Students strum along to island instrument

Ukulele lessons draw big crowds weekly at library


Mike Delyi, left, and Rod Bennett strum along to ukulele lessons Thursday at the library. Led by Kathy Brownell, there are about 30 students learning the Hawaiian instrument during the 10-week workshop that began in March. PHOTO BY ANDREA VON HOHENLEITEN

Mike Delyi, left, and Rod Bennett strum along to ukulele lessons Thursday at the library. Led by Kathy Brownell, there are about 30 students learning the Hawaiian instrument during the 10-week workshop that began in March. PHOTO BY ANDREA VON HOHENLEITEN

Although it was perfected in the Pacific, a traditional Hawaiian instrument has ridden the wave to the Atlantic coastline of Narragansett Bay.

Led by Cole Street’s Kathy Brownell, ukulele lessons for beginning strummers have been ongoing since March 28 at the North Road library. While these workshops are free, students bring their own instruments and music stands to the classes.

A frequent strummer at farmers markets and talent shows, the motivation for Brownell’s program was the frequent feedback she received from intrigued bystanders. Wanting to tickle their curiosity, she contacted the Friends of the Jamestown Library to see if the group wanted to sponsor lessons, which it did. The inaugural program in September was tabbed for six weeks.

“There was such an interest that they wanted to continue,” she said. “So, we did it for another six weeks.”

The spring session, which ends in mid-June, features a second group of beginners being taught by Brownell. Seasoned students, however, were not snubbed. Amateur ukulele players who completed the fall session have continued honing their skills during intermediate workshops immediately after the beginners are dismissed.

“They know a little more and play a bit more difficult music,” Brownell said.

During the inaugural class of the spring session, Brownell overviewed the basics of the ukulele, including the names of the four strings and which fingers are used to play the instrument. When she told her students they were ready to play a song, with just this introductory knowledge, the class was stunned.

“They were amazed that after one class, they could play a song or two,” she said. “Each song, we add a little bit of technique to what we have learned. Hopefully, at the end of 10 weeks, they’ll be proficient in their little adventure.”

Aloha to the ukulele

Brownell began playing the ukulele seven years ago after local musician James Rocha, a former professional surfer, sparked her interest during a presentation at the library.

“I played the guitar before I played the ukulele, so I had a little bit of knowledge,” she said. “I thought I’d like to give it a try.”

Brownell fell in love with the instrument, and she wasn’t alone. With their shared passion, these like-minded islanders developed the Jamestown Ukulele Group, and that ensemble has been seen performing under the pavilion at Fort Getty, on the stoop of the recreation center and indoors at the senior center.

There are 30 students in Brownell’s workshop, ranging from Lawn School Warriors to Baby Boomers.

“There are some 13-year-olds,” she said, “and I’m sure that maybe the oldest one in the class is close to 80.”

The class includes 10 students from the fall session who have returned to polish the basics before the intermediate class starts. Trisha McElroy is among that contingency.

“To me, it’s just practice,” she said. “I don’t mind doing it again. It’s an hour before regular lessons.”

Before joining Brownell’s workshop, McElroy had no experience playing an instrument. She decided to learn the ukulele because of its perceived simplicity.

“The ukulele is four strings,” she said. “I thought this might be something I’ll be able to do. You don’t have to know a thousand chords to play these songs on ukulele.”

According to McElroy, the intermediate class has been a progression of the skills she learned last year. She credited Brownell with introducing the experienced students to more chords.

“In the beginning class, you learn four chords, and if you learn those four chords, you can play 100 or more songs,” she said. “When you get into the intermediate, you do a lot more complicated chords. I’m learning them, but I need to practice more.”

Little strummer boy

According to Brownell, the students in her ukulele class have varying levels of musicianship. While some of them have never made music, others had rudimentary knowledge of the ukulele or played another string instrument, like the guitar or violin.

Mike Delyi, who played the guitar and bass before he signed up for the spring class, said the biggest difference between those instruments and the ukulele is the chord structure.

“It’s something to get used to,” he said.

Delyi said he joined Brownell’s class so he could learn a new instrument in a sociable environment.

“It sounded like a bunch of people getting together and having fun on a Thursday night,” he said. “I wanted to expand my horizons.”

Brownell has a different lesson planned for each session. During the second class, she demonstrated seven different ways to play a single song on the ukulele. This is done by different strumming and picking methods.

“Each week, we’re going to add chords to our repertoire,” she said. “I’m going to eventually break up groups into two, and we’ll play one song together, but one will play a certain strumming method and another might play a different method to see how they meld together.”

During the course of the 10-week program, Brownell teaches her students popular songs that can be played with simple chords on the ukulele’s four strings, which are tuned to G, C, E and A. Among those numbers are “This Land is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie, “Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan and “Octopus’s Garden” by The Beatles.

While learning these songs, Brownell advises her students to consult their chord chart, which contains more than 100 chords that can be played on a ukulele. Brownell uses the chart in her classes as reference material. Once they work on a chord, Brownell has them highlight it.

“If they need to go back and review, they have it right in front of them,” she said. “They’re not searching through the hundreds of chords for the half-dozen they know.”

While the beginners focus on learning chords, tunings and strumming techniques, Brownell’s intermediate class is more of a one-hour jam session, with the students learning and performing new songs.

“They’ve very good,” she said. “I hope that they all continue once this session is over.”

Although it’s only been three weeks, Brownell said she has been impressed by the progression of her beginners. When they play songs, they already are performing in unison.

“They seem to enjoy it,” she said. “I told them that the most important thing is to have fun.”