Uke & Singing lesson: Total BEGINNERS/NEWCOMERS Saturday at 11.30AM

Hi and welcome to the Auckland beginner ukulele & singing lessons!
There are various levels of classes offered on Saturdays & Sundays. This Saturday 11.30AM class is for Newcomers/total beginners. The class times will be a bit changeable this year as I play in various bands with weekend performances, so please do sign up weekly via Meetup to make sure you have up-to-date times. Thanks!

This Beginners class is intended for those with little or no experience with the ukulele. We will start from scratch, learn 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 very simple songs and singing along as you play, in the safety of a friendly group setting.

For those more experienced but not yet intermediate, I have a class called "Seasoned beginners" with a wider range of chords, introduction to tab, more strumming patterns, more elaborate songs, etc.

ACCESS: LOCATION
Though my 2-year Ockham Collective artist residency officially came to an end in 2021, I was invited last year to return to the O.C. spaces as an alumni to host my uke classes in their venues. A big thank you to the O.C. for having me back! I'm very grateful. Sessions will therefore be held in a lovely big ground-floor space called Ockham Collective at The Nix, on Nixon Street in Grey Lynn. Entry through #6 Nixon Street.

BOOKING & PRICING:
Payment of $25/person/class can be made in cash on the day or directly to the account below.

Sonia's account:
ANZ Freedom account
Name: Ms S Wilson
Number: 01-0205-0083380-00

Bulk purchase discounts are available:
$120 for 5 sessions ($5 discount)
or
$200 for ten sessions ($50 discount).
Sessions bought in bulk do not need to be consecutive, but please keep track of your own attendance diligently as it would be complicated for me to do so instead. Thanks!

Booking is required. 20 spaces max in each class available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

• What we'll do

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

One of the 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 skills andconfidence 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.

• What to bring

A ukulele! Many of my students find it helpful to have a strap on their ukulele. I also recommend a clip-on ukulele tuner (the simpler, the better - more fancy buttons can lead to more confusion).

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 good but a little more expensive. As regards size, I'd recommend a concert or tenor size to produce a good sound. 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.

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: 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 questions on that at the start of the lesson. A well-tuned ukulele will 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.

• My invitation
Please don't shy away from this learning experience by fear of not being good enough. This is specifically a beginner's class 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 growth in good company.

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

xoxo Sonia