Workshops | Melbourne Ukulele Festival

CHRISSY

FUNKY STRUMMING

Saturday 16 March

930am-1030am

This workshop will introduce you to left-handed muting techniques and syncopated rhythms guaranteed to funk up your sound.

You'll begin with some basic left hand muting techniques and then work to a more intermediate and advanced level applying 8th and 16th note patterns that we will utilize in popular songs.

ALL LEVELS/INTERMEDIATE

434E776C-D7A0-43EF-9334-603FAF36503C - Jess Dunn.jpeg

POET AND THE FOOL

BLUEGRASS UKULELE STRUMMING & PICKING

Saturday 16 March

1045am-1145am

How to join in a bluegrass jam with some strumming techniques, etiquette and how to bluegrass a song!

BEGINNERS/INTERMEDIATE

VIC KENA

3 PILLARS TO GET TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Saturday 16 March

12pm-1pm

Vic Kena shines as a star, a true legend, and a cherished contributor to the ever-evolving tapestry of the music industry generously imparting his wealth of knowledge and skills to aspiring musicians, nurturing the next generation of ukulele virtuosos. Vic presents 3 Pillars to Get You to the Next Level.

Choose 1 area to work on. Strumming pattern, chord change, chord shape, picking or other
Focused practice. Go over this area until it becomes comfortable for you
Put it all together. Be patient. The results will come.

Vic will show examples and hopefully get some particpants of different levels up to show how this formula works.

You will leave this workshop understanding how to practice, what to practice and where to take your playing next.

ALL LEVELS

GYPSY RUMBLE

PUB CHOIR

Saturday 16 March

115pm-215pm

INCLUDED IN SATURDAY DAY PASS

Gypsy Rumble bring to you a workshop all about finding your voice both playing Ukulele and singing.

The band lead the workshop through some of their songs and some famous numbers!!

Harmonies will bring the room alight in this fun interactive workshop!

BEGINNERS/INTERMEDIATE

JANE CAMERON

LET'S WRITE A SONG!

Saturday 16 March

230pm-330pm

An interactive and engaging introduction to songwriting suitable for all levels.

Jane Cameron is a contemporary folk storyteller who blends folk, blues and jazz influences to create a sound that warms your bones and stories to soothe your heart.

Join Jane and share her songwriting insights, warmth and compassion as she shines a light on how we use music to connect and create meaning as human beings.

ALL LEVELS

TOM THE POM

SOMEWHERE OVER THE 3RD FRET

Saturday 16 March

345pm-445pm

How to get down to the dusty end of the neck.

This workshop will help demystify chords; what they are and how we make them, and how to make them sound pretty all over the ukulele fretboard.

We will touch upon chord inversions, scales and chord shapes.

C, Am, F and G never sounded so good!

ALL LEVELS

BRUCE WATSON

EASY SONGS THAT DON'T SUCK!

Sunday 17 March

11am-12pm

INCLUDED IN SUNDAY DAY PASS

If you are new to the ukulele (or just want to have fun with songs that don’t suck), Bruce will have you playing a tune in 5 minutes. And easy tunes don’t have to be dull and boring.

Bruce is an experienced ukulele group leader who knows how to make it easy – and fun (including for more experienced players).

ALL LEVELS

DUPLICITY

SPICE UP YOUR STRUMMING

Sunday 17 March

12pm-1pm

INCLUDED IN SUNDAY DAY PASS

Want to increase your strumming vocabulary and add more variety and texture to your songs?

This is the workshop for you.

Duplicity show you how to match strum patterns to songs and introduce light and shade into your strumming.

ALL LEVELS

Richard in naval costume - Richard A Sno

RICHARD SNOW

UNDERSTANDING MAJOR & MINOR KEYS

Sunday 17 March

1115am-1145am

INCLUDED IN SUNDAY DAY PASS

Understanding major and minor keys, chords and how they are constructed. Why do some chords go together? How do I change the key of a song?

ALL LEVELS

HOLLIS DWYER

ELECTRONICS & FX FOR UKULELE

Sunday 17 March

12pm-1pm

INCLUDED IN SUNDAY DAY PASS

An introduction to amplifying your Uke and creating a repertoire driven sound. The last thing Hollis ever expected was to amplify his Uke when he first started playing about 7 years ago. That proved very wrong when he was asked to join the amplified rhythm section of the Subiaco Ukulele Free For All (SUFFA) and to play on the main stage at the local Subiaco Street Festival. Each of these situations required a different solution.

This workshop will demonstrate the solutions he had to find to be part of that ‘Wall of Sound’ rhythm section but still maintain the ‘Ukeness’ of his instruments and to discover a ‘sonic signature’ that was appropriate for his groups' repertoire. Using his Ukuleles, Banjolele and Appalachian Dulcimer, Hollis will discuss and demonstrate how he created his own personal sound.

Workshop topics and demonstrations will include:

Pickups: Active or Passive? Transducer or Piezo
Choosing an Amp: Portability, Plug in or Battery?
My First Pedal: Pre Amplification, EQ, Compression, Feedback Control - Distortion and Overdrive Pedals
Changing Pitch and Dynamics: Octavers and Compressors
Creating Ambiance and Replicating Sound: Reverbs, Delays and Loopers

Extensive workshop notes will be available on request for workshop participants.

ALL LEVELS

CHRISSY

RHYTHM APPLICATION

Sunday 17 March

115pm-215pm

Would you like to have more strumming patterns in your arsonal? Would you like to know how to choose a pattern for a particular song? This is the swiss army knife of strumming workshops. We'll take a deep dive through some familiar tunes and apply some specialized rhythm patterns. You'll learn how to morph existing patterns together and come up with patterns of your own.

ALL LEVELS

KIM BURNS

UKESTRA TIME!

Sunday 17 March

1pm-2pm

INCLUDED IN SUNDAY DAY PASS

Ensemble Playing

In this workshop, participants explore a 4-part arrangement of one song. Each arrangement is targeted at a specific skill level (beginners, happy strummers, pickers and Ubass). After an initial introduction to the piece, participants 'choose' a part they wish to learn based on their ability and interest.

ALL LEVELS