Events @ Funky Frets
Funky Frets Music Store puts on several workshops, classes, clinics and events throughout the year. Check the Calendar of Events for all the latest events.
July
Jim D'Ville!!! Ear Training Rail Tour 2021
Thursday July 22, 2021
Join Jim for a stop on his Ear Training Rail Tour 2021 at Funky Frets Music Store, Boyertown, PA USA. Jim will present his Hearing Chord Changes workshop followed by a jam session.
- $20 payable to Jim D'Ville at: paypal.me/jimdville or Cash or Credit Card day of workshop.
WORKSHOP • CONCERT
August
Amy Kucharik
Sunday August 29, 2021
Amy will be presenting a workshop or two followed by a concert. Details for follow.
Award-winning songwriter Amy Kucharik [/kuh-CHAR-ick/] performs as a one-woman band with ukulele, tenor guitar, foot percussion, mouth trumpet and harmonica, or with her Boston-based bands, energizing swing dance, folk festival and listening room audiences alike. Drawing from blues, folk and Vaudeville traditions and with a street-smart stagecraft honed in the subways of Boston, Amy transports her audience to a place both timeless and familiar, but nevertheless innovative.
WORKSHOP • CONCERT
September
Dead Men Don't Speakeasy!
Murder Mystery Dinner Theater with Without A Cue Productions • Saturday September 18, 2021 • 6PM
We're back to putting on out Murder Mystery Dinner Theaters for 2021. These are a lot of fun with a catered dinner and a real hoot. You're guaranteed to have a good time.
Enjoy dinner and a show as a professional theater company; Without a Cue will make you laugh and entertain you all evening. Profits from this event will help support a wonderful organization, Guitars For Vets.
Dead Men Don’t Speakeasy! It’s the roaring twenties, and you have been invited to the hottest spot in town: The Rotten Club! It’s a big night and everyone is up to no good. Early Demise, the club owner, is on edge because Mr. Big is back to check out the joint and make sure Early is making his backer money. Early’s headliner (and sometimes girlfriend, Bette), is scheduled to sing, but Bette is too busy making eyes at the guests to perform. To make matters worse, Early’s wife has decided that tonight's the night to end Early’s “extracurricular activities” with Bette and the bottle. It will take a master detective and help from YOU to solve the mystery!
Ticket includes dinner, dessert and the show. Must be 18 years and older to attend. Water and coffee will be available, feel free to bring your own soda, wine or beer. Please no hard liquor, must be 21 & older to drink. Please drink responsibly.
Here is a video example of whatWithout A Cue Productions offers.
October
7th Annual Funky Frets Ukulele Festival!!!
First Weekend of October the 1-2-3, 2021
Look for details and any announcements on 20 festival Spring. All the same artist that we have for the virtual 2020 uke fest will be returning live and in-person.
The festival is Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Includes concerts, workshops, vendors, catered dinner, Hawai'ian Shirt contest, jams, the much loved Strum-along Train Ride on the Historic Colebrookdale Railroad and anything else we can throw into the mix.
November
Lil' Rev
Lil' Rev, a Funky Frets fan favorite is stopping by in November for a concert and workshop - Date TBA.
WORKSHOP • CONCERT
Every Month
Third Sunday of Every Month Starting at @1PM
Register in advance for this meeting: click here to register . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
- Getting Started with Ukulele - FREE ukulele workshop with Curt Sheller and Kelly Thompson.
- Followed by the Funky Frets MeetUp Jam @ 2:30 - Show up at 2PM and Curt will go over a song or two ahead of time and go over how to embellish it with chord substitutions, strumming variations. intros and endings, etc... We'll be using the Daily Uke Book - "The Blue Book" • Starting May 2021 we will be hosting this event live again.
Past Workshops
4-Part "Jazz" Chords
Exploring contemporary 4-part, a.k.a. "Jazz" chord on ukulele all start with the Big Six, Core Chords. You most likely know the open position chords they're based on. From the Six core chords that are the Big Six and the principles of chord construction along with learning the notes of the ukulele fingerboard, you WILL be able to create ANY chord you come across just from the name.
- 4-Part Chords a.k.a "Jazz" Chords - May 31, 2020
- 4-Part Chords a.k.a "Jazz" Chords - May 24, 2020
- Exploring contemporary 4-part, a.k.a. "Jazz" Chords on Ukulele
- Jazz Chords - Week Three - Jun 14, 2020
- Common Chord Progessions, Jazzing up your basic chords - Jun 14, 2020
Alternating Thumb Style Fingerpicking
- Fingerpicking Week 1 - Mar 28, 2020
- Fingerpicking Week 2 - Apr 4, 2020
- Fingerpicking Week 3 - Apr 11, 2020
The Seven Modes
Ukulele Strums
- Ukulele Strums Workshop - Apr 4, 2020
- Ukulele Strums Week 2 - Apr 11, 2020
- Ukulele Strums Week 2 - Apr 11, 2020
- Ukulele Strums Week 2 - Apr 11, 2020
Improv Using Blues and Pentatonic Scales
- Learn to use the C Pentatonic with the Blues. And the Super Blues Scale. - May 3, 2020
Learn how to create a simple melody and chord version of this folk classic.
- Ukulele Improv & Blues - Week 4 - May 17, 2020
Learn to navigate the fingerboard using the Blues and Pentatonic Scale.
- Ukulele Improv & Blues - Week 3 - May 3, 2020
Learn to use the C Pentatonic with the Blues. And the Super Blues Scale.
- Ukulele Improv & Blues - Week 2 - Apr 26, 2020
- Ukulele Improv & Blues - Week 1 - Apr 23, 2020
Misc
- Spring Maintenance - Apr 19, 2020
Grab a set of strings and learn how to change the strings of your ukulele. We will also cover fretboard cleaning and care, then end with a set up Q&A
- Funky Frets Getting Started with Ukulele – A Recipe for Success - May 17, 2020
Where Do I Start? That’s a common question. This workshop covers ukulele tunings, learning the ukulele fingerboard, basic chords and four famous strums. This workshop gets you rolling on having some fun playing the ukulele.
- Learn Red River Valley - Instrumental - May 3, 2020
Learn how to create a simple melody and chord version of this folk classic.
Technique Left Hand Technique
- Building Left Hand Technique - May 24, 2020
Left Hand Technique, Building Left Hand Technique explores what it takes to build killer left hand chops on the ukulele.
- How to Build Left Hand Technique for Ukulele - Introduction - May 27, 2020
Left Hand Technique, Building Left Hand Technique explores what it takes to build killer left hand chops on the ukulele.
Music Basics
- Music Basics - Intervals - Jun 14, 2020
- Music Theory, The principles of music. Starting with the basics. - Jun 7, 2020
Contemporary Triads
- Triads - Contemporary Triads - What, When and Why? - May 10, 2020
- Triads - Contemporary Triads - What, When and Why? - May 17, 2020
Past Events
Virtual Campfire with Funky Frets
8PM - June 13, 2020 • Funky Frets Virual Campfire Sing-along. The Funky Frets crew will hosting a virtual camp fire sing-along live from our back yard, with some tried and true camp classics from our and I'm sure your childhood. So join us next to your back yard camp fire or your living room couch to sing and strum a long with us. Sing in tune is optional as you'll see ;-). Should be a hoot.
Download the June 2020 Campfire Jam Song Book and Smore's Recipe and get ready. This has a few new songs added for the June Campfire Jam.
Just browsing over both books, they look fantastic! I'm a guitarist and uke player for over 25 years and was thinking about writing a ukulele book but you've already written what I think are the best, most comprehensive and thorough books I've ever seen for the instrument. I just might end up buying every book you've written and I'll be giving my highest recommendation for your books to my friends and students. Thank you so much for taking the time to write such great books! — Peter Rhee
Aloha, Curt, All I can say is WOW! What you have accomplished is simply incredible! All the best — Glen Hirabayashi, The Aloha Boys
