As this term comes to a close, I reflect on what worked well. In early August 2021, I sent out a request to indicate music class interest in a Google form. The responses helped me plan and schedule classes starting in October. When there wasn’t sufficient enrolment to offer Hum & Strum, Stand Up Ukulele, and Performance Series, I combined them into one class on Tuesday mornings.
For 2022, I plan to offer a Chinese songs for ukulele class, two Beatles classes, classical ukulele ensemble, music theory, and piano classes in Zoom. Below are what was offered in Autumn 2021.
Last minute offer: $19 for the first session of 7-week classes that have not started yet. As at 16th Oct, these classes are as follows:
- Monday 10/18/2021 Bootcamp at 5 pm EDT
- Wednesday 10/20/2021 Fun with Ukulele at 5 pm EDT
- Monday 10/25/2021 Classical Uke 2 at 12:30 pm EDT
- Monday 10/25/2021 Beatles Pluck, Strum, Riffs at 2 pm EDT
How to Memorize a Song: initially a one-off workshop that has been extended into a series with performance focus
Music Theory: MELODY – how are the best melodies formed? Learn and then apply in your own writing of melodies, the first step to composition.
Group Piano Class in Zoom: by request, I have created a special class in Zoom for anyone who already plays the piano but would like to advance in a small communicated of dedicated enthusiasts. See my easy piano arrangements for my students on Maui (Hawaii) and in Utrecht, Netherlands.
Hum & Strum
Learn to sing in tune and in sync (with your playing). These songs tend to be of a slower tempo than the ones chosen for Bootcamp. Professional voice teacher will give individual voice coaching to each student before and/or after the 50 minute group class. The class will learn one song together with supporting exercises. More information.
Fingerstyle Ukulele
Also known as fingerpicking or plucking, fingerstyle ukulele empowers you to play the melody, riffs and licks, and accompany with pluck (picking) patterns by reading from tablature (tabs, tab). This path leads to authentic replication (pluck & strum), chord melody arrangements, solo playing, and instrumental ensemble performance, from duets to larger groups. Read about the two paths of ukulele: strum and pluck. See ukulele arrangements and articles by Anne Ku.
- TAB & PLUCK: already know how to tune, hold, and play the ukulele but either not yet able to 1) read tablature (tabs, tab) and correctly use individual fingers to fingerpick or pluck; or 2) sightread tabs fast enough or know which fingers to pluck for speed and dexterity.
- PLUCK: explore fingerstyle possibilities for the ukulele through accompanying pluck patterns, replicating recognizable riffs (in songs), studying and creating chord melody arrangements, interpreting well-known classical music pieces transcribed for the ukulele, and developing quality sound (tone) from your instrument. Pre-requisite: a previous fingerstyle ukulele course or proficiency in reading tablature and using the correct fingers to pluck melody and accompaniment (PIMA). Knowledge of alberti, arpeggio, and travis picking accompaniment patterns.
Ukulele Bootcamp: strum & rhythm, chord vocabulary
What are the 20% (chords, strums, and other skills) you need to play 80% of the songs you want to play? Example of chord switching drills: practice playing the above chord sequence without looking at your left hand.
A bootcamp or boot camp usually refers to an intensive physical workout with repetitive exercises and challenges. Originally intended as an all day class before the pandemic changed everything, the eight hours were distributed as one-hour classes over eight weeks. Each class delivers bespoke exercises and tips for fingering and switching chords, strumming techniques, coordination, and application to a song each week. To get an idea, please check out the contents of the bootcamp series offered in 2020.
Pre-requisites: already taken a beginner level class, can comfortably hold a ukulele, read and play from chord diagrams, play the basic strum patterns and chords in two-chord songs.
Music Theory
Intro to Music Theory: Music literacy, notes, scales, intervals, rhythm, terminology. No prerequisites.
Music Theory: Harmony: Building blocks of harmony, chords, circle of fifths, key signatures, transpositions, common chord progressions. Prerequisite: pass diagnostic test.
Applied Music Theory: Analysis of songs we know (not classical music) using knowledge and language of music theory. Melody. Harmony. Rhythm. Song structure. Prerequisite: pass diagnostic test or have taken Music Theory: Harmony or equivalent.
Music Theory: Melody – study what makes sticky melodies, is it the pitch, duration, phrasing, or something more?
Read about music theory for ukulele
Piano Class
A new multi-level group piano class in Zoom
One Off Workshops
How to Memorize Songs
Playing from memory is a different experience from playing from a song sheet. The more songs you know by heart, the more you can focus on performance rather than “reading” or “interpreting.”
Hooked on Classics
Learn to play two contrasting pieces from the “classical music” repertoire on the ukulele. If there is sufficient interest, the workshop can be extended into a longer series.
Free workshops
Wednesday 13th October (11:30 am – 12:30 pm EDT) different ways to play a song you already know. Open to all ukulele enthusiasts. FOCUS: fingerstyle ukulele workshop: pluck, pick & pluck, tab & pluck, fun with ukulele, classical ukulele, pluck & strum, riffs & licks.
Thursday 7th October (3:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT) chord switching and application in breakout rooms; introduction to upcoming music classes.
Course Descriptions
- Fun with the Ukulele: HOT OFF THE PRESS!! from the new book of original arrangements for children’s songs by Anne Ku with color-in illustrations by Eve Myles. Tuition includes part 1 of volume 1.
7 Wednesdays 5:00 – 6:00 pm EDT from 10/20/2021 - Beatles pluck & strum & riffs: By popular demand, we are focussing on selected songs by the Beatles. We will authentically replicate the intro, recurring riffs, interludes, endings, accompaniment patterns. Pre-requisites: read and play from tabs (tablature).
7 Mondays 2:00 – 3:00 pm EDT from 10/25/2021 - Bootcamp: For ukulele players who want to play as much as possible, Ukulele Bootcamp is designed as a workout with bespoke technique exercises each week that provide skills for playing songs. Learn the 20% (chords, strums, and other skills) you need to play 80% of the songs you want to play.
7 Mondays from 5 to 6 pm EDT from 10/18/2021 - Classical Ukulele 1 (Beginner): Continue your fingerstyle journey with love of classical music, learn one piece per era (early music, baroque, classical, romantic, modern). Pre-requisite: pick & pluck, tab & pluck, or intro / beginner fingerstyle ukulele. The original arrangements by Anne Ku will be published in Volume 5 of Fun with the Ukulele series.
7 Wednesdays 6:30 – 7:30 pm EDT from 10/13/2021 - Classical Ukulele 2: the “classical music” repertoire on the ukulele. Books used: Jeff Peterson’s book (Graded Repertoire for the Ukulele) and Daniel Ward’s Arpeggio Meditations. You can order Arpeggio Meditations and get a $10 discount from the regular tuition. Required: low G ukulele.
7 Mondays 12:30 – 13:30 EDT from 10/25/2021 - Fingerstyle Ukulele using the ‘Tis the Season (book by Daniel Ward): chord melody arrangements, solos and duets, how to produce a beautiful tone using correct fingerpicking techniques. Required: low G ukulele. Pre-requisite: Pick & Pluck, Tab & Pluck, or other intro or beginning fingerstyle ukulele. You can order ‘Tis the Season and get a $10 discount from the regular tuition.
2 Wednesdays 6:30 – 8:00 pm on 12/8 and 12/15 – Special Rate $69 - Fingerstyle Ukulele (in-person) at Cambridge Center for Adult Education: safely distanced, maximum 8 seats. Please register directly from CCAE
6 Tuesdays 7:45 – 9:15 pm EDT from 10/12/2021 - Group piano class in Zoom for those who already play the piano. SPACE LIMITED 4 per class.
7 Wednesdays 11:00 am – Noon EDT from 10/6 (alternating weeks) - Performance Series: To become a better performer, you need insight and strategies, besides practising and performing regularly. This series of classes focus on memorization which includes both input and output (get it into your head and recall it when you are performing). Get feedback on your performance. Apply these strategies and perform in 3 Chord Thurs.
- Hum & Strum: The ONLY class where you get a private session every week with vocal coach Bruce Boreham while the rest of the class is getting instruction on rhythm, chord switching, transposition, and other aspects of playing the ukulele. It is ideal for those who want to be able to sing in tune and play in sync, to join the ranks of ukulele players who can sing and play at the same time.
- Stand Up Uke with Performance Focus: Stand up and play your ukulele, focussing on the camera (or audience), avoiding looking at the song sheet. Before the pandemic, I was always standing whenever teaching or performing. I loved being able to express myself through movement and projecting my voice. Life in Zoom does not have to be sedentary. Learn to hold your uke and play it while standing up. Similar to Bootcamp, but standing up!
7 Tuesdays 11:30 am – 12:30 pm EDT from 10/12/2021 - I
ntro to Music Theory: Learn to read (and sight read) notes, identify them on the fretboard quickly, understand and create scales, intervals, inversions and the foundations of music which starts with music literacy. Music Theory answers the question WHY, whereas most of what is taught concerns WHAT and HOW to play. Music Theory: Melody analyze melodies, write melodies, find compatible chords (harmony) for the melodies. Pre-requisite: intro to music theory or equivalent.
Read testimonials of previous students.
Latest class schedule @ 12/4/2021
- All classes are scheduled for Eastern Daylight or Standard Time (EDT, EST) in Zoom unless otherwise specified.
- Bolded font = new class (not offered before)
- Light shaded classes are easier than darker shaded classes
- Unshaded classes – no prerequisite. All classes run for 7 weeks, except CCAE (6), ACE (8)
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday |
| 10/6 11:00 – 12:00 GROUP PIANO (alternate weeks) | 10/7 3 Chord Thurs resumes with introduction to music classes | ||
| 10/12 11:30 – 12:30 New stand up uke with performance focus (7 Tuesdays until 11/30) 18:00 – 19:30 Beginning Fingerstyle Ukulele (6 Tuesdays until 11/16) | 10/13 11:30 – 12:30 FREE UKULELE WORKSHOP 18:30 – 19:30 Classical Ukulele 1 (Beginners) (7 Wednesdays until 12/1) | 10/14 3 Chord Thurs: autumn colors of orange and brown | |
| 10/18 17:00 – 18:00 Ukulele Bootcamp (7 Mondays) 18:30 – 19:30 Beginning Piano (8 Mondays until 12/6) 19:45 – 20:45 Music Appreciation (8 Mondays until 12/6) | 10/20 17:00 – 18:00 Fun with Ukulele (7 Wednesdays until 12/8) | 10/21 3 Chord Thurs Not so easy 2 or 3 chord songs | |
| 10/25 12:30 – 13:30 Classical Ukulele 2 (7 Mondays until 12/6) 14:00 – 15:00 Beatles Pluck, Strum, Riffs (7 Mondays until 12/6) | 10/28 3 Chord Thurs Body parts | ||
| 11/4 3 Chord Thurs Easy many chord songs | |||
| 11/11 3 Chord Thurs Stand Up | |||
| 11/18 3 Chord Thurs One Hit Wonders | |||
| 11/23 Anne flies to Maui | 11/25 3 Chord Thurs food &/or travel | ||
| 11/30 | 12/2 3 Chord Thurs Beatles better known songs | ||
| 12/6 Last classes | 12/7 | 12/8 Last Fun with Ukulele class | 12/9 3 Chord Thurs Beatles lesser known songs |
| 12/15 Piano Class | 12/16 3 Chord Thurs Classical | ||
| 12/23 3 Chord Thurs ‘Tis the Season for festive colors of red and green | |||
| 12/29 Last Piano Class | 12/30 3 Chord Thurs Ukulele Jeopardy Game | ||
| 1/6/2022 3 Chord Thurs Hawaiian Theme | |||
| 1/10 | 1/11 CCAE in-person 18:00 – 19:30 Continuing Fingerstyle 19:45 – 21:15 Beginning Fingerstyle (8 Tuesdays, ending 3/1/2022) | 1/13/2022 3 Chord Thurs Workshops | |
| 1/17 Martin Luther King Jr Day | 1/20/2022 3 Chord Thurs Workshops | ||
| 1/24 19:30 – 20:30 Intro to Music Theory (ACE) 8 Mondays with a break, ending 3/21/2022) | 1/27 3 Chord Thur Year of the Cat 18:00 – 19:00 Beginning Piano (ACE) 8 Mondays with a break | ||
| 2/1 Lunar New Year of the Tiger | 1/20/2022 3 Chord Thurs Other Instruments |
Complete Beginner Classes
No pre-requisites except a ukulele and clip-on tuner. This is the very first group lesson in Zoom: how to hold, tune, and strum your ukulele; how to read chord diagrams, how to finger chords, how to switch between chords; two chord songs; three chord songs; how to read song sheets; other tips and advice. OFFERED BY REQUEST
Port Townsend Virtual Ukulele Festival September 12 – 13, 2020
Saturday & Sunday 10:00 – 10:30 am PDT (1:00 pm EDT ; 18:00 BST)
Pluck & Strum: Authentic Replication
Have you ever wanted to REALLY play a song as you’ve heard it rather than a reduced version for ukulele? Here is a step-by-step method to reproduce the details of a song for ukulele for your skill level and voice range. You have a choice of playing the minimal necessary (riffs and strum) and still be able to accompany yourself singing, OR, create a chord melody arrangement. Level 2: knowledge of tab reading and fingerpicking. Applications: Moonshadow, Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head