Jingle Bells; The songs move progressively, beginning with single chord up to four-chord songs. Each piece has classic notation as well as TAB notation. Small chord charts and strumming patterns are on each page, giving the reader all the information needed to play the song.
The Teacher’s manual includes 2 CDs. Each song has a student track for testing and a full recording track for performance. A few songs include a slow and fast version.
The downloadable resources add quite a bit of value to this book. Charts, diagrams, and illustrations found in the book are available as PDFs for easy printing or virtual sharing. Piano and ukulele scores for each song offer performance possibilities. Not all extras are available yet – testing rubric, exit tickets, and quizzes are listed as “not yet available.” However, these will undoubtedly be useful resources in the future.
Why choose Ukulele Karate? It’s a full ukulele unit with 25 songs, a plethora of printed and downloadable resources, and a CD accompaniment. For beginning ukulele teachers, the literature in the front of the book covers beginning a unit, holding and playing the uke, and helpful tips throughout. For seasoned teachers, the gamified reward system may be just what you need to engage students. I think many teachers will find Ukulele Karate to be a budget-friendly and incredibly useful resource for their classroom.
Jessica Palmer is the Director of National Sales. Prior to joining the West Music team, she taught preschool and elementary music programs in both the general music classroom and beyond. She is an active musical director for community theater working with both children and adults. Jessica loves helping teachers find the right resources for their classroom and making sure they feel supported through every step of their musical journey.
