Play by Color™ Ukulele Kids Classes are taught by Liz McNicholl
Scroll down to see the class schedule and to register for different levels of players!
Beginners, and Intermediate level 3 begining in Sept for Fall 2025
9 week Winter semesters held in the Spring, Fall, Winter and 6 weeks in the summer
Take a peek into our fabulous "Play by Color" Ukulele class
"Play By Color Ukulele™" ~ by Liz McNicholl
Get ready to strum, sing, and have a blast in this fun-filled beginner ukulele class! Perfect for kids ages six and. Join us for a musical adventure where Liz will teach young musicians some easy, well-known songs while introducing basic chords and strumming patterns. No experience needed for our beginner's program—just bring your enthusiasm, your ukulele and get ready to make some music!
The ukulele has quickly become the word's most popular instrument for kids as it's the perfect size for little hands and super easy to learn, especially with the "Play by color™ program. Using color-coded stickers attached to the ukulele, kids will quickly and easily learn chords, making it super simple to start playing songs in just a few weeks. Note: Uke Kids™ and the program "Play by Color"™ is a curriculum designed by Liz McNicholl (and is not a Music Together® curriculum).
Your child will soon be strumming along and singing wonderful songs while accompanying themselves on the ukulele. But the benefits don’t stop there! Music Learning Supports All Learning®, helping kids develop confidence, coordination, memory, and creativity, with song writing intertwined and a concert/recital in the Spring and the Winter.
Each week we build on adding new chords (with color coding stickers) and adding to their repertoire with song sheets provided with color coded charts/chords to match their stickers on their ukulele. The 9 week semester is $250 (and parents can add themselves to the learning fun for only $10 per class). We will be doing some well known *Folk songs* eg. "You are my Sunshine", "This Little Light of Mine", "Jenny Jenkins", "Hukilau" My Polka Dotted Jelly Wellies" Etc.
Each semester students can continue on with their Ukulele skills and graduate into the intermediate level 1, Intermediate level 2, and Advanced levels of the Ukulele. This allows them to build on tons of chords, strumming patterns and some pretty rockin' songs!
Concerts/Recitals are held at the end of Spring semester and Winter semester, where students can show off their chops in front of their family members, and concerts are concluded on the last class of the 9 week semester. In just a few weeks, they'll be ready to jam at home, and sing around the summer camp fire!
Ukulele Beginners:
No previous experience for "beginner ukulele" necessary. Get ready to learn some basic chords and a lot of fun well known songs!
Ukulele Intermediate Level 1
To join our Intermediate Level 1 Ukuele class, students should already know how to play the following chords: C, F, G, Am, C7
Ukulele Intermediate Level 2
To join our Intermediate Level 2 Ukuele class, students should already know how to play the following chords: C, F, G, Am -- C7 and will continue learning new chords: D, Dm, A, A7, Em, G7
Ukulele Advanced Level
To join our Advanced Level Ukuele class, students should already know how to play the following chords: C, F, G, Am, C7, D, Dm, A, A7, Em, G7 -- and will continue learning new chords eg: Bm, B7, Dm, E, E7 etc
Class materials: you will need to purchase a Ukulele. A tuner is super helpful and I like the "Snark" Air tuner (available on Amazon). And a binder and sheet protectors are also helpful.
Some fun facts about the ukulele:
* The ukulele is a wonderful, easy 4-stringed instrument that's just the perfect size for your child to play. It's great for the grown ups too! It is a cool and popular instrument that is taking the world by storm lately as it's so easy to play and so easy to sing along to.
* It provides a wonderful opportunity for children who love to sing as well as accompany themselves in song with this versatile small instrument. We sing some easy, well loved songs from our very first class.
* The ukulele is the perfect instrument to carry anywhere with you (even heading out on vacation or the park) and they can jam along with parents or friends on guitar or any instrument. It's a nice little acoustic instrument that doesn't need to be plugged in.
* Ukuleles are a very affordable instrument to purchase (usually ranging between $45 - $100) and our group lessons make it enjoyable to learn. Please email [email protected] to find out more about purchasing an instrument
* Classes start at age 6. A good judge of readiness is if your child is able to read, can sit for 20-30 mins in class and practice at home. Some parents ask if their 5 year old is ready for the ukulele and for some they can still be too young for some they are ready. However if your child is interested in taking the Ukulele please email us at [email protected]. You can also click here to read an article on instrument readiness.
Research by John Hopkins University has shown that playing an instrument requires more of the brain than any other activity. Overtime this leads musicians to have a stronger, more diverse neural structure than non-musicians. Music learning develops so many skills, including musical ability, confidence, problem-solving, social and congnitive abilities and develops a love of music that lasts a life time. Music fills the soul and brings joy to those who play and those who listen.
Lessons are affordable at $27 per 30 min group lesson. However, the cost may vary depending on the number of students enrolled. Also, we are offering a special introductory price at a reduced rate of $20 per class for the first semester for accompanying siblings. Siblings must be 6 and older.
Parents may accompany their child in ukulele lessons for the first semester. The cost is an additional $10 per class. Subsequent semesters for the parents will be free.
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| Ukulele (Beginners) 6 and up |
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North Haven Congregational Church |
Tuesday |
09/16/25 |
4:30 PM |
Liz McNicholl |
Register |
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There is no hard and fast rule here. While some children can start as early as 3 or 4, many teachers would not encourage it until a child is closer to 5-6 and sometimes older depending on each child. The bottom line is that all children are different and you are the best judge of your own child's degree of readiness.
There are a few important factors for you to consider. Is your child asking to play something? Is he/she able to sit and focus for about a half an hour? Do you think they would be able to practice on a regular basis?
The answer to all of these questions may help you in deciding at what age your child is ready to start. The important thing is to make it fun for them at a young age and not to push too much. If you would like to talk through any of this, talk to your Musical Folk Teacher. Regardless of when you decide to begin, the fact that you are bringing your child to an early childhood educational music program on a consistent basis will really help to prepare your child for music lessons giving them a solid musical foundation. We have heard many piano teachers say that they wish all parents would take their children to an early childhood music program such as ours to really build the important foundation of music before starting an instrument.
Congratulations to you, as you've already given your child this skill through our classes. May you continue to bring the joy of music into your family life. Being able to play an instrument brings amazing joy to the player and those around them, as well as all the other benefits that they will gain from this wonderful experience.
For more information, please read this wonderful article by Ken Guilmarten (Founder of Music Together), "The Next Step: Is Your Child Ready for Music Lessons?"
