The ukulele is an easy to learn instrument that can accompany singing and bring joy. It’s a skill to play and sing at the same time or sing in tune and in sync while playing the ukulele. Seasoned ukulele players have confessed that while they can finger and switch between chords quickly and strum like a pro, they find certain tasks daunting or even impossible to do by themselves.
How do you find the first note of a song if it’s not specified? How do you start a song if there’s no leader or anyone else around to guide you? How do you find the starting note without following a video or audio recording? How can you make sure you’re starting on the right note without being in a group where you can hear everyone else?
Once you’ve found the starting note, how can you accompany yourself without getting lost? Is there a way to get good at singing and playing at the same time? Are there short cuts?
How do you know if you need to transpose the chords so you can sing more easily, more comfortably and more powerfully? How can you tell that the song sheet isn’t arranged optimally for your voice range?
It all begins with an awareness. Know thyself. Know your voice. Hear yourself sing.
When we tune our ukuleles to a clip-on tuner, we do it visually. We don’t need our ears. Unfortunately there is no clip-on tuner for our voice. We need to listen.
A new course called “Hum & Strum” aims to focus on addressing the above challenges.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or an advanced ukulele player. If you find yourself either or struggling or not being able to find the starting note, you will benefit from this course. Alternatively, you might have been told that you’re not singing in tune. You may find it easier to play without singing than try to sing and play at the same time, so you have not had enough practice doing both.
. This one-hour class in Zoom is arranged such that you get one-on-one coaching on your voice in the breakout room for 10 minutes while the rest of the class learns rhythm and strums in the main room. The tuition includes a PDF handout with links to class video recordings after each session by e-mail. Weekly exercises will be customized to the needs of the participants.
This course was first given in November 2020 over five consecutive weeks, January 2021 for 7 weeks, Summer 2021 for 7 weeks.
Introducing vocal coach: Bruce Boreham
Bruce Wilson Boreham has been singing professionally for most of his life. For many years, Bruce was professor by day, rockstar by night. He taught for 25 years at the University of Venice, initially English as a Second Language, then Screenwriting. He has sung as the lead singer in bands and choirs performing gospel, progressive rock, swing, and modern opera. He has composed the original music and lyrics for several of these music groups.
In his native California, he first encountered Italian in the Madrigal Singers, ancient music in the Collegium Musicum. He came to live in Europe after graduating from the University of California in Social Ecology.
Bruce trained with Bobby McFerrin, Jay Clayton and the Swingle Singers, and has worked as their assistant in Italy. Bruce began teaching people how to sing in the 1990s at the first jazz school in Venice, his adopted hometown. For two decades he participated in international conventions and voice teacher training through AICI (the Italian Singing Teachers’ Association), of which he eventually became part of its board of directors. He continues to do voice coaching and consulting for would-be singers and stars in their studio recording productions and performances.
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