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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
 Posted - 10/31/2007 : 07:25:48 AM
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I had a chance to attend a workshop in San Diego the other night. Daniel Ho and Herb Ohta Jr took the "tag team" approach and conducted two workshops on playing the ukulele. I was there early to attend the later intermediate/advanced class but Doug (promoter) and Lydia (Daniel's better-half) told me it was OK to sit in the back of the beginner class.
Since Daniel and Herb come from two different musical backgrounds in Honolulu their explanations and approaches to creating music are different and well worth the listen. Daniel tends to give the music theory and classical guitar style points and Herb gives the practical, Ohta-San raised, Hawaiian approach. Their on-stage banter is down-to-earth and funny -- no prima-donnas here. It is really interesting to hear both of their viewpoints and I think this method was able to reach more of the group. My wife-with-the-Master's-in-Education tells me that different people have different ways they assimilate information and learn. It may be a "left-brain/right-brain" dominant learning process; in any case, hearing both Herb and Daniel explain and demonstrate the concepts reinforced the material well.
In the first workshop, Herb and Daniel each were very patient and motivational to get the room of 30+ ukulele novices feeling comfortable with the instrument and playing a song in the key of C Major (cool, no sharps or flats ). The workshop was backed up with a handout from their first instructional book. When the group was finally at the end of their attention-span learning curve drop off, Herb and Daniel played a few duets to demonstrate how truly beautiful this instrument can sound.
The intermediate class focused on learning Herb's arrangement of Henehene Ko Aka. The music sheets with tablature were handed out (also found in their intermediate ukulele book) and Herb and Daniel took turns giving practical information on how to play this song. Herb explained his reasons for arranging the song with strums and up-beat rhythm changes mixed with melodic picking and picked vamps. Daniel explained the use of harmony in the arrangement, the parallel-sixths vamp, and then how to develop skills to improvise and build upon the arrangement in your own personal style. By the end of the long night, they had an ukulele orchestra sounding pretty good together. Again, when we were all tired of working hard to learn, Daniel and Herb gave a mini-concert.
For those of you that will be lucky enough to have them cruise through your town, you will get your money's worth to attend their one or more of their workshops.
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E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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