The Staff
how many lines are on a musical staff?
5
What are the four strings of a standard ukulele tuned to?
G,C,E,A
what is the term for how high or low a sound is?
pitch
what does a chord chart show a ukulele player?
Where to place your fingers to make a chord.
You see five lines with notes written on them, but there is no clef. Can you reliably know the exact pitch of the notes?
No. You need the clef to know how the notes relate to specific pitches.
How many spaces are on a musical staff?
4
What part of the ukulele do you turn to change the pitch of a string?
tuning peg
What is the term for how low or soft music is?
dynamics
On a chord chart, what does a number usually tell you?
which fret to use
A chord chart tells you where to put your fingers, but does it tell you the rhythm you should strum?
No. A chord chart tells you how to form the chord, not the strumming rhythm.
If a note is written higher on the staff, does it represent higher or lower pitch?
higher pitch
What is the long part of the ukulele where the fretboard is located?
neck
What is the steady pulse in music called?
beat
If a string has an “X” above it on a chord chart, what does that mean?
do not play that string
You are playing a chord, and one string sounds muted or dead even though your fingers look correct. Give one possible reason this could happen.
A finger could be accidentally touching that string, preventing it from vibrating clearly.
What is the name of the symbol placed at the beginning of a staff that tells you how to read notes?
clef
What are the thin metal strips across the fretboard called?
frets
What is the difference between beat and rhythm?
The beat is the steady pulse, while rhythm is the pattern of long and short sounds played over the beat.
If a string has an “O” above it on a chord chart, what does that mean?
play that string open
Why does pressing a string against a fret change the pitch of the string?
It changes the vibrating length of the string, making the pitch higher.
A student says, “The staff tells me how long to hold a note.” Is that correct? Explain
No. The staff primarily shows pitch; rhythm and note values tell us how long notes are held.
A student points to the part of the ukulele that holds the strings in place near the bottom of the instrument. What part are they pointing to?
bridge
Two students play the exact same note at the exact same volume, but one instrument sounds different from the other. What musical quality explains this difference?
timbre
A chord chart has an open circle above one string, an X above another, and finger numbers on the remaining strings. What three different instructions is the chart giving the player?
Play one string open, don't play another string, and use specific fingers/frets on the remaining strings.
A student says, “If I move my finger farther up the fretboard, the note will always get lower because I'm moving farther away from the body.” Is the student correct?
No. Moving toward the body of the ukulele generally moves to higher frets, which produces higher pitches.