One player performs a prepared solo on the ukulele, entered by exam standard or by age band, with a mark out of 100.
Ukulele Solo is the class for a single player on the ukulele: the small four-stringed, guitar-family instrument that is strummed, picked or both. The entry is one performer and one prepared piece or short programme, played from memory or from the copy, with or without sung words depending on the notice. Because the class names the instrument rather than a style, a gentle melody, a strummed song arrangement and a fingerpicked classical transcription all compete on the same scale, and the panel judges how well the music is played.
How the class is divided depends on the event. The British template that carries it splits it by standard, in five tiers from Prep or Initial through Grades 1 and 2, Grades 3 and 4 and Grades 5 and 6 to Grade 7 and above, with limits that rise from three minutes to ten. The Australian template splits it by age instead: nine and under, 10 to 12, 13 to 16 and an open class, each with a three-minute limit. Both are individual entries, open to boys and girls together, with no language attached.
A round is short and orderly. The entrant is called, tunes or checks the instrument, plays, and leaves while the adjudicator writes a comment and a mark. The time limit covers the performance, so a long piece with every repeat taken can overrun where a shorter, well-chosen one finishes cleanly. At the lowest tiers the aim is a steady pulse and clean chords; at the upper tiers panels expect control of dynamics, a clear melodic line and confident technique.
Organisers add the class because the ukulele is one of the most widely taught first instruments in schools and community groups, and a dedicated class gives those players a stage that a general string or guitar class might not. It sits naturally beside the guitar, piano and woodwind solos in a music section.
Where Ukulele Solo is run
Ukulele Solo appears on two eTalenter templates: a British children and young people's music, speech and drama eisteddfod, which grades it by standard in five tiers, and an Australian regional eisteddfod, which runs it in four age classes. Ukulele classes are a growing part of festival syllabuses in English-speaking countries, but this page records only those two templates.
- United Kingdom
- Australia
Key facts
- Individual entry, open to boys and girls together; no language is set
- British template: five tiers by standard (Prep/Initial, Grades 1 & 2, Grades 3 & 4, Grades 5 & 6, Grade 7 & above) with limits of 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10 minutes
- Australian template: four age classes (9 & under, 10-12, 13-16, Open), each with a 3-minute limit
- Marked out of 100; the sources print no judging criteria for the class, so none are assumed here
- A solo class for the ukulele itself; ukulele fingerstyle and strum-and-sing are separate classes on other templates
- Idea, not a rule: younger entrants often choose a well-known melody or a simple strummed song with clean chord changes
On eTalenter, Ukulele Solo is filed under Music and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 2 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Ukulele Solo is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to 3–10 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Ukulele Solo
What a Ukulele Solo panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Rhythm and steady pulse: a strum or picking pattern that does not rush or drag, and chord changes made on the beat rather than after it
- Tuning and tone: a well-tuned instrument at the start, clear unmuffled strings, and a sound that stays even between chords and single notes
- Chord and note accuracy: clean fretting, buzz-free chords and correct notes, with slips recovered without stopping the music
- Technique for the tier: strumming control, finger independence and, at higher tiers, fingerpicking, barre chords or fast passages played evenly
- Musical shape: dynamics, tempo and style that fit the piece, so the performance sounds chosen rather than merely learnt
- Time discipline and stage manner: finishing inside the limit for the tier, with a calm entrance, a settled start and a tidy exit
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Ukulele Solo under Scoring Setup, or start from the full instrumental music competition judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Ukulele Solo
How entrants and their teachers usually get Ukulele Solo right on the day:
- Choose a piece that suits the tier and the time limit, and time the whole performance including tuning and the walk-on
- Tune carefully before you are called; new strings stretch, so check the tuning again just before you play
- Practise changes between the hardest two chords slowly with a metronome, then bring the tempo up only when every change lands on the beat
- Play the piece standing or seated as you will on the day, in front of a listener, at least twice, and fix the passages where nerves tighten the hands
- Bring a spare set of strings, a tuner if allowed, a strap if you use one, and a copy of the music if the notice asks for it
- Plan the ending: a clear last chord or note, held for its length, leaves a better final impression than a trailing off
- If you lost marks at a first festival, ask for the written comments and work on the one fault named most, usually rhythm or tuning
Frequently asked questions
Is Ukulele Solo judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter's templates it's most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
How long is a Ukulele Solo?
It depends on the template. On the British one the limit runs from 3 minutes in the Prep or Initial tier to 10 minutes at Grade 7 and above. On the Australian one every age class has a 3-minute limit.
Do I have to be able to read music?
The templates do not say. They print only the time limits and a mark out of 100, so check your organiser's notice about whether the music must be read, memorised or supplied as a copy.
Can I sing while I play?
The class is entered as a ukulele solo and the sources do not forbid words. A strum-and-sing class is listed separately on other templates, so ask your organiser whether singing is allowed in this one.
Is it judged individually or as a team?
It is an individual item: one player per entry, open to boys and girls together, and marked out of 100.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full instrumental music competition judging criteria guide, or browse every music competition item.
Try Ukulele Solo in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Ukulele Solo, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
