Friday 10 October, 2025 9am – 4pm Valla Beach NSW
UKULELE INSTITUTES and what are they?
Our ukulele institutes provide enthusiastic players with the opportunity to spend a whole day with a high-quality tutor, a specialist in their field. COST: $130 for the day.
Please read the PRE-REQUISITES for each Institute very carefully.
Our Institute leaders will also provide stand-alone workshops over the weekend.
Challenge yourself by participating in a full day of learning with experienced teachers and performers.
We'll Cover:
Picking the Right Melody
What makes a melody work well on the ukulele?
We'll look at things like tempo, rhythm, and shape.
Learn how to spot if a melody might be too sparse—or too fast and fiddly to play comfortably.
Choosing keys that works well for both high-G and low-G tunings.
Getting Inspired
Exploring various interpretations of the same song across different instruments and styles.
Borrowing and adapting elements from multiple versions to create your own unique arrangement.
Any interesting facts about the songs origins and history.
Adding the fancy bits!
Creating chord melody arrangements.
Layering with 2, 3, and 4 part harmony.
Blending picking and strumming patterns with to the melody.
Key and tempo changes
Arranging for Ukulele for intermediate/advanced players
Confident TAB readers and some experience playing 4 finger chords
For those looking to deepen their instrumental skills and explore the art of arranging, this three-session workshop will guide you through ways of crafting engaging ukulele arrangements—whether for solo performance or ensemble playing.
We’ll dig into the key elements of arranging: how to choose a melody that works well on the ukulele, and how to add harmony, rhythm, and other musical elements to make great sounding ukulele music.
Along the way, we’ll work with a mix of jazz standards like A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square and Blue Moon, as well as Hawaiian classics such as Alekoki and Lovely Hula Hands - with a few surprise tunes making their way in as we go!
Ukulele Jazz (and more!) with Sam Lemann
Institute 1. Venue: the Large Conference Room
FULLY BOOKED!
FULLY BOOKED!
PRE-REQUISITES FOR THIS COURSE
This course is for INTERMEDIATE+ PLAYERS. You will need to be a reasonable TAB reader, have experience in playing closed chords ie 4 finger chords.
Institute 2 FULLY BOOKED Venue: The Residents' Hall
Develop your Ubass skills with Anne Keogh
PLEASE RE-READ THE PRE-REQUISITES FOR THIS BASS INSTITUTE.
THIS INSTITUTE IS NOT FOR BEGINNER BASS PLAYERS
Prerequisites for this Bass Ukulele Course
The course is designed for players with a basic understanding of the instrument, INTERMEDIATE
This Is NOT a beginner course.
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You will need to know how to hold and play your bass. There will not be time to go through these basics.
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You will need to be able to tune your own bass.
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You will need to know where notes are on your instrument in first position (first 4 frets)
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A basic ability to read Tablature (TAB) is needed (you have a few months to get these things down!)
What you will need to bring to the course
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Your Bass
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A small amp and lead
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Music Stand
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Pencil and Eraser
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A few sheets of blank bass Tablature (4 lines)
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A few sheets of blank manuscript paper (5 lines) These can be found on the internet
COURSE CONTENT
This short, but intensive course, is designed to move you away from just playing the root note of the chord.
We will cover a couple of scales to move you away from the key of C Major. They will be – G Major, D Major and F Major.
If you can, learn these scales prior to the course, please do.
We will then use these new scales to learn some new techniques that you will hopefully be able to take away and use on your own repertoire.
New techniques we will explore are:
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Walking Bass
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Chromatic movement within a key.
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50’s Rock Ballad
I will have handouts (in both Tab and notation) of some songs that we will apply these new techniques to. Even if you can’t read music well, the knowledge of the new scales will help you because sometimes the most important thing is to get the feel of the music correct.
As a bass player you need to supply a solid foundation to the rhythm and harmony. There is often many ways to play the same bass part of a song, while still being true to the style of that song.
Email Cathy to get on the WAITING LIST
FULLY BOOKED
Learn two great blues songs, an up-tempo morning blues and a smoky evening blues.
Open to harmonica players (Key of C required) and intermediate ukulele players, and those who want to try both!
Pre-requisites
Open to harmonica players - ideally able to play single note melodies (Key of C harmonica required)
AND
Intermediate and advanced ukulele players, and those who want to try both harmonica and ukulele!
Institute 3. Venue: the Small Conference Room
All Day Harmonica and Ukulele Blues Workshop with
Tom Richter
FILLING UP FAST!
ADDITIONAL INSTITUTE INFORMATION
The Institutes take place on Friday 10 of October 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 the institutes you will need your ukulele, tuner, music stand, pencil, water and snacks.