16 Jan – 13 Feb | 6.30-8.30pm | Tutor Steve Moss | £63 (5 weeks)
Learn to play the ukulele, a fun and accessible instrument. With its small size and soft strings, it is easy to learn a few chords and strumming patterns that will enable you to play many well-known songs for your own pleasure.
What will the course or workshop cover and how will it be taught?
From its beginnings as a small, portable instrument used by Portuguese sailors and brought by them to Hawai’i in the 19th century, the ukulele has gained worldwide popularity and has enjoyed a huge surge in the past 20 years with dozens of groups in the UK meeting weekly to play and sing together.
From the first week, we will learn how to play some well-known songs using only two chords. Each week we will play and sing together and add new chords and strumming or picking patterns to our repertoire.
Week 1 – Getting to know your ukulele – holding, tuning and strumming. Reading chord diagrams. Simple songs with two chords.
Week 2 – Performing 2 chord songs in different keys. Well-known songs with 3 chords. Strumming patterns.
Week 3 – Performing songs from Week 2. Songs with 4 or 5 chords in C and G. Simple picking patterns.
Week 4 – Performing songs from Week 3. Using picking and strumming techniques together.
Week 5 – Looking back and next steps. Players will choose their favourite songs from the course for the group to perform. We will finish by looking at the content of the Moving On course.
The course will be taught as a group with individual support as appropriate. Players will not be expected to perform individually unless they specifically ask to do so.
As with learning to play any instrument, practice makes perfect. The class each week will teach chord shapes and strumming patterns for a few songs and participants will need to practice these at home ready to perform them as a group the following week. MP3 audio files of each song will be available to participants after each session so that they can use these to help their practice. As a general rule, 30 minutes of practice each day will help to build confidence and fluency in chord changes and strumming.
By the end of the course, you will have a substantial set of songs that you can play and sing and should be confident enough to join a local ukulele group (or form your own!)
What do I need to bring with me?
Participants will need their own ukulele (soprano, baritone, concert or tenor) with a soft case and an electronic tuner. Local stockists who will give you good advice (it’s always best to try before you buy) can be found in Morecambe (Promenade Music) and Carlisle (World of Ukes).
Please also bring a pen, notebook and your glasses, if you need them.
Are there any additional costs?
No. All the music books will be provided and there is a free website with audio files to help with practice.
About the tutor
Steve Moss is the Musical Director for the Bryce Street Strummers, a community ukulele group based in Burneside with over 60 members and a smaller Ukulele Showband that regularly plays for organisations and public events across South Lakeland.
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