Background reading · The Arts
Playing together: ukulele, bass lines and ensemble skills
Where the ukulele came from, the four chords that open up hundreds of songs, and the listening skills that make a group of players sound like one.
An ensemble is any group that makes music together: a choir, a band, a kapa haka group, a school ukulele club. Playing in one is part skill, part listening and part trust.
A small instrument with a long journey
The ukulele grew from small guitar-like instruments that Portuguese immigrants from Madeira brought to Hawai'i in the late 1800s. Hawaiians made it their own, and it travelled across the Pacific. Today it is played in homes, churches and schools from Sāmoa and the Cook Islands to Aotearoa.
Four chords, hundreds of songs
A standard ukulele is tuned G, C, E, A ('Good Cooks Eat Apples'). - C: one finger on the third fret of the A string. - Am: one finger on the second fret of the G string. - F: two fingers. - G7: three fingers. With just these four, you can accompany a huge number of songs in C major and A minor.
Jobs in the ensemble
Ensemble skills
Posture and breath
Stand or sit tall, feet flat, shoulders relaxed. Breathe low, into your belly, before each phrase. Singers and players who plan their breaths sound calmer and stay in time.
Sources and further reading
Written for Kōkiri Learn students in our own words. Check facts against the sources.