Beginner Ukelele for Music Therapists (3 CMTEs)

presented by Kelly Howard, MT-BC

Have you wanted to use ukulele in your sessions but felt unsure where to start?

Maybe your ukulele has been sitting in the corner unused. Maybe guitar feels overwhelming. Or maybe you’d simply like a lightweight, approachable instrument you can use for groups, bedside work, songwriting, sing-alongs, and client engagement.

This beginner-friendly course was created specifically to help music therapists develop the practical ukulele skills they need to start using the instrument in real sessions with greater ease and confidence.

You don’t need to be an experienced guitarist or already know your way around the ukulele. You’ll start with the fundamentals, including tuning, basic chords, strumming patterns, and picking, and gradually put those skills into practice through songs you can begin incorporating into your music therapy work.

Along the way, you’ll learn five songs, including two in the key of C, two in the key of G, and a picking melody/duet. Rather than focusing on performance for performance’s sake, the course emphasizes practical clinical application, so you can finish with skills you’re ready to put to use with your clients.

In this workshop, you will learn:

How to tune, hold, and comfortably play the ukulele.
Foundational chords and strumming patterns for beginning ukulele.
Five songs you can practice and adapt for use in music therapy sessions.
A basic picking melody/duet to expand the ways you can use the instrument.
Ways to incorporate ukulele into groups, individual sessions, songwriting, sing-alongs, and other music therapy experiences.
Practical strategies for building your confidence and continuing to develop your ukulele skills after the course.

You don’t need to become a ukulele performer. You just need enough skill and confidence to make it another useful instrument in your music therapy toolkit.

Outline of Class:

Introduction - professional bio, ukulele personal journey, history of the uke (10 minutes)

The Basics - Parts of the instrument, tuning, sizes of ukes, string labels (10 minutes)

Key of C Songs - (50 min total)

Three Little Birds - presentation 15 min/10 min personal practice

Stand By Me - presentation 15 min/10 min personal practice

Key of G Songs - (50 min total)

Best Day - presentation 15 min/10 min personal practice

Shake It Off - presentation 15 min/10 min personal practice

Picking Fun

Heart and Soul - 10 min presentation

Music Therapy Applications - (mixed in throughout presentation)

Portability

Learner Friendly

Finger (strength) Friendly

Build confidence/self-esteem and lower emotional vulnerability

Homework - 20 minutes (practice and performance time)

Submit video demonstrating ability to play/sing one of the songs presented

Total time: 160 minutes (3 credits)

Learning Objectives:

Demonstrate understanding of basic skills on ukulele in order to use the ukulele to achieve therapeutic & educational goals
Be able to play I IV V & vi chords in keys of C and G major
Demonstrate 4 strumming patterns
Play and sing 5 songs on ukulele

CBMT Domain Areas:

III.A.7 Music therapy methods used to support therapeutic outcomes (e.g., improvising, recreating, composing, listening, moving)

(III.A.8) Apply a variety of scales, modes, and harmonic progressions

(II.D.8) Select appropriate musical elements, repertoire, instruments, and equipment consistent with treatment needs

Beginner Ukulele for Music Therapists is approved by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) for 3 CMTEs-Continuing Music Therapy Education credits. The Spiegel Academy, CBMT Approved Provider #P-106, maintains responsibility for program quality and adherence to CBMT policies and criteria.

Class Description