Find out the latest from the world of Learn to Uke – lessons, workshops & more!

Want to Plug Your Ukulele In Here’s How…

Do you share the place you live in and want to practice without causing friction? Or, do you want to play gigs and plug your ukulele into a venue personal address system (PA system) or your own amp/speaker? There are a number of ways to do this.

Firstly, you’ll need an electric ukulele or electro-acoustic ukulele. A purely electric ukulele usually doesn’t make a lot of sound unless it’s plugged in, as it won’t have a body or a soundhole, whereas an electro-acoustic is much like a regular ukulele, but it has a ‘pick up’, meaning that you have a way to plug it in to an amplifier or headphones, using cables or a wireless transmitter. Next, you’ll need a way to attach it to the amp/sound desk, either by using an XLR lead and a jack lead, connected via a DI box, which is like a translator from the ukulele to the sound desk. There are also wireless transmitters. These have 2 separate parts that communicate with each other wirelessly, but one part might need wires in order to connect it to power or the sound desk. Take a look at amplification paraphernalia, here.

Online Ukulele Course

We are introducing a structured online ukulele course, which is tried-and-tested and brings you the best bits of our years of running ukulele courses in London.

Please sign up to receive information about these courses when they arrive.

Alumni Summer Party Aboard Tamesis Dock…

Bring Friends. All Are Welcome!

Tomorrow night is our summer party aboard the Tamesis Dock. Whilst it’s a boat party, the Tamesis is a beautiful 1930’s Dutch Barge which, as it’s name suggests, is docked. You are free to come and go at whatever time you like.

For those of you who like to skim read:

Where: Tamesis Dock. Near Lambeth Bridge. Vauxhall Tube.

When: Wednesday 2 August, from 18:00(ish) til 23:30(ish).*
*Basically, head down after work. We’ll start strumming at 19:30-20:00 til pub close.

How much? Free!

Is there a bar? Yes!

Do they do food? Yes!

Do they take cards? Yes!

We will be using the Ukulele Wednesdays Songbook to strum songs from and we’ll be showing the chords/lyrics on screen but do grab a copy, just in case.

Ahoy me hearties. You are welcome to fancy dress if you like? Pirates? Hula? Whatever nautical theme you like.

See you on board!

Amanda, Howard, Laura, Lorraine x

Brush Up Your Performance with our Ukulele Summer School

I am so excited about our upcoming workshops that I had to write about it so you can see them all in one place. For every Tuesday in June I’ve brought specialists in their field to help you hone various ukulele related skills. Without further ado, here’s the list:

Tuesday 20 June – Write a song and perform it on stage with Tricity Vogue
Learn the art of songwriting by writing a song together – and then perform it at Ukelele Cabaret with Tricity Vogue. We’ll use well-tried tricks and techniques to pick a theme, choose a style, shape the chords and melody, and create a catchy tune with a singalong chorus.
Book here

Tuesday 27 June – Prepare For Your Open Mic with Lord Hicks
Whether you’ve played at a few open mic nights or you like the idea of it but have yet to dip your toe in, this workshop will help you consider your performance and bring your A-game with Lord Hicks.
Book here

Tuesday 11 July – Make A Music Video with Low-Key Ukulele
If you’ve always fancied covering your favourite song or recording your own original material and uploading it to YouTube, but want to be a bit more creative, this workshop will get you started.
Book here

Tuesday 6 June – Develop Your Musical Ear with Robin Brown
If you’ve always wanted to know how to work out what chords are being played in a song or what the strumming pattern is, these two workshops will help you to do exactly that.

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