I like to approach teaching assuming that rhythm & music lives in every thing and every one, (walking, heartbeat, eyelid batting, breathing etc.) it is just a matter of fostering each unique person's inate sense of Rhythm and Melody and a natural curiosity to discover it. Hence my teaching method tackles music making and music theory in a playful, joyful and practical way in which music can be grasped first on a hands-on intuitive and imitational way before it is analyzed. Through games and exercises musical phenomenon becomes not only mental but physical experience that is internalized and can not be forgotten.

As an educator it is important to be aware not only of what to teach but also how to teach, why you teach, who you teach and who is teaching, as everyone learns and processes information and experience differently. With this in mind, lessons are not based on a rigid goal but on the pace it takes each student to fully make it their own. At the end of a teaching phase or a workshop the student has the option to bring her/his accomlishments from the practise room into the real world and perform in front of friends & family at an organised gathering or an open mic. This is absolutely optional but usually great fun!

All lessons/workshops available in english or german

Online lessons on zoom or whats app are availalbe for individual lessons at request

Tuition/Workshops

Once-off Ukulele Workshops

In once off workshops you will get to know the basic history, anatomy and tuning of the Ukulele and learn the fundamental aspects of ukulele playing:

Through playing simple songs we can build a basic repertoir of chords, strumming and plucking patters, experience the difference between melody playing and chord accompaniment, and finding notes on the fretboard. Through games and exercises you'll learn how to read chord charts, tabs and notation and understand simple time signatures and note values. At the end of the workshop you will have a basic grasp of what Ukulele Playing is all about and repertoir of songs up your sleeve with which you can impress family & friends and/or your cat/dog.

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BEGINNERS WORKSHOP SERIES

The Beginners Ukulele workshop series offers an in-depth exploration of the rudiments of Ukulele playing:

History, anatomy & classification of the instrument

Different methods of tuning the Ukulele

Getting to know the fretboard

The do’s and dont’s of posture,finger placing & strumming/plucking

Learning to find the notes of the C major scale and play them freely

Chordfamilies

Communication and memorisation in music

Recognising timesignatures, chord families, intervals

Building up a repertoir of strumming and plucking patters well as a variety of chords through playing classic simple songs like Happy Birthday and all time favourite classics

INTERMEDIATE WORKSHOP SERIES

In the intermediate series of workshops we will tackle more challenging songs and instrumentals and getting to know our own growing musicianship through playing in ensemble and sharpening our listening and timing skills. We will be learning to change the strings on the Ukulele and getting to know other scales including blues scales, in order to improvise and compose more easily.

Other aspects we 'll be learning are:

Blues Scale

Tricks/Accents/Dynamics that make playing a song unique and fun

(Slapping, sliding, bending notes, hammering offs and on`s, muffling)

Transposing of a piece based on ideal vocal range etc into different keys

Intervals between notes and within chords

Advanced plucking and strumming patterns

Researching/choosing/Interpreting/arranging/individualizing/ a song –help to help yourself

Recognising different chord families

Recognising different ways of learning and what works for each person

Researching new material on the internet (links to great sites)

Keeping time - playing along to the merciless metronome, our perception on our time versus that of the metronome

Understanding/Playing chord-melody pieces and how to turn single melody lines into chordmelody arrangements

....and much more - you can also mention aspects that are important to you and I will do my best to include them in the course

​KAT'S UKULELE COMPANION

Where do you learn more than in teaching others? Throughout my years of teaching and playing I have learned a great deal about how humans like to learn, how to combine different skill levels in one group and piece, how motivational quick achievements with short pieces can be, and how the highest joy and ambition is inspired by the right choice of song. Alongside constant research for new materials I also started to compose tailor made pieces for my students and groups. Some liked Blues, some classical music, some slow ballads and some fast jigs. Some of the greatest fun in compiling/composing them in my now available books is to name the pieces. Some of them are named after the student I composed it for, some after obscure ideas in my mind at the time.

​VOUCHERS

Would you like to gift someone a Ukulele Lesson/s or a Workshop/course?

I can send you a graphically charming and personalised voucher as a PDF file via email, that you can print out, cut out and give away.

​UKULELE RETREATS

What is more rejuvinating than to enjoy a break from the daily routine and treat yourself to a few days of Ukulele fun in the sun, air filled with the fragrance of jasmine, hikes in nature, swims in cool mountain lakes and delicious Italian meals with likeminded Ukulele afficionadi's

to round off the days in Italy. Check out my latest retreat dates on the home page.

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OPTIONAL PERFORMANCES/VIDEOS

I like to offer my students the option to perform either on an open stage and/or in a fun video (with my direction and participation including singing harmonies at request) This is a great goal to work towards and ads extra focus on practising, a great atmosphere and sense of accomplishment and confidence. With the changing participation of students our name "Kat and the anonymous Ukoholics" their names stay protected and keep their involvement open at all times. ​​​​​

​The choice of pieces performed are carefully curated and based on the abilities and preferences of the students - From well known song covers to obscure instrumentals, and my own pieces I have composed for my students in Kat's Ukulele Companion/ Tunes for Reverie - the main object is to have fun, and to love what you are playing. The love and joy for a particular piece makes for the highest motivation to play it and remember it well

Music in Education

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