Teaching Approach:

My teaching method is based on the conviction 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 approach 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

Skype lessons are availalbe for individual lessons at request 

 

What others say:

„Katharina has both a refreshing yet methodical approach to teaching the ukulele, starting from basic principles, you soon find yourself able to play decent tunes.  As well as perfecting chord sounds, fingering and rhythm, Katharina also teaches how to appreciate the spirit of ukulele playing.  Other aspects include discovering chord combinations and developing your own riffs and compositions ... with Katharina's enthusiasm its hard not to get addicted.  Whether you are in this seriously, or just to cheer yourself up, I wholeheartedly recommend Katharina as a ukulele teacher.“

L. Irwin, European Patent Office

 

„Die weltbeste Ukulelelehrerin, die mir so toll dieses kleine Instrument naeher gebracht hat!“

 R.Butz

 

"Eine ganz schoen tolle Lehrerin. Sehr motivierend." 

Julia Bayer

 

"Thank you for a fun and inspiring workshop"

 J. Hands, poet & writer

 

„Katharina's vocal tuition for me was, by turns, thrilling, embarrassing, hysterical, painful, exhausting - but most of all, productive. By the end of this one amazing session I could truly feel my limited scrapy voice beginning to respond to what I wanted it to do. Repeated practice of Katharina's exercises has strengthened my voice and my confidence in it to the point where I have my own first solo gig coming up. So with thanks I say "Bravo, Katharina!"

 P. Griffin, musician, Graphic designer

 

“My ability has improved dramatically since starting the lessons, and Katharina has really helped me by teaching in a very sensitive and encouraging manner.”

 H. Wace

 

 

 

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 a few songs up your sleeve with which you can impress family & friends and/or your cat/dog.

 

 

Beginners Ukulele workshop series:

 The Beginners Ukulele workshop series covers a more in-depth content of the once-off beginners course:

•  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
•  Care for the instrument
•  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 from the beatles

 

Intermediate Ukulele 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.

•  Changing strings
•  Blues Scale
•  Tricks/Accents/Dynamics that make playing a song unique and fun
•  (Slapping, sliding, benidng notes, hammering, 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 chordfamilies Recognising different ways of learning and what works for each person

 

Body percussion Once-Off Workshop for Beginners

In this Workshop we will

•  explore the rhythms of our body (breathing, walking, eyelid batting etc)
•  explore the vast repertoir of sounds our bodies can make
•  explore the basics of pulse, time signatures and how rhythm patterns and grooves are created
•  explore the relationship to rhythm in different cultures
•  improvise/compose different layers of grooves to foster coordination, timing, body awareness, a healthy circulation and have pure fun!

This is a fun workshop for everyone who wants to get (back) into the groove and into their body, enjoys (or is in need of) movement and being creative in a group environment. It is also suitable for those who play an instrument and have difficulty with timing or understanding rhythm/patterns.