Ukulele and Other Learning Opportunities
FORT LANGLEY INTERNATIONAL UKULELE FESTIVAL 2026
WORKSHOP GUIDE & DESCRIPTIONS
ALDRINE GUERRERO
Writing Song Riffs With Intent (Intermediate)
Learn how to come up with the perfect riff for your song. In this workshop Aldrine will share his songwriting process using two of his original tunes. He’ll break down his note choices and show you how to evoke emotions using the right notes, rhythms, and various ukulele techniques.
Instrumentals That Tell A Story (Advanced)
Learn key melody lines from two of Aldrine’s original instrumental songs as he explains how to paint mental pictures using music. Aldrine will also share his personal favourite techniques that help emphasize melody lines and drive the groove.
AARON NAKAMURA
Songwriting: Where Do I Begin? (All Levels)
Perfect for ukulele players new to the songwriting process, this workshop will take you through a simple mental framework and get you to start writing your fi rst song today! Aaron will share simple and effective concepts to develop and enhance your songwriting, along with tips to keep your lyrics interesting and fresh
BRYAN TOLENTINO
Just Have Fun (Confi dent Beginner & Above)
Discover the many roles the ukulele plays in Hawaiian music - from supporting vocals to taking the lead or standing on its own as a solo instrument. Bryan will share simple ways to add layers to your playing, expand your musical vocabulary, and build lasting muscle memory through playing - not just practicing. Relax, learn, and most of all...just have fun!
BRYAN TOLENTINO & MATT DAHLBERG
Beyond the Vamp: Adding Hawaiian Fairy Dust (Confi dent Beginner & Above)
In this workshop, Bryan and Matt team up to explore the magic behind Hawaiian vamps and turnarounds - and how small musical choices can add that extra “fairy dust” that makes an arrangement come alive. Through demonstrations, unique variations, and accessible worksheets, you’ll learn ways to transform familiar progressions into something more expressive, musical, and fun to play.
BRYAN TOLENTINO, CHRIS KAMAKA SR. & JONAH DAVIS
Finding the Groove: Playing Together in a Musical Combo (Confi dent Beginner & Above)
Join Bryan Tolentino (ukulele), Chris Kamaka Sr. (bass), and Jonah Davis (guitar), as they explore what makes a musical combo work. Through demonstrations and hands-on participation, you’ll learn how to listen, support other players, and bring rhythm, harmony, and dynamics together. Emphasizing next-level thinking and playing through application and repetition - both physical and mental - this workshop will help you become a more confi dent musical ensemble player.
KALEI GAMIAO
How to Practice (All Levels)
Optimize your practice time with simple, effective techniques that help you make meaningful progress. Learn how practicing with intention can strengthen your skills,build confi dence, and make every practice session more productive. Suitable for players at any stage of their ukulele journey.
Create Your Own Style (All Levels)
Discover how to develop your own musical style by building your chord vocabulary, exploring a variety of strumming and picking techniques, and experimenting with rhythmic patterns. Learn how to combine these elements into a sound that is uniquely your own.
MATT DAHLBERG
Demystifying Chord Melody (Intermediate to Advanced)
Learn how to turn any song into a solo ukulele piece! Matt will guide you step by step through fi nding the melody, adding chords, and connecting it all together - no music theory required, although a bit can be helpful! Perfect for players looking to let their ukulele do the singing.
More Than Just Chord Progressions (Confi dent Beginner & Above)
Players will learn a popular chord progression and elevate it with new strumming and fi ngerpicking patterns, as well as incorporate some “not so basic” chords you won’t fi nd in a traditional chord book.
JONAH DAVIS
Introduction to Hawaiian Melodies and Creative Rhythm (Intermediate to Advanced)
In this class, we will learn a classic Hawaiian song and melody while exploring the various layers through which it can be played. We will cover and explore basic to more complex strumming patterns, an instrumental intro commonly found in Hawaiian slack-key-guitar - known in Hawaiian as kī hō’alu - scales that complement our melody, and ways to incorporate creative rhythm utilizing multiple strumming patterns found in Hawaiian music and world music as a whole.
NOTE: This lesson will sound best on a Low G setup, as that is the most common confi guration for this style. However, I also believe that a High G setup works well andlends a unique sound of its own.
Strumming Patterns & Creative Rhythm (Intermediate to Advanced)
Learn how to develop your sense of rhythm and incorporate complex, creative fi ngerstyle strumming patterns and techniques to bring your songs to life. Discover ways to incorporate scales into chords to create movement and expression. This class requires a willingness to experiment and the ability to trust your fi ngers as you explore new rhythmic possibilities.
EDUARDO GARCIA
Strumming with the Right Side of the Brain (All Levels)
STRUMMING (with the Right side of the brain)
Level: All levels.
Requisites: Some basic chords to strum along
Rhythm is something that might not feel natural for everyone at fi rst... or after a few months... or even years of playing! In this workshop, we'll work our way into strumming with the musical side of the brain. Shake your playing and tap into your musical creativity, focusing on feeling rhythm rather than counting it, using playful exercises, call-and-response patterns, rhythm syllables, and intuitive strumming techniques. You’ll learn how to let go of overthinking, connect with the groove, and fi nd an approach to practice and playing tips for everyone to fi nd their own way to overcome the mystery of strumming.
Moveable Chord Shapes (Intermediate & Beyond)
Unlock the entire fretboard with these movable chord shapes, the key to playing in any Key, anywhere. In this workshop, you’ll learn how chord patterns connect across the neck, making transposing effortless (kinda). Perfect for players who know basic chords, but want to break free from fi rst position. Departing from your current playing experience with chords like C, F, Am, Dm, G7 and a few more, we will discover how to fi nd the rest of them.
Chord Melody (All Levels)
Requisites: Having just a little bit of experience reading TAB and Chord Diagrams. We'll explore how to blend chords and melody together so you can play, and create beautiful solo arrangements on your own. Whether you're a curious beginner or a seasoned strummer looking to learn something new, you'll walk away with useful techniques, a better understanding of what Chord Melody is, and a selection of arrangements to learn and give this style of playing a try right away.
GUIDO HEISTEK
Play Your ‘Ukulele and Sing with Ease (All Levels)
Hoarse from singing? Can’t get comfortable with your ukulele? Gripping too tight? This might be the workshop for you. Come see how bio-mechanical awareness can help free up expression and reduce strain in your musical life. Guido Heistek, performer, music teacher and ATC certifi ed teacher of the Alexander Technique will lead this experiential and interactive workshop. Come explore balanced support, vocal warm ups, and learn anatomical information crucial to musicians. The workshop will include singing, strumming, barre chords, holding the ukulele, playing sitting down, playing standing up and more! We will work as a group and there will also be time to work with individual performers.
Take a Solo! Ukulele Jazz/Blues Jam (Intermediate)
What do you do when someone says, “Take a solo?” In this challenging but light-hearted workshop we will explore two different approaches to soloing: using scales and using chord notes. We’ll apply what we learn to songs from the Jazz and Blues tradition where we will play together and take turns taking amazing solos. So, the next time the singer stops singing, turns to you and says, “Take it!” you’ll know what to do.
Advanced Chord Melody (Advanced)
By far my favourite thing to do on an ukulele is chord melody, where we weave chords and melody together to make a complete stand alone arrangement. This fun and demanding workshop will show you how to take your chord melody playing to the next level. We’ll start out with a simple tune and make a basic chord melody arrangement together. We will then go on to explore how to integrate melody, chords, bass lines, percussion and soloing into the arrangement. All on one ‘uke! Come see how it’s done!
PAUL LUONGO
“Something Special” - Crafting Lyrical Solo ‘Ukulele Arrangements (Intermediate - Advanced)
This masterclass uses an original solo arrangement of Something as a vehicle for developing expressive solo performance skills. Participants will explore chord-melody construction, refi ned fi ngerstyle technique, and nuanced interpretive phrasing, focusing on how harmony and melody interact to support lyrical expression. Through guided analysis and hands-on playing, students will gain practical strategies for approaching sophisticated arrangements with confi dence, musical depth, and artistry. Ideal for players seeking to deepen their musicality and expand their solo repertoire through thoughtful, emotionally grounded performance in a collaborative, organic, and creative way.
Blues Improvisation: Fake It ‘Til You Make It (Confi dent Beginner to Advanced)
Want to sound like you know what you’re doing - without actually knowing everything yet? This workshop breaks improvisation down into simple, playable ideas using basic scales (major, blues), a taste of modes (hello Mixolydian!), and easy rhythmic tricks. Learn how to noodle with purpose, repeat like a pro, and leave just enough space to sound intentional. No jazz degree required - just curiosity and a sense of humour!
MARK LUONGO
Strum is Drum: Upgraded Rhythm Hand Techniques (Beginner to Confi dent Beginner)
Even the simplest chords and chord progressions can be enhanced through a range of strum strategies. From swing feel to combined rhythmic patterns and incorporating percussive elements, the non-fretting hand can add serious spice and fl air to any song! Chords will be limited to 12 Bar Blues (I-iV-V), 50s Progression (I-Vi-iV-V) and Axis of Awesome (I-V-Vi-iV) in the Key of C.
Pick + Strum: Stepping Stone to Chord Melody (Confi dent Beginner to Intermediate)
Combine single-note melodies and common chords to create instrumental arrangements without the need for advanced notation or full fretboard familiarity. If you aspire to play standalone instrumental pieces a la Jake Shimabukuro and James Hill but haven’t ventured beyond fi rst position scales and major/minor chords, this is the course for you!
SIMON GILEFF
Functional U-Bass for Ukulele Players (All Levels)
In this workshop, we will go over the fundamentals of how to accompany any type of ukulele jam or group. Whether you are an educator, jam leader, or just someone who wants to quickly pick up the basics of the bass from an ukulele player’s perspective, this workshop is for you. No prior experience is necessary!
UKULENNY
Chuck, Schmute, and Other Strumming Mysteries Revealed (Confi dent Beginner)
A good ukulele performance often involves a bit of wizardry and mystery. The ancient secrets of chuck, schmute, and even strums that come in threes will be revealed in this step-by-step technique workshop devoted to strumming. By mastering these techniques, your spell book will be fi lled to the brim with strum pattern variations for every genre and style of ukulele playing.
ELIZABETH ZIELKE
Level Up: Moving Beyond Beginner (Beginner to Confident Beginner)
Take your playing beyond basic strumming as you play two Beatles classics - “Let it Be” and “Eight Days a Week”. Learn a simple accompaniment line that will instantly add depth and polish to your playing. Amazing Grace: Bring your A Game for your A String (Beginner) Make your ukulele sing! Learn to bring the beautiful melody of Amazing Grace to life by highlighting it on the A string while strumming the chords.
PETER LUONGO (Limited to 25 participants)
Festival Ensemble Experience: Take The Stage! (Intermediate to Advanced)
Step beyond the workshop room and into the spotlight. This intensive and exclusive Ensemble Track offers up to 25 festival participants the opportunity to experience the excitement and challenge of becoming a performance ensemble. This is an opportunity to experience how individual players come together to create something larger than themselves.
Prerequisites:
● Previous experience playing melodies on the ukulele
● Comfortable playing C and F major scales
● Ability to fl uently play and change fi rst-position chords in the keys of C, D, F and G
● Ability to sing in tune and enjoy singing with others
● Openness to learning and growing in a collaborative ensemble environment
Festival Workshop Skill Levels
Beginner
You know basic chords (C-F-G-D-A-E7) and can change between chords smoothly,
keeping a steady, slow beat. You can strum a simple tune. You can do a little bit of
finger-picking.
Confident Beginner
Beginner skills as listed above. You can play a scale or two. You know and can play
some barre chords.
Intermediate
You can play 3-4 chords in 3-4 keys. You can easily play a variety of basic chords - for
example, A-Am-B7-C-C7-D-Dm-E7-Em-G-G7. You understand simple chord
progressions - for example, I, IV, V. You can confidently play a Bb chord and even some
other barre chords. You are able to sing and strum at the same time, holding a steady
rhythm. You may have experience leading or teaching others.
Advanced
You have strong knowledge of open and closed chords and know the fretboard across
the strings and along the neck. You can identify any note on the fretboard. You can play
in multiple keys and have knowledge of chord inversions and chord shapes. You play
barre chords easily and have a willingness to move quickly through material presented.
You may have experience leading or teaching others.
Over 30 impactful workshops will be held at the Fort Langley International Ukulele Festival delivered by our festival performers and teachers.
604-340-UKES (8537)
festival@langleyukes.com
Events in Metro Vancouver on this weekend include a music festival and several workshops