Friday 13 October and Monday 16 October, 2023 9am – 4pm Valla Beach NSW
UKULELE INSTITUTES and what are they?
The ukulele institutes provide enthusiastic players with the opportunity to spend a whole day with a high-quality tutor, a specialist in their field. COST: $120 for the day.
Please read the PRE-REQUISITES for each Institute very carefully.
Samantha Muir and Sally Carter will also provide 3 additional shorter workshops during the weekend at a variety of levels to suit all players.
Ukulele institutes will go ahead when the minimum numbers have enrolled.
Institute 1 Samantha Muir: Minimum and maximum = 15
NOTE: If there is sufficient interest Samantha will run a second Institute on Monday, 16 October.
Institute 2 Sally Carter: Minimum = 15, maximum = 25
Institute 3 Stewert Peters: Minimum and maximum = 10
Challenge yourself by participating in a full day of learning with experienced teachers and performers.
Institute 1
Samantha Muir Classical ukulele Friday 13 OR Monday 16
Hone Your Fingerstyle Technique: tremolos, campanellas and arpeggios
PRE-REQUISITES: You are an intermediate ukulele player. You are a fluent reader
of TAB or notation. Please read the skill level descriptions on the Workshop page.
Institute Title:
Hone Your Fingerstyle Technique: tremolos, campanellas and arpeggios
The fingerstyle approach to the ukulele incorporates a variety of different picking techniques.
Some of the most effective and beautiful fingerstyle approaches are tremolo, campanella and arpeggio technique.
This institute will, therefore, focus on how to play these techniques using the pima picking system.
Participants will receive a booklet of material containing exercises and arrangements which utilise these different techniques.
Participants will need to have a firm grasp of reading tablature (tab) and/or notation.
A standard re-entrant tuned ukulele (high-gCEA) is recommended.
Ukuleles can be soprano, concert or tenor size. Please bring a music stand.
This Institute is designed especially for High G ukulele.
While a high G ukulele is not essential, all material is designed for High G,
and especially for playing in campanella style.
Samantha will provide workshops for other players over the weekend. The workshops will be on the same topics as the Institute workshops but at an easier level. You will have the opportunity to join other challenging workshops and allow others to benefit from Samantha's knowledge and skills.
BOTH courses fully booked
Institute 2
Friday 13 October.
Sally Carter The Art of Ensemble Playing
PRE-REQUISITES: You can read TAB (or notation) fairly confidently, are confident with the basic chords, can change chords fluently and know how to strum in time.
Session 1: Introduction to ensemble playing.
How to keep time, counting in, different time signatures. How to read the timing of notes in the music score. Ensemble techniques for chord players. Basic strumming and plucking patterns to suit different time signatures.
At the end of this session, participants will have played two simple ensemble tunes with different time signatures.
Session 2: Consolidation
More complex timing. Understanding rests, repeats, 1st and 2nd time bars. Moving around the fretboard and what fingering to use. Counting in with an anacrusis. Use of dynamics. At the end of this session, participants will have played two intermediate level ensemble tunes with different time signatures.
Session 3: Getting creative.
How to start the different parts in different places to create a unique arrangement of the ensemble tune.
How to add your own unique interpretation to any ensemble arrangement.
At the end of this session, participants will have played two moderately difficult ensemble tunes whilst adding their own unique interpretation to the performance.
Sally will offer workshops on different topics over the weekend. First preference will be given to those who did not participate in the Institute. If there is space in the workshop you will be able to join in.
Places available on FRIDAY 13 October
DEVELOPING BASS with Stewart Peters
PRE-REQUISITES: You are NOT a Beginner. This is for players who have played for at least 1 year and understand the 1-5 bass pattern as a starting point!
During each U bass session we will learn various playing styles and patterns to fit various music genres, including Country, Jazz and Rock styles. Working on these three styles, your experience will overlap into other styles.
Session 1 – We will briefly go over the U bass and its parts. We’ll look at the U bass’s benefits and it’s idiosyncrasies. Then we will extend a basic 1 - 5 bass pattern and learn how to spice it up a bit. You will learn how to throw in very simple (but impressive!) licks that will take your u bass playing to a new level.
There will be plenty of scope for less advanced players and more advanced players to work together.
Session 2 – We will look at various Jazz bass styles, including walking bass, cut playing, working away from the root note and even some basic riffs.
Session 3 – We will look at Rock music. Firstly, rock n roll (a la Elvis Presley or Chuck Berry) and moving on to Hard Rock (a la AC DC). By the end of this session you will see how Rock U-bass is all about sitting with the drums or percussion in the ‘engine room’ and laying down a solid Bass foundation for the rest of the band, even on a U Bass!
Towards the end of each session we should be able to fit in a fun Jam Session to a popular song in each genre.
Institute 3
Friday 13th OR Monday 16th October
FRIDAY fully booked
5 places in Monday course
NOTE: There will be 2 additional bass workshops over the weekend presented by John Wallace from Jack n Jel, Mac n Wal.
John will provide an absolute beginner and an intermediate one-off Ubass workshop.
Check these out on the Workshop page.
ADDITIONAL INSTITUTE INFORMATION
The Institutes take place on Friday 13 of August from 9am - 4pm with two breaks for morning tea and lunch. Lunch will be available for purchase at 2 local cafes. Morning tea-will be supplied but please bring something if you have specific dietary requirements. Please bring your own cup with your name on it.
For Samantha and Sally's institutes you will need your ukulele, tuner, music stand, pencil, water and snacks.
For the Stewart's BASS Institute you will need a Ubass for preference (or guitar bass), tuner, music stand, pencil, water and snacks. You could bring a SMALL amp if available but it is not essential.