NEW Get It On! Level 6 Ukulele Lessons - Central London
"Get down and dirty as we add more flair and swagger to your ukulele playing!"
Wednesday Nights 7-9pm
Wed 25 Sep - Wed 27 Nov 2024
10 Week Intermediate Level Ukulele Course
Lead Tutor: Matthew (Duke of Uke)
Location: The Castle, 44 Commercial Rd, Aldgate, London E1 1LN (upstairs)
Suitable for: Adults Only 18+
15 - 20 Places Available
Course Dates
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25 Sep - 27 Nov 2024 |
| Lesson 1: Wed 25 Sep |
| Lesson 2: Wed 2 Oct |
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Lesson 3: Wed 9 Oct |
| Lesson 4: Wed 16 Oct |
| Lesson 5: Wed 23 Oct |
| Lesson 6: Wed 30 Oct |
| Lesson 7: Wed 6 Nov |
| Lesson 8: Wed 13 Nov |
| Lesson 9: Wed 20 Nov |
| Lesson 10: Wed 27 Nov |
Course Overview
At Level 6, we’ll push your skills to the max and beef up your ukulele swagger. You’ll explore extended chords, creative arrangements and dive deeper into advanced strumming, fingerstyle, melody, scales and improvisation techniques. Applied music theory will help you to navigate more complex chord progressions and scales with ease. Whether you’re looking to perform, or simply play at a higher level, this course will get you there.
What You’ll Learn:
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Reinforce and expand your chord repertoire with extended chords like 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths.
- Grounded music theory in applied bite-size chunks to help you master chord construction and use advanced chord progressions and scales in your playing.
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Advanced scales and modes for soloing and composition.
- Consolidate your map of the fretboard up to the 12th fret.
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Creative arrangements and how to make music your own.
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Complex melodies and intricate strumming techniques.
- Spice up your playing with more texture and melody by further integrating cross-picking, rolls and arpeggios.
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Group playing with a focus on professional-level performance.
Perfect For:
Intermediate players looking to refine their skills, knowledge and develop their performance technique. We usually expect students to have completed our other courses with School of Uke but we welcome all players with equivalent previous knowledge and experience.
Meet new people, make new friendships and continue your musical journey
With 15-20 places in each class, our ukulele courses are a perfect size for everyone to get to know each other and enjoy playing together as a group. Our experienced School of Uke tutors will put you through your paces, while making sure everyone is comfortable and having a great time.
Venue: The Castle, Aldgate, E1
Enjoy your ukulele lessons with our flagship venue partner, The Castle in Aldgate. Dig into a selection of world wines, craft beers and simple cocktails with an exclusive 20% OFF drinks for School of Uke students!
Nearest Tube: 5-10 mins walk from Aldgate East and Aldgate Stations respectively.
How to 'Get It On' with the Ukulele
With a hands-on practical approach and through a variety of standards and musical genres, we’ll look at chord theory, chord construction, inversions, scales and modes, playing in different keys, refined strumming and picking technique, improvisation and performance tips n tricks!
The course places a strong emphasis on developing a confident playing technique. As well developing your technical ability, with a focus on timing, texture, rhythm and song, we aim to build your musical awareness as part of a group ensemble. We take into consideration the specific aspirations and needs of everyone in the group, and encourage individual style.
Rock, Pop, R&B, Disco, Funk, Folk, Bluegrass and Latin Jazz at Your Fingertips
All techniques will be taught by looking at popular standards for fresh interpretation on the Ukulele, to broaden your musical repertoire and focus on your confidence as a performer. Song requests are encouraged and will be explored whenever possible.
Over a 10 week course, as well as looking at classic Rock, Pop and Blues standards we also feature other musical genres to broaden your musical horizons. Genres covered in previous courses have included Jazz, Classical and World Music including Latin, Bossa-Nova, Samba, Spanish Baroque, Classical Hawaiian, Japanese and African styles. Genre and song requests are encouraged and will be incorporated within the program where applicable.
Group Ensemble & Performance Technique
- Develop and play multi-part arrangements.
- Learn about developing performance in songs with multiple parts.
- Emphasis on musical awareness, group timing, texture, rhythm and song.
- Develop playing technique and encourage individual style within a group.
- Reinforce playing effectively and confidently in a live gigging environment.
Strumming and Picking
- Advance precision in rhythmic patterns and complex 8-bar double-time strum techniques.
- Use barre chords to achieve damping effects useful for achieving a more percussive sound.
- Emphasis on timing and cross group syncopation with alternate strumming parts.
- Further explore rolls, arpeggios, cross-picking and tremelo picking techniques.
Melody and Theory
- Develop well grounded map of the fretboard up to the 12th fret.
- Cement knowledge of all key scales used up to now and further explore Modes as tools for improvisation and composition.
- Focus on fluid and expressive melodic lines.
- Play chords and melody together.
Chords and Chord Theory
- Cement understanding of The Circle of 5ths and use it to explore relative I, IV and V barre chords in all keys.
- Expand chord repertoire and explore extended chords.
- Master understanding of chord construction with simple and more advanced chords.
- Explore ways to decorate simple chord progressions using inversions and extended chords.
Performance Technique
- With a strong focus on developing your ukulele playing, our Level 6 Ukulele Lessons aim to get you playing like a pro. By the end of the course you’ll have the opportunity to show off your new playing skills to family and friends at our very own ‘Grand Finale’ ukulele show at a London music venue.
An Awesome Experience
Overall it's about a group of like-minded people discovering music and having a great time together. Here's what some of our students had to say...
"Great teaching and so much fun! Everyone should learn to play an instrument!" - Edina
"Amazing fun, brilliant teaching, awesome people!" - Avital
"I couldn't play anything when I first started, now I'm playing Slash solos!" - Cat
What if I've never played a musical instrument before?
We absolutely welcome complete beginners, and people who have never touched a musical instrument in their lives. Come along with an open mind and we'll do the rest!
When do your group lessons take place?
All our group lessons take place on weekday evenings from 7pm. And occasionally we will host workshops and jam sessions on weekend afternoons.
Where do the group lessons take place?
We love to run our lessons in pubs, which we feel adds to the social and relaxed vibe.
All our pubs are hand-picked for their special qualities, and just 5-10mins walk to central London TFL Stations. We work with a number of partner venues in London Central and City Central, including Soho, Covent Garden, Shoreditch, Clerkenwell, Tower Bridge, Aldgate, Bethnal Green and Bermondsey.
And during the Summer months, weather permitting, we host our evenings at pubs with outdoor facilities to make the most of the sunshine and summer nights.
Is the ukulele a children's instrument?
The ukulele is a very versatile instrument that comes in many different sizes. While it is taught as an elementary instrument in some schools, it most definitely is not a kids instrument. It's the native instrument of Hawaii and is hugely popular with adults due its portable size and playability.
Are these sessions for adults or for kids?
All our evening classes are for adults 18+.
What if I don't have a ukulele?
All instruments are provided at our Discover sessions so all you need to bring is your best self!
For our beginner sessions, you can borrow a ukulele for the first lesson, but we recommend that you purchase an instrument as soon as possible to make the most out of your learning experience.
How many people are in each class?
There are 20 places available in each of our group classes and Discover sessions. Sometimes they sell out completely, but we usually run with about 15-20 people.
Are the sessions wheelchair accessible?
Unless otherwise stated in the venue description, sadly our sessions are not wheelchair accessible. They usually take place in pub function rooms, which are often only accessible by staircases.
Is it ok to drink alcohol in the session?
Absolutely. We encourage people to grab a drink at the bar before the session and during the mid-lesson break.
It's a fun and lighthearted vibe, and a bit of dutch courage never goes amiss. Our partner pubs & venues all offer a good range of beers, wine, spirits and simple cocktails like Negroni, Aperol Spritz etc.
What time should I arrive?
It's great if you can arrive 10-15mins early to grab a drink, meet your tutor/s and get settled in.
Is it ok to hang out after the session?
Absolutely, we want to create a community of friends so we encourage people to hang out for drinks after our weekday evening classes. Our lessons are about social connection, music appreciation and learning to play as part of a group so they are as much social events as anything else.
What kind of music can you play on the ukulele?
Absolutely anything! Anything you can play on a piano or guitar, you can also play on a ukulele. It's just half the size and easier to play.
The ukulele is a great instrument to get started on and also a stepping stone to all other stringed instruments. And it's nice and compact so you can take it anywhere. Rock, Pop and R&B bangers at your fingertips!
What are the health benefits of learning to play the ukulele?
Learning to play music, especially socially, has many health and well-being benefits. As well as brain development, when you make music, your brain releases endorphins that induce feelings of joy and pleasure and block the nerve cells that cause us to feel stress and pain. There is evidence to suggest that it even boosts your immunity!
What other events and services does School of Uke offer?
We offer a range of ukulele lessons & events for complete beginners to advanced players, both online and in-person. As well as group based lessons, we offer one-to-one ukulele lessons, our 5wk Ukulele Challenge For Beginners,10wk Evening Courses, plus package events for private & corporate clients.
How long has the School of Uke been established?
School of Uke is a sister brand of Duke of Uke, London's World Famous Ukulele Store. The School of Uke name and company was formed in 2012, but we've been teaching ukulele for 18 years, since we first opened our doors back in 2006, as the UK's first ever dedicated Ukulele store.
For all enquiries about ukulele lessons or courses at School of Uke please email or use our Online Live Chat service.
Email: info@schoolofuke.co.uk
