Where? Upstairs at Wil&Sons at 102 Darby St, Cooks Hill.
When? Wednesday 6:30-8:15pm (with a 10 minute drink break – get to know your uke buddies!)
Dates: Wednesdays 23 March- 20 April 2022
Teachers: Mark and/or John (we’re all double or triple vaxxed).
Cost: Five weeks for $110. If you wish to pay for only a few, each session costs $27.
If you decide to attend other ukestras during the week, (which we encourage you to do), then you only pay $12 for these additional sessions.
In these COVID times we are trying to be as hygienic as possible. Please print or download this music so we do not have to hand it out. And this web page might make for a handy after or before resource anyhow. Otherwise, we’ll have paper music for you.
These songs are selected to help you learn chord shapes, and how to change chords in a methodical manner. They are not selected for being the latest pop song (although we do those too). They are carefully selected to help you best learn.
Ukulele Entree 1 Course Week 1
This class focuses more on the left hand (or fretting hand) and the transitions between chords. Some of the songs have been covered in the beginners’ class so it is a revision to get you up to speed.
Review the following;
- How to hold the ukulele
- Notes/names of the strings
- Definition of frets, nut and bridge
- Importance of fingers in home position (first finger first fret etc)
- How to strum using first finger
- Thumb strum and zed strum
- Strumming is produced by wrist rotation, no forearm movement
- How to read chord charts
- Difference between a chord and a note
Songs for Class (download onto tablet or print)
Ukulele Entrée 1 Course Week 2
This class focuses more on the right hand (or strumming hand); on strumming technique and rhythm. Remember to ensure that the strumming is produced by wrist rotation and not up and down movement of the forearm.
New songs are introduced as well as the strumming guide but the songs covered in last week’s class are also revised. We introduce the C scale here briefly to get them used to the idea of chords versus notes.
Review the following;
-
- Notes/names of the strings
- Importance of fingers in home position (first finger first fret etc)
- Strumming action is wrist rotation not forearm movement
- Thumb strum, zed strum and other strum patterns
- How to read chord charts
- How to read tab (or notation)
Purcell’s Canon (part One only)
Ukulele Strum Patterns and work through pattern 1,2,3,4 and 5. Then go to 11 and explain the off beat strum.
- Folsom Prison Blues or Moonlight (offbeat strumming)
Ukulele Strum Patterns and work through the Latin strum pattern 7.
- Start with only half of the strum pattern (DDU), then go to DDUU and finally the full pattern
- Blue Bayou
- My Island Home
- I’m Yours
Riptide has a tricky strum pattern
Ukulele Entrée 1 Course Week 3
This class draws attention to tab and riffs, more practice on the C scale and also consolidates what they have learnt in the last two weeks.
Review the following;
- Notes/names of the strings
- Importance of fingers in home position (first finger first fret etc)
- How to read tab and perhaps notation
- How to play melody
Start with I’m Yours, Rhiannon, and Boots are made for Walking
Purcell’s Canon parts 1 & 2
All I Want is You where we pluck notes instead of chords
Play Sloop John B for the fun of it.
Go to Ukulele Strum Patterns and work through the Latin strum pattern 7.
- Start with only half of the strum pattern (DDU), then go to DDUU and finally the full pattern
My Island Home / Blue Bayou with Latin strum
Sway melody playing and Latin strum
I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight reggae strum
Folsom Prison Blues or Moonlight
Ukulele Entrée 1 Course Week 4
This class focuses on reading notation (or tab) and plucking notes. This class also introduces the idea of musical keys. We go to the key of F (and learn the Bb chord) so it expands your repertoire of chords and understanding of keys.
My Island Home key of C
Select three groups in class to do this as a round (singing the notes too)
Purcell’s Canon just parts 1 and 2
Rhiannon or Sloop John B or I’m Yours with Latin strum (note: mostly key of C)
Introduce the key of F
Back to key of C
- Four Strong Winds key of C
- Take It to the Limit and Take It to the limit – riff (mostly key of C)
Finish on Sway (minor key)
Ukulele Entrée 1 Course Week 5
This class focuses on playing riffs and reinforces the idea of musical keys. We play songs in the key of C, G, F and D (The Middle). We also expand their melody playing with part 3 of Purcel’s Canon and the riffs in the Middle, Burn Your Name and Catch My Disease.
Four Strong Winds, I’m Yours, Rhiannon, My Island Home, Take It to the Limit
Purcell’s Canon parts 1, 2 and 3
Pokarekare Ana or Budapest or Royals (key of F)
All I Want is You (key of C)
End class on an easy songs
Boots are made for Walking , and Sloop John B
Thank you for doing our Ukulele Entree 1 Course …… we also have an Entree 2 Course if you are interested …..or just go to one of our ukestras and enjoy yourself!
Extra Stuff you’ll might want
A chord chart of everything – we won’t go over this very much in this workshop, but it is a very handy resource for you.
Strumming Patterns – strumming is something that is more felt than learned. But this chart is an exercise that we do in the workshop and which you should do to help your strumming hand develop discipline and to remember patterns.
All the notes up the neck – really. Don’t fuss on this one too much. We won’t be talking about it in the workshop.