Introducing
Ukulele for Adults
A Group Course for Beginners
Next course starts 29 January 2025.
‘Great fun, amazing teacher, loved every class!’
– A. Casey
‘I loved every minute of it. Had no idea that I would actually be able to play songs on the ukulele after just a few weeks!’
– S. Thompson
Course Description
The ukulele has come a long way from when it was first introduced to Hawaii in 1879. Today it’s one of the most popular instruments in the world – and with good reason. It is accessible, rewarding and beautifully versatile.
Designed for absolute beginners, Waltons New School of Music’s Introducing Ukulele for Adults course is the ideal way to kick start your uke playing. Participants will learn fundamental techniques, chords, strumming patterns and fingerstyle in a fun and supportive group setting. Everything is taught through popular music (pop, rock and folk), and by the end of the course you will not only have the necessary skills to play the songs you love, you will have already started doing so!
Enrol in this course.
Questions about the course?
or call us on (01) 478 1884.
In-School & Online Tuition
We offer two versions of this course, in-school, which takes place in the New School, and online, which takes place wherever you are – anywhere in Ireland or around the world.
For both versions of the course, participants will need to have good quality concert or soprano ukuleles for classes and practice, as well as having their ukuleles in tune before classes begin. (See the Recommended Instruments tab for a list of recommended ukuleles, which are available at discounts from Waltons Music for course participants, and the Tuning Your Ukulele tab for information on tuning ukuleles.)
In-School Version
The health and safety of both students and staff at the New School is of the utmost importance to us, and we have made a number of changes to the school, its equipment and our policies to make in-school tuition safe during the time of COVID-19. These include:
- Perspex screens in every classroom.
- Installation of HEPA air filtration/purification units where necessary.
- Antiseptic dispensers available throughout the school.
- Cleaning and disinfection of both classroom instruments and furniture between lessons and classes.
- Regular cleaning of public spaces.
See our COVID-19 Safety Policy page for more information on what we have done, as well as the protocols we expect all in-school students and visitors to follow.
Online Version
In addition to ukuleles, online course participants will need:
- An internet-connected laptop, computer, tablet or smartphone. (A laptop or computer with webcam and microphone is recommended, as it will have the largest picture.)
- Ideally, internet speed at least 1.5Mb per second. (You can test your speed using Measurement Lab’s Speed Test.)
- Headphones or earbuds, if possible.¹
- Free Zoom software or app.²
- Waltons Music has Zoom headphones and microphones that are ideal for online music tuition and are available at 5% discounts for students enrolled in the course. If you would like to obtain a discount, please contact Waltons with your instrument choice and include a scan or photo of your course payment receipt.
- If you haven’t learned music with Zoom before, please see our printable Zoom for Students information sheet for information on how to download and set up Zoom for music tuition.
Before the course begins, the teacher will email you a Zoom meeting invitation that includes a meeting ID and password to join the first class.
This course covers Stage 1 of the New School’s ten-stage system of student progress and assessment, which culminates in a teaching or performing qualification (Stage 10) should the student progress that far. Participants who successfully complete the course can be issued with a certificate of completion of Stage 1. If you are taking the course, please let the school office know if you would like this certificate. See About Our Stage System for more information.
Have you enrolled in this course?
Download our Introductory Handout
for tips on how to get the most from it.
See Summer Introducing Ukulele for Adults
for the summer version of this course.
Introducing Ukulele for Adults is one of the New School’s group courses for adult beginners. We also offer private ukulele lessons in a range of genres for students of all ages and skill levels (see Guitar • Bass • Ukulele Tuition for more information), as well as an Introducing Ukulele for Children https://www.newschool.ie/tuition/group-courses-for-beginners/introducing-ukulele-for-children/Introducing Ukulele for Childrencourse for children aged 6-8.
John Harding
John received his first ukulele as a childhood Christmas gift. He played it for several years as a precursor to learning the guitar with his father, so it was for him a much-loved entry into the world of string instruments. He has also been learning and playing piano since he was four years old, attaining an RIAM Senior Certificate at an early age. He began to study and play double bass with the Carlow Youth Orchestra as a teenager, receiving a Music Generation scholarship for his tuition. As a piano, guitar and bass player, John has been an active and in-demand performer on the pop, rock and jazz music scenes in Ireland for many years, performing with various acts, touring extensively around the country and performing at festivals such as Electric Picnic, Other Voices and All Together Now. While in university, he served as director and bandleader of the Trinity College Jazz Big Band for several years. John has experience teaching a range of instruments and is also an administrator with the New School.
George Mercer
George’s love for music in all its forms stemmed from listening to his family’s large CD collection, which inspired him to begin writing his own music and playing in different bands as a teenager. He went on to study music at Dundalk IT, where he specialised in composition and developed his performance skills in a range of genres, including popular, Irish traditional and classical. After graduation, he focused on writing and performing music with his own Indie-Electronic group, My Tribe Your Tribe, touring and playing in festivals around the country, including Electric Picnic, Body and Soul and Other Voices. George has also performed extensively as a session musician for other artists (Maud in Cahoots, Cillian King Band, Emma Langford, Sirmione), touring New York, Russia and in theatre settings and venues throughout Ireland. In 2014, he joined the Dublin Alt-Pop group, Maud in Cahoots, in the presentation of the music theatre piece, Well Rested Terrorist, at the Tiger Fringe Festival, in which the live band rearranged new versions of their music to interweave with the show’s experimental choreography. He is also a keen DJ and music producer, releasing music and performing under his electronic moniker, Sylvian. George has extensive teaching experience, both in music schools and privately, and he is passionate about instilling in his students the confidence and openness to explore their own musical voices in an encouraging, patient and relaxed learning environment. In addition to this course, he teaches our Introducing Ukulele for Children and Introducing Guitar for Adults courses.
Reviews • Testimonials
‘I took part in the online Ukulele for Adults course, followed by partner lessons, during the summer. The classes were excellent, and I learned much more than I could have hoped for in such a short space of time. I thoroughly enjoyed the classes and would have no hesitation in recommending the course.’
– E. Kennedy
‘Small class, lovely teacher, lovely students.’
– S. Lawlor
‘I loved the ukulele classes. I started with zero knowledge, but within weeks I was playing along to some great songs. The teacher is an accomplished and talented musician, and his love for music comes through in his classes. He was patient, positive and encouraging at all times. Great fun, highly recommended!’
– Y. Murphy
‘Fantastic course and great teacher. Learned far more than I expected to in 10 weeks!’
– R. O’Sullivan
‘I’ve really enjoyed learning a new instrument and new songs, as well as the group camaraderie. The teacher is very patient!’
– J. Reilly
Have you taken – or are you taking – this course? We would appreciate it if you could take a few moments to give us your feedback in a brief online questionnaire about it.
2024-2025 Second Term
Course Schedule & Fee
10 weeks, 29 January – 9 April 2025
(No class on 19 February – Mid-Term Break)
Wednesdays 7 – 8 pm
Teacher: John Harding
Course Type: In-School
Tuition Fee: €220
Enrolment
Enrolment for this course requires a completed Enrolment Form and full payment of the tuition fee. Places are limited to eight and are available on a first-come, first-served basis, based on the date of enrolment. Many of our group courses fill in advance of their start dates, and early enrolment is recommended.
Purchasing this course as a gift?
Please complete a Gift Certificate Booking Form.
Questions about the course?
Recommended Instruments
There are many ukuleles available (including some that are little more than toys), but the following instruments – all available from Waltons Music – are recommended for their quality and affordability:
- Lag TKU8C Concert Ukelele • €79.99
- Lag TKU110C Concert Ukulele • €125
- Lag TKU150CE Concert Ukulele • €239
Lag Ukuleles can be purchased from Waltons Music at 5% discounts for students enrolled in the course. If you would like to obtain a discount, please contact Waltons with your instrument choice and include a scan or photo of your course payment receipt.
What happens after the course?
Two weeks before the end of each Introducing course, participants will be given options for continuing their tuition with the New School if they would like to do so. Although an ‘improvers’ or continuation course cannot be scheduled on the same day/time as the Introducing course, one can be arranged if enough course participants would like to continue and the teacher has timetable availability or there is timetable availability with another teacher. Participants can also continue their tuition with private (one-to-one) lessons or ‘partner’ lessons with another class member. (See Tuition Options – Private • Partner • Small Group Lessons.) We are happy to discuss these options with you.
Tuning Your Ukulele
Tuning your ukulele – and keeping it in tune – is an essential first step to playing it. Here are some simple instructions, as well as ukulele tuning apps.
Strings
The open strings of a ukulele, from thickest to thinnest, are:
- G, the fourth string (furthest left on the fretboard)
- C, the third string
- E, the second string
- A, the first string
Tuning
- The A string. Begin by tuning the first string (A). If you have another instrument such as a piano or keyboard, you can use it to tune the string. If you have no device or instrument handy, just try to get it as accurate as possible; what really counts when you are playing is that the ukulele is in tune with itself.
- The E String. Place your finger just behind the fifth fret on the second string (E). That’s an A note. When you pick the first string (A), it should sound the same. You can adjust the second string with the tuning pegs on the headstock until they do.
- The C string. Place your finger just behind the fourth fret on the third string (C). That’s an E note. When you pick the second string (E), it should sound the same. You can adjust the third string with the tuning pegs on the headstock until they do.
- The G string. Most ukuleles are tuned with a high G string. Place your finger just behind the second fret on the fourth string (G). That’s an A note. When you pick the first string (A), it should sound the same. You can adjust the fourth string with the tuning pegs on the headstock until they do.
Tuning Apps
There are a number of free smartphone ukulele tuning apps available, and here are three of the most popular:
Ukulele Tuner
Android Only:
Tunefor Ukulele Tuner
iOS Only:
GuitarTuna – Tuner for Guitar Ukulele Bass
Android:
iOS:
A wide range of clip-on electronic tuners, which are inexpensive and easy to use, are also available.
About the Ukulele
The ukulele – in the form of a Portuguese branguinha, a small guitar-like instrument, sometimes called the machete – was introduced to Hawaii in 1879 by a Portuguese immigrant named João Fernandez. Hawaiians were so impressed by his flying fingers that they called the instrument ukulele, Hawaiian for ‘jumping flea’. By the turn of the century, the instrument (pronounced ‘oo-ku-lay-lay’ by Hawaiians) was ubiquitous throughout the islands, partly due to the enthusiastic support of King Kalākaua, who learned to play it himself, and whose court featured frequent ukulele performances.
The ukulele’s popularity spread to the US in 1915, when the Panama-Pacific International Exposition lured over 17 million visitors to San Francisco, and one of its biggest attractions was the hula dance and song performances at the Hawaii Pavilion. What mainland Americans lacked in understanding of their exotic territory’s music, they made up for in enthusiasm. A reporter for the Hartford Courant described how ‘the wonderfully sweet voices and weird melodies of these ukalele (sic) players strike a plaintive heart-note never to be forgotten once heard.’ The ukulele’s popularity spread quickly when American songwriters began composing music with Hawaiian themes and sounds during the 1920s. Ukulele players proved popular on vaudeville stages, and the little instrument became strongly associated with the Jazz Age.
The Great Depression provided another gateway for the ukulele. As sales of pianos, accordions, and other more expensive instruments waned, the ukulele rose to peak popularity in the 1930s. Bluegrass music took off during this period as well, and the ukulele is still strongly associated with the string-band phenomenon.
Although the presence of ukuleles in popular music continued through the 1960s, in part thanks to the production of millions of inexpensive plastic ukes, watching them played on film and television by Bing Crosby, Betty Grable, and Elvis Presley (Blue Hawaii was Presley’s biggest box-office hit) and finally Tiny Tim’s unlikely 1968 hit, ‘Tiptoe Through the Tulips’, the instrument’s popularity declined. The uke’s fortunes improved in the 1990s, spurred in part by the immense popularity of ‘Over the Rainbow’ and ‘What a Wonderful World’ performed by the Hawaiian musician Israel Kamakawiwo’ole. Since then, its comeback has been reinforced by numerous rock, pop and folk performers who have taken up the instrument. Eddie Vedder, for example, bought a ukulele on a trip to Hawaii, fell in love with the instrument and recorded the Grammy Award winning album Ukulele Songs (2011). Today the ukulele is one of the most popular instruments in the world – and with good reason. It is accessible, rewarding and beautifully versatile.
Ukulele on YouTube
‘If everyone played the ukulele, the world would be a better place.’
– Jake Shimabukuro