
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS


AUTLA Masterclass
Brought to you be the Australia Ukulele Teachers & Leaders Association - a full day of Masterclasses to improve your ukulele playing!
Friday 17 March - 10am to 340pm


DEAD MANS UKE​
Building An Act
Aimed at groups and performers - stage tips, planning and advice on building an entertaining act that will wow your audience. This is real world experience - come along and explore how you can build your unique act!

BETTY FRANCE​
Barre Chords for Ukulele
TBA

AMIE BRULEE
Tips & Tricks to Make Your Playing Easier
Delve into the mechanics of playing the ukulele – how your muscles and bones connect with each other and the strings – to get the best sound with the least effort. We’ll explore how subtle changes in the way your hold your instrument and move your body can make playing the notes a whole lot easier. Amie will share a bagful of physical tricks she’s collected over the years (including her magic elbow trick) and a bunch of practice techniques to help you get the most out your practice time.

CAMERON MURRAY
​
Strumming Masterclass
Saturday 18 March
930am-1030am
​
Spice up your strumming with expert tips and tricks! Cameron is known for his fast and complex strums and he'll break down some of his techniques so you can take your performance to the next level...or just have more fun with your uke! This workshop is aimed at intermediate players, but ukers of all levels will get something out of it.
​
ALL LEVELS/INTERMEDIATE

DEAD MANS UKE​
​
The Fine Art of
Dum Ching
Saturday 18 March
1045am-1145am
​
Working with the finest purveyors of dum-ching themselves, participants in this workshop will get a chance to lift the lid on the great Dead Mans Uke performance style and learn what makes things work so well. You’ll learn things you can apply to your own playing and you’re sure to come away with a party trick or a good story or two.
​
BEGINNERS/INTERMEDIATE
​
​
​
​
​
​
​

B.S. ROBERTS​
​
Fingerpicking Guide to the Galaxy
Saturday 18 March
12pm-1pm
​
Join Ben from the "Worlds Most Dangerous Ukulele Group" in a journey of his most used and secret Ukulele fingerpicking techniques.
With over fifteen rolls and picks, and a pocket full of secret tips and tricks to get the most out of your fingerpicking.
Helping build dynamic in your songs, helping add some extra flavour when playing with groups and getting the muscles in those fingers strong and fast.
​
​
BEGINNERS/INTERMEDIATE
​
​
​
​
​

JACK N JEL
​
Strumming & Timing - The Great Understated Skills
Saturday 18 March
115pm-215pm
​
We first learn with the fretting hand, but then the high level skills are really in the strumming/picking hand. This targeted workshop helps people develop their timing, their ear for good accompaniment, their strumming and their picking. From feathering to emph-a-sis or emphas-is, from travis to inside-outside, strumming and picking is the bane of many an ukulele player’s existence. The workshop uses a variety of songs and genres to ac-cent-u-ate the positive and e-lim-inate the negative.
​
BEGINNERS/INTERMEDIATE
​
%20-%20TyroneUkulele_edited_jp.jpg)
TYRONE​
​
Strumalong
Saturday 18 March
230pm-330pm
​
This experience, open to players of all skill levels, offers learning around half-chords, simple strumming and basic choral singing. Once you register for the workshop you’ll have access to a package on online materials (chord chart, friendly instructional video) which will give you head start, if you want, and within the session we’ll cover key and incidental skills in playing and singing with uke in groups. Your participation in the concert is envisaged as a beautiful surprise: optional, low-stress, played from your position in the audience, and we’ll talk more about it on the day.
​
ALL LEVELS​

DUPLICITY
​
Arranging Songs for Ukulele Groups
Saturday 18 March
4pm-5pm
​
In this workshop we’ll look at how to arrange a song in multiple parts for a ukulele group. We’ll take a popular song, break it down to its component parts and then reassemble it using only ukuleles. You’ll identify the rhythm, strum patterns and other distinctive elements that make a song unique and how to incorporate these into your arrangement. This workshop is applicable to groups, duos and individual players.
​
ALL LEVELS

DEAD MANS UKE
​
Under the Covers
Sunday 19 March
230pm-330pm
​
Tim & Jake Smithies are a stripped down Ukulele & Double Bass combo playing old blues, americana and anything else they like - stompin all the way.
​
You will learn an old 80s classic - learning about song choice, arrangements and how to add your spin to craft a cover version that's uniquely yours!
Suitable for all abilities, you'll learn how to play an 80s classic as well as learn some principles you can apply to your playing too.
​
ALL LEVELS

THE THIN WHITE UKES
​
Bowie Song
Sunday 19 March
345pm-445pm
​
Spend some time with The Thin White Ukes learning some of the skills that makes their performances so unique and exciting.
A workshop with the Thin White Ukes will leave you inspired and ready to rock!
​
ALL LEVELS

FREE WORKSHOPS

-2.jpeg)
TERRY MCNIFF
​
Play Lead Uke in 60 Seconds
Sunday 19 March
1115am-1145am
FREE WORKSHOP
​
​
ALL LEVELS

RUSSELL STRINGER
​
Ukulele for Guitarists
Sunday 19 March
12pm-1230pm
FREE WORKSHOP
​
A workshop for people who would like some ideas on translating their guitar knowledge onto the ukulele. Possible topics include: moving chord shapes to 4 strings instead of 6 strings; bar chords or mobile chords moving up the neck; chord embellishments/extensions; scales, melodies and improvising on 4 strings; right hand techniques for strumming and finger picking.
​
ALL LEVELS

THE BRASS TRAPS
​
Ukulele Party Tricks
Sunday 19 March
2pm-230pm
FREE WORKSHOP
​
Ways of getting unusual sounds or visual impact out of your ukulele playing!
​
ALL LEVELS

KIM BURNS
​
Ukestra Magic!
Sunday 19 March
1pm-2pm
FREE WORKSHOP
​
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. They will then have a 40min intensive session with their allocated 'groups leader' to learn their part. After the 'intensive session' all group will come back together to play the song in its entirety.
​
ALL LEVELS