Auckland beginner & intermediate ukulele & singing lessons

 
 
 

Hi and welcome to the Auckland beginner ukulele & singing lessons!

There are 2 separate classes offered each Sunday. Newcomers/total beginners at 11am and seasoned beginners/intermediate at 12.30 :)

This 11am class is intended for those of you who have very little or no experience at all with the ukulele. We will start from scratch and learn the basic knowledge needed to get acquainted with the ukulele and start to gain an understanding of how music works, become comfortable strumming and fingerpicking some simple songs and singing along as you play, in the safety of a friendly little group.

ACCESS: OCTOBER 2022 UPDATE - INFORMATION ON THE GROUP CLASSES LOCATION -

Though my two-year Ockham Collective artist residency officially came to an end in February 2021, I have recently been invited back to host my Sunday ukulele classes in their venue. The Auckland Beginner Ukulele & Singing group sessions will therefore now be held in a lovely big ground-floor space called Ockham Collective at The Nix, on Nixon Street in Grey Lynn. Entry will be through #6 Nixon Street.

BOOKING & PRICING:

Booking is required for contact tracing reasons. Thanks for your understanding. Please use the events linked to this Meetup page to sign up weekly for your chosen class.

Payment of $20/person/class can be made in cash on the day or directly online to the following account. Feel free to pay for sessions in bulk (e.g. 5 for $100) if you prefer this to individual payments.

ANZ Freedom account
Name: Ms S Wilson
Number:[masked]

***

• What we'll do

We will be learning to tune the ukulele with a clip-on tuner, exploring basic music theory (no rocket science, just enough to get you started), then move on to chords, strumming patterns and songs. When time allows, we may venture into the realm of playful group improvisations! :)

One of the main challenges of playing uke and singing is the art of putting those together, so we'll spend time getting to know the phrasing of songs and developing your ability to synchronize singing & playing so you can build up skills and the confidence to perform in front of an audience someday, if you wish to do so (not obligatory).

As I am experienced in choir singing, we will also look at some harmony singing on a few songs.

• What to bring

A ukulele! Many of my students also find it helpful to have a strap on their ukulele.

If buying a new ukulele, I would advise a Makala or Kohala as the cheapest to consider. Anything cheaper and it's buyer beware - they can be difficult to tune and don't produce such a nice sound. Kala is also good but a little more expensive. As regards size, I'd recommend a concert or tenor size to produce a good sound. Best to try the instrument before buying, if possible: try Lewis Eady, Rockshop, Music Planet, KBB Music, Music Works or Bungalow Bills. Most shops have a range of instruments and can advise you based on your budget and future plans. I would also recommend buying an electronic ukulele tuner. I personally like to use a strap, you can ask them to install strap buttons.

Click on the following articles for suggestions for buying a ukulele if you do not have one:

• www.takelessons.com/blog/types-of-ukuleles-z10
• www.ukuleletricks.com/5-best-ukuleles-to-buy-for-beginners

Note about left-handed ukulele from tutor Sonia: "My suggestion would be to buy a normal (right-handed) ukulele. This just means your fretting hand (the left hand) will be more agile than the average right-handed player (whose fretting hand would be their weaker one, the left). I think the ukulele is a wonderful instrument for helping us all to develop ambidexterity".

Learning to tune your uke will be a key skill to learn. I'm happy to answer any questions relating to that during the beginning of the lesson. A well-tuned ukulele will tend to make you want to play more frequently...

Also, it will be much easier to play the notes / chord shapes on uke if the nails on your left hand are not too long.

• Important to know

Please don't shy away from this learning experience by fear of not being good enough. This is specifically a beginner's workshop and everyone is musical in my opinion. It's just a matter of exposure, experience and practice. I intend for these group lessons to be educational in a fun and relaxed kind of way. My intention is to create a "safe zone" for musical play and learning in good company.

Thanks for being part of this group and hope to see you next Sunday!

xoxo Sonia

 
 
 

Hi and welcome to the Auckland intermediate ukulele & singing lessons!

There are 2 separate classes offered each Sunday. Newcomers/total beginners at 11am and this intermediate/seasoned beginners one at 12.30 :)

This 12.30 class is intended for those of you who are already familiar with some basic major and minor chord shapes, have learned some strumming patterns including the "island strum", can play simple songs on the ukulele and feel keen on advancing a bit faster than in a group for beginners, but not quite ready to join the "4 Strings Sing" performing ensemble that some may wish to join later - you can find out more about that here: https://www.meetup.com/4-strings-sing-auckland-based-ukulele-performing-ensemble/

I'm looking forward to meeting each of you and sharing music together. This one-hour lesson will take place every Sunday at 12.30.
Please feel free to write me some suggestions if there are specific songs you dream of learning :)

ACCESS: 2022 UPDATE - INFORMATION ON THE GROUP CLASSES LOCATION

Though my two-year Ockham Collective artist residency officially came to an end in February 2021, I have recently been invited back to host my Sunday ukulele classes in their venue. The Auckland Beginner Ukulele & Singing group sessions will therefore now be held in a lovely big ground-floor space called Ockham Collective at The Nix, on Nixon Street in Grey Lynn. Entry will be through #6 Nixon Street.

BOOKING & PRICING:
Booking is required for contact tracing reasons. Thanks for your understanding. Please use the events linked to this Meetup page to sign up weekly for your chosen class.

Payment of $20/person/class can be made in cash on the day or directly online to the following account. Feel free to pay for sessions in bulk (e.g. 5 for $100) if you prefer this to individual payments.

ANZ Freedom account
Name: Ms S Wilson
Number:[masked]

***

• What we'll do

We will be exploring the basics of music theory around this instrument (no rocket science, just enough to get you comfortable with playing by ear, improvisation and how to decipher simple tabs or music scores) and the voice, as well as learning chord shapes, strumming patterns and a variety of songs in different genres. We will occasionally venture into the realm of playful group improvisations!

One of the main challenges of playing ukulele and singing is the art of putting those two together, so we will spend time getting to know the phrasing of various songs and developing your ability to synchronize your singing and playing so you can build up the skill and confidence to eventually perform in front of an audience, if you ever wish to do so.

As I am experienced in choir singing, we will also look at some harmony singing on some of the songs.

• What to bring
A ukulele! Many of my students also find it helpful to have a strap on their ukulele.

Please tune your ukulele before the start of the lesson using an electric clip-on ukulele tuner, a tuner app on your smartphone or your ear (for those feeling very confident). A well-tuned ukulele will tend to make you want to play more frequently...

It will be much easier to play the notes / chord shapes on uke if the nails on your left hand are not too long.

• Important to know
Please don't shy away from this learning experience by fear of not being good enough. We are all on a learning journey, myself included. Everyone is musical in my opinion. It's just a matter of exposure, experience and practice. I intend for these group lessons to be educational in a fun and relaxed kind of way. My intention is to create a "safe zone" for musical play and learning in good company.

Thanks for being part of this group and I hope to see you next Sunday!

xoxo Sonia

 
 
 

Hi and welcome to the Auckland beginner ukulele & singing lessons!

There are 2 separate classes offered each Sunday. Newcomers/total beginners at 11am and seasoned beginners/intermediate at 12.30 :)

This 11am class is intended for those of you who have very little or no experience at all with the ukulele. We will start from scratch and learn the basic knowledge needed to get acquainted with the ukulele and start to gain an understanding of how music works, become comfortable strumming and fingerpicking some simple songs and singing along as you play, in the safety of a friendly little group.

ACCESS: OCTOBER 2022 UPDATE - INFORMATION ON THE GROUP CLASSES LOCATION -

Though my two-year Ockham Collective artist residency officially came to an end in February 2021, I have recently been invited back to host my Sunday ukulele classes in their venue. The Auckland Beginner Ukulele & Singing group sessions will therefore now be held in a lovely big ground-floor space called Ockham Collective at The Nix, on Nixon Street in Grey Lynn. Entry will be through #6 Nixon Street.

BOOKING & PRICING:

Booking is required for contact tracing reasons. Thanks for your understanding. Please use the events linked to this Meetup page to sign up weekly for your chosen class.

Payment of $20/person/class can be made in cash on the day or directly online to the following account. Feel free to pay for sessions in bulk (e.g. 5 for $100) if you prefer this to individual payments.

ANZ Freedom account
Name: Ms S Wilson
Number:[masked]

***

• What we'll do

We will be learning to tune the ukulele with a clip-on tuner, exploring basic music theory (no rocket science, just enough to get you started), then move on to chords, strumming patterns and songs. When time allows, we may venture into the realm of playful group improvisations! :)

One of the main challenges of playing uke and singing is the art of putting those together, so we'll spend time getting to know the phrasing of songs and developing your ability to synchronize singing & playing so you can build up skills and the confidence to perform in front of an audience someday, if you wish to do so (not obligatory).

As I am experienced in choir singing, we will also look at some harmony singing on a few songs.

• What to bring

A ukulele! Many of my students also find it helpful to have a strap on their ukulele.

If buying a new ukulele, I would advise a Makala or Kohala as the cheapest to consider. Anything cheaper and it's buyer beware - they can be difficult to tune and don't produce such a nice sound. Kala is also good but a little more expensive. As regards size, I'd recommend a concert or tenor size to produce a good sound. Best to try the instrument before buying, if possible: try Lewis Eady, Rockshop, Music Planet, KBB Music, Music Works or Bungalow Bills. Most shops have a range of instruments and can advise you based on your budget and future plans. I would also recommend buying an electronic ukulele tuner. I personally like to use a strap, you can ask them to install strap buttons.

Click on the following articles for suggestions for buying a ukulele if you do not have one:

• www.takelessons.com/blog/types-of-ukuleles-z10
• www.ukuleletricks.com/5-best-ukuleles-to-buy-for-beginners

Note about left-handed ukulele from tutor Sonia: "My suggestion would be to buy a normal (right-handed) ukulele. This just means your fretting hand (the left hand) will be more agile than the average right-handed player (whose fretting hand would be their weaker one, the left). I think the ukulele is a wonderful instrument for helping us all to develop ambidexterity".

Learning to tune your uke will be a key skill to learn. I'm happy to answer any questions relating to that during the beginning of the lesson. A well-tuned ukulele will tend to make you want to play more frequently...

Also, it will be much easier to play the notes / chord shapes on uke if the nails on your left hand are not too long.

• Important to know

Please don't shy away from this learning experience by fear of not being good enough. This is specifically a beginner's workshop and everyone is musical in my opinion. It's just a matter of exposure, experience and practice. I intend for these group lessons to be educational in a fun and relaxed kind of way. My intention is to create a "safe zone" for musical play and learning in good company.

Thanks for being part of this group and hope to see you next Sunday!

xoxo Sonia

 
 
 

Hi and welcome to the Auckland intermediate ukulele & singing lessons!

There are 2 separate classes offered each Sunday. Newcomers/total beginners at 11am and this intermediate/seasoned beginners one at 12.30 :)

This 12.30 class is intended for those of you who are already familiar with some basic major and minor chord shapes, have learned some strumming patterns including the "island strum", can play simple songs on the ukulele and feel keen on advancing a bit faster than in a group for beginners, but not quite ready to join the "4 Strings Sing" performing ensemble that some may wish to join later - you can find out more about that here: https://www.meetup.com/4-strings-sing-auckland-based-ukulele-performing-ensemble/

I'm looking forward to meeting each of you and sharing music together. This one-hour lesson will take place every Sunday at 12.30.
Please feel free to write me some suggestions if there are specific songs you dream of learning :)

ACCESS: 2022 UPDATE - INFORMATION ON THE GROUP CLASSES LOCATION

Though my two-year Ockham Collective artist residency officially came to an end in February 2021, I have recently been invited back to host my Sunday ukulele classes in their venue. The Auckland Beginner Ukulele & Singing group sessions will therefore now be held in a lovely big ground-floor space called Ockham Collective at The Nix, on Nixon Street in Grey Lynn. Entry will be through #6 Nixon Street.

BOOKING & PRICING:
Booking is required for contact tracing reasons. Thanks for your understanding. Please use the events linked to this Meetup page to sign up weekly for your chosen class.

Payment of $20/person/class can be made in cash on the day or directly online to the following account. Feel free to pay for sessions in bulk (e.g. 5 for $100) if you prefer this to individual payments.

ANZ Freedom account
Name: Ms S Wilson
Number:[masked]

***

• What we'll do

We will be exploring the basics of music theory around this instrument (no rocket science, just enough to get you comfortable with playing by ear, improvisation and how to decipher simple tabs or music scores) and the voice, as well as learning chord shapes, strumming patterns and a variety of songs in different genres. We will occasionally venture into the realm of playful group improvisations!

One of the main challenges of playing ukulele and singing is the art of putting those two together, so we will spend time getting to know the phrasing of various songs and developing your ability to synchronize your singing and playing so you can build up the skill and confidence to eventually perform in front of an audience, if you ever wish to do so.

As I am experienced in choir singing, we will also look at some harmony singing on some of the songs.

• What to bring
A ukulele! Many of my students also find it helpful to have a strap on their ukulele.

Please tune your ukulele before the start of the lesson using an electric clip-on ukulele tuner, a tuner app on your smartphone or your ear (for those feeling very confident). A well-tuned ukulele will tend to make you want to play more frequently...

It will be much easier to play the notes / chord shapes on uke if the nails on your left hand are not too long.

• Important to know
Please don't shy away from this learning experience by fear of not being good enough. We are all on a learning journey, myself included. Everyone is musical in my opinion. It's just a matter of exposure, experience and practice. I intend for these group lessons to be educational in a fun and relaxed kind of way. My intention is to create a "safe zone" for musical play and learning in good company.

Thanks for being part of this group and I hope to see you next Sunday!

xoxo Sonia