Phil Doleman Brings Us the Blues….and more!
Our lovely and talented guest from across the pond, Phil Doleman, has come up with some inspiring 3-day classes and single workshops for the 2017 West Coast ‘Ukulele Retreat. Mark my words, or the words of anyone who attended last year: this man is a gifted performer and instructor!
Blues and Beyond
Here we’ll take a look at the evolution of the blues, from early riff-based forms to the 3-chord 12-bar pattern familiar to so many. But then we’ll take it a little further and on to the beginnings of jazz. We’ll learn a couple of classic blues songs, with fat jazz chords, some riffs and runs that really sound the business, whining string bends, double stops, and a few killer endings and turnarounds—all without the tedious business of going down to the crossroads and selling your soul. This is a 3-day class for intermediate to advanced players.
Clawhammer Uke
Clawhammer is a great 5-string banjo technique that, thanks to the high 4th string on the uke, will also work well for us. Once we’ve mastered the basic stroke, we’ll add some hammer-ons, pull-offs, double-thumbing, and drop-thumbing, working our way through some very simple tunes and culminating in the classic bluegrass tune, “Cripple Creek.” This 3-day class requires that you have an ukulele with the high-G tuning. And, while it is geared toward advanced beginners, if clawhammer is a new technique to you, regardless of your level of play we’ll all be starting on a level field.
Arranging for Ukulele Groups
Bored with your club or band strumming the same thing at the same time? (Sometimes referred to as incessant strumming syndrome.) Do you want to add more interest, color, rhythm, and polish to your playing? Then you won’t want to miss this one! We’ll play around with chord inversions, rhythmic devices, and harmony. We’ll build “big” chords from two “small” chords, and learn some percussive techniques. In fact, we’ll be learning all of the arranging techniques made famous by The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain! This is a one-time class, designed for players with Beginner through Intermediate abilities.
Get Into The Groove!
Make your playing stomp, swing, and groove, and get everyone’s feet tapping. We’ll cover getting a solid strum, chunking, swing, muting, 3-string voicings, stabs, stops, and even funk. This one is guaranteed to make your playing 100% more dance-able and is a Phil Doleman original, offered once, and a great choice for any and all players of intermediate through advanced skill.
And remember, Phil is just one of our uber-talented instructors whom you’ll be able to learn from, play and hobnob with at the West Coast ‘Ukulele Retreat. (I am especially excited to see if we can end up with something actually akin to the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain!)
We still have a few spots left and urge you to get your registrations in as soon as possible so you don’t miss out on this, “the most fun you can have with your ‘ukulele on!”
West Coast 'Ukulele Retreat 