What’s it all about?
Religious or not, Christmas remains a festival of songs. Many of us learn the glorious carols as children, never forget our favourites and return to them every year. But it’s time for you to add some gentle ukulele to this ‘soundtrack’, isn’t it?
Ukulele is enjoying a new wave popularity because quality starter ukes don’t blow the budget. YouTube hosts thousands of covers and ‘how to’ clips, there are blogs and free song libraries galore and tuning apps on our phones or cheap clip-on tuners keep the little box sounding good. It’s the people’s instrument for the internet age! The one you can play whenever you gather with friends.
What will we cover?
This class will teach you the basic chords and knowledge that will give you access to thousands of songs and hours of happiness.
- How do you hold it? How do you strum it? How do you keep the beat? How do you warm up your hands and fingers?
- How is a uke more than a little guitar? Tips on strings, ukes to buy and not to buy, and why an electronic clip-on tuner is essential for the modern uker.
- Win points at trivia nights with a touch of uke history.
- We will learn a few to play a few of the most popular Christmas carols to build a stock of fundamental chords and strums. You’ll go home with these tunes ‘under your belt’, clear directions where to find others to study and a very useful list of resources you can access online.
Who will be teaching?
Harry Harrison plays with the fabulous Melbourne Ukulele Kollective, helps out at the Melbourne Ukulele Festival (March 7-9th, 2014) and teaches uke groups at workshops and festivals around Victoria. He’s a passionate advocate of the uke as a fun, mobile and (usually) inexpensive instrument that appeals to musical beginners but ranges up to international performance level.