Ukulele Lessons
Learning the Ukulele
The Ukulele is an excellent starting point for beginners to enter the world of music. In Ukulele lessons, students will develop a solid musical foundation by learning the basics of music theory, playing by ear, strumming and fingerpicking along to the favourite songs and music styles.
We offer ukulele lessons for ages 6 and up. For students wanting to learn ukulele with a friend, parent, or sibling, we also offer semi-private ukulele lessons. These lessons are for a maximum of 2 students, and suitable for beginners or students who are at the same playing level.
Ukulele lessons are usually taken once per week for 30, 45, or 60 minutes, and are available for booking 7 days a week. Students must have their own ukulele to bring to lessons and practice on at home, and advanced ukulele students are encouraged to explore our guitar lesson program.
During the early stages, within your first ukulele few lessons, ukulele students will learn the proper way to hold their instrument in order to create good habits from the start. From there, ukulele students will learn the basics of thumbing and strumming, and will learn to play their first chord. Students will also learn about the 4 strings on their ukulele, how to move and position their chording hand, and eventually how to read and play chord diagrams.
History of the Ukulele
Developed in the 1880’s as a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin, the ukulele is a small, guitar-like instrument with strings. The tone and volume of a ukulele will vary depending on how they’re built, but they generally come in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone.
The ukulele is an important piece of Hawaiian culture, as it was one of the first culture to popularize the instrument. It all started in the late 1800’s, when Portuguese immigrants introduced the instrument to local Hawaiians. It didn’t take long for King Kalākaua, the last king and monarch of Hawaii, to support and promote the ukulele, leading to early production and distribution of Hawaiian ukuleles.
The ukulele was popularized in Canada in the 1960’s when educator J. Chalmers Doane used the then inexpensive and practical ukulele to boost musical literacy in the classroom. At the peak of Doane’s program called ‘Ukulele in the Classroom’, 50,000 students and adults were taught the Ukulele.
