Sometimes learning with other people makes it even more fun, and this is one of the reasons we offer such a variety of courses for groups of people; it’s also really cost effective! These popular and well attended courses led by myself and my partner Freyja, happen at Stamford Arts Centre, but are also available to be booked for your own group and even tailored to cover the content you want.
Each course lasts for a day starting at 10am and working through (with breaks) until 3.30pm. We have found over the years that this is the perfect amount time as any longer and the fingers start to hurt and the brain gets too tired! Courses tend to have no more than about 25 people on them so that we can get around you all and help you when you’re stuck or just give a reassuring nod that you’re doing it right.
What to Expect
Firstly a warm welcome! When you arrive we’ll check you in and introduce ourselves followed by giving you time to make yourself comfortable and get settled. From there, if needed we’ll help you tune your ukulele (especially if you’re on a beginners course) and ensure you have everything you need. Courses are delivered using a clear and informative projected presentation with a relaxed and informal delivery style from Freyja and I. You will get a really useful course booklet which includes everything you have learnt in the course, as well as a few extra bits, so that you can continue your learning from home.
We have a well stocked stall at each course where you can buy a range of accessories for your ukulele from tuners to stands, music books and straps. We also sell ukuleles and the amazing custom designed ukes of Freyja Elise designs; something not to be missed!
Ukulele Hire
We offer ukulele hire at all our courses . This is great option as it means if you have never played before you can hire a uke and see how you get on before buying one. It also means you don’t need to worry about bringing a uke with you if it’s difficult to transport. Hire costs just £10 for a day, and we’ll deduct that from the cost if you chose to buy it afterwards!
Available Courses
Below is a list of the courses we offer:
Learn to Play: Total Beginners
Aimed at absolute beginners, this light hearted and laid back course will get you playing this fun instrument in no time at all. We’ll start from the very basics of how to hold the instrument then move on to playing your first chords and songs. From there we’ll progress to expanding your chord knowledge and I’ll show you how to strum allowing you to play more songs. By the end of this short course, you’ll have learnt the most commonly used chords and then put them to work in some catchy and fun songs.
Next Step Beginners
This course follows on from the absolute beginners ukulele course giving you the chance to consolidate and practice what you have already learnt. You’ll learn a variety of new songs which will help you to develop your chord knowledge, ability to change between chords and strumming technique. You’ll have a new repertoire of songs to play with new found confidence and an eagerness to learn more! Basic understanding of how to play the ukulele is needed including chords C, F, G, Am but don’t worry if you don’t have the confidence yet. This course is also great if you are looking to refresh your playing skills
Intermediate
After warming up with some favourite ukulele songs we will look at some more advanced chords based on the minors, 7ths and some associated tricks which can help you embellish your playing. Once we’re comfortable with those chords we then move on to some new strumming techniques including rolls, flays and damping to create a different sound when you play songs. We then go back to the chords but this time look at how barre chords can help you reach new chords and make some chord changes easier.
Tab Reading and Finger Picking
The course is aimed at players who have been playing for a little while and can easily change between basic chords like C, F, G, Am, Dm, E7, bb etc. In the morning session you will learn how to read ukulele tab and how to play melodies, later progressing to looking at some techniques you can use to enhance how your playing sounds. The afternoon session looks at finger picking and how to vary the way you can accompany yourself on the ukulele.
Next Steps and Book
If you’d like to book one of these courses click on the ‘Book’ tab at the top of the page or email me for more information, particularly if you’d like to know which course is the most suitable for you,
Remember that we can deliver these courses for your own group or build a bespoke course whether it be based on those shown above or tailored to your own requirement. Please get in touch and drop us an email for more information or to start a discussion about what we can do!
Email us at info@ukulelewithchris.co.uk