# 🎨 Cheatsheet: Music, Art and Creative Hobbies for Joy

By Better Wise

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A dense lookup card for the whole course. Every exercise fits under 15 minutes. Messy counts as done.

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## Module 1: Instrument Kickoff: Pick One and Play

### 1.1 Choose Your Instrument: Ukulele, Keyboard, or Guitar

**Decision table: which one fits you today?**

| If you want... | Pick | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fast first win, tiny hands, small budget | **Ukulele** | Few strings (4), soft nylon strings, chords ring quickly |
| No tuning hassle, visual layout, melody + chords | **Keyboard** | Keys are laid out in order, notes are labeled, no calluses |
| Full sound, long-term versatility, strumming + picking | **Guitar** | 6 strings, steel or nylon, more finger strength needed at first |

**Quick reality check**

- Ukulele: 4 strings, usually G-C-E-A tuning. Light and portable.
- Guitar: 6 strings, standard tuning E-A-D-G-B-E. Steel strings hurt fingertips until calluses form (a few weeks of short sessions).
- Keyboard: 61+ keys is plenty to start. You play melody with the right hand, chords with the left.

> **Tip:** 
> There is no wrong pick. The best instrument is the one you will actually pick up again tomorrow. Choose the one that looks fun, not the one that looks impressive.

**Starter checklist (5 min)**

- [ ] Instrument in hand or borrowed
- [ ] Tuner app installed (ukulele/guitar) or keyboard powered on
- [ ] One comfortable chair, feet flat, instrument at a relaxed height
- [ ] Timer set to 10 minutes

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### 1.2 First Chords on Ukulele and Guitar

**How to read a chord**

- A chord name (C, G, Am, F) tells you which fingers press which strings/frets.
- Chord diagrams: vertical lines = strings, horizontal lines = frets, dots = where to press.

**Ukulele: four friendly first chords**

| Chord | Fingers (typical) | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| C | 1 finger, 3rd fret of the A string | Easiest first chord |
| Am | 2 fingers | Pairs with C |
| F | 2 fingers | Slightly awkward at first |
| G | 3 fingers | Great for a 4-chord loop |

**Guitar: four friendly first chords**