Janis Vakaloudis Ukulele Lessons in Utrecht

Ukulele Lessons Utrecht

Hi! My name is Janis, I'm a passionate and professional musician from Greece, in love with the guitar’s small cousin, the Ukulele. Have you always been wanting to learn the ukulele? Seeking ways to get beyond the stage of struggling with these 3 chords you picked up from a friend or the web? Just sign up for a trial lesson and let's have fun!

Is Ukulele hard to learn?

No, it is not! In your lessons I will show you the world of the guitar's small cousin, the Ukulele, which is a whole world on its own! The easy to hold, easy to learn, easy to love instrument that travels us from Hawaii all the way to Ireland and further. You'll be playing a song in your first lesson!

Your Goals?

Would you like to play along your favourite records? Jam with your friends? Is the guitar too big and you need a more practical instrument to carry around? Or would you like to express your feeling and create your own music the easiest possible way?

How Cool

Learn how to play music yourself, with an instrument that fits in your backpack and weighs next to nothing. How cool if you can play your favourite songs for your friends and family, alone or along the recordings, in the house or the park or everywhere you can imagine.

Sing and play!

You like singing too? Sounds like a perfect match! I can teach you how to sing and play, write your own songs and share the fun of music playing with the world around you. Different rhythms and different styles, all can fit within the tiny ukulele.

Ukulele is Fun!

Whether you’d like an introduction to guitar playing or advancing on the instrument itself, whether you like playing melodies or chords, the ukulele is a very fun instrument to play and can help you quickly join the fun of playing music, solo or with your friends! Never too late to start taking ukulele lessons.

Your Favourite Music

Together we will explore a range of musical areas, from chord based Hawaiian music to the music of singer-songwriters such as Jason Mraz, Train, Ed Sheeran, Dodie and more, to the more melodic based Irish music and everything in between. A song doesn’t need to have been recorded with a ukulele to be played on one, which means that everything is possible!

What will you learn?

You will learn basic technique and fingerings on the ukulele fretboard, as well as basic rhythm patterns, how to hold the ukulele, strum, use the plectrum or the fingers for playing chords and/or melodies. The key phrase when studying with me is comfort + efficiency = fun.

First Tunes show the Way

To achieve that, we will work on how to build a playing posture that is both efficient and comfortable, so that we can have the most fun possible, while maintaining a healthy way of playing. Start with your first tunes and get the fundamentals of theory, rhythm and ear skills to get your first taste of the music-world!

Where are the Uke Lessons?

The lessons are given at my home in Utrecht Ondiep, near the centre of Utrecht, or in the comfort of your own home. The 5 or 10-lesson 'Strippenkaart' offers maximum flexibility.

Switch to the guitar?

Want to try the guitar? Learn more music styles? I teach both electric and acoustic guitar lessons in Utrecht.

Online Ukulele Lessons

Online ukulele lessons for all levels are also possible. Filled with fun and challenging exercises and ways to take your skills to the next level, from the comfort of your home. Live feedback and instructions!

About Janis

Music has been the core of my life for over 20 years, since I got acquainted with it through my first piano lessons. After that, the guitar, the ukulele, the saxophone and many other instruments introduced themselves to me and now I am a professional multi-instrumentalist residing in Utrecht, where I have dedicated my life in playing, composing and teaching music. I am a graduate of the Musicology department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece with an integrated Masters degree with a specialty on music education and I have also got a diploma in modern guitar through the Conservatory of Thermi, Greece.

All-round

As I have been teaching for the past years and specialised in music education in my studies, my experience has granted me a variety of skills in teaching people from all age groups and levels. From the basics, to the advanced, both young and older students can set their pace in learning music with me. The key concepts in any case are understanding each other and establishing an honest communication bridge between us.

Diverse

I have attended various masterclasses on jazz, gypsy jazz, pop / rock, song writing, Balkan music and more. My music experience has been enriched by participating in numerous bands throughout the years, in many different genres, such as jazz, rock, blues, funk, soul, reggae and more. I have also released 2 EP’s in 2013 and 2015 named “The Siren” and “Sunset” and a full length album in 2020 titled “Falling Leaves”, all with my own compositions, lyrics and arrangements. I have also contributed in many recordings for people and projects like Blebiru, George Avramidis, Vasilis Petridis and more. Currently, I am a member in many projects, namely Blebiru, Trio Tensegrity, Dig Dis Quartet, Tsop SKG, Wiseflower, Big Band van Utrecht, my own band and I also work as a freelance guitarist, bassist and saxophonist.