Private Ukulele Lessons with Noel Wentworth

Learn ukulele at Upbeat Music Academy’s private music studio in Glenmore, Kelowna. Noel Wentworth teaches children, teens, and adults, with lessons available in person or online.

Noel has more than 25 years of teaching experience and more than 30 years of experience as a professional musician. He has taught guitar, bass, and ukulele to students with different goals, from learning their first chords to working on more advanced playing, songwriting, improvisation, and music theory.

Private 30-minute lessons with Noel are $34 per lesson.

Upbeat Music Academy Kelowna
455 Glen Pine Ct
Kelowna, BC V1V 1R3
250-317-3685

Ukulele is a small instrument, but there is a lot more to it than learning a few chords.

Your lessons can include the skills that make it easier to play songs, understand the instrument, and eventually play with other musicians.

Depending on your age, experience, and goals, Noel can work with you on:

• Ukulele chords and chord changes
• Strumming patterns
• Rhythm and timing
• Playing songs
• TAB
• Reading standard musical notation
• Scales
• Improvisation
• Ear training
• Songwriting
• Music composition
• Music theory

Lessons can also include help with a particular song you want to learn. If you have a song on your phone or tablet, bring it along and Noel can work with you on it during your lesson.

The goal isn't to spend every week doing the exact same thing. As you improve, new skills can be added to your lessons.

Ukulele can be a good first string instrument for a child because the neck and strings are smaller than those of a guitar.

At Upbeat Music Academy, ukulele lessons are generally offered from age 7 and up. Younger children may benefit from starting with piano first, particularly if they are still developing the hand strength, coordination, and attention needed for string instruments.

For older children, teens, and adults, the starting point depends more on the student's experience and goals.

You do not need to know how to play before starting.

If you've never picked up a ukulele before, Noel can start with the basics and show you how to hold the instrument, form your first chords, strum, and put those skills together in a song.

Adults who played music years ago are welcome too. If you remember a few chords but feel rusty, lessons can start from where you are rather than going all the way back to the beginning.

Noel Wentworth has spent decades playing and teaching music.

As a professional musician, he has performed in bars, nightclubs, at special events, and on tour. He has also released his own music, including the albums Motion and Change.

His teaching background includes more than 25 years of private instruction in guitar, ukulele, and bass.

Noel holds a Diploma in Music Performance from Selkirk College and a Licentiate in Music Education from RSL Awards. He has also been involved with RSL Awards professionally as the British Columbia representative, giving him a close working knowledge of the Rockschool program and its assessment process.

That experience is useful for students who want more than just help learning songs. Lessons can also include music reading, technique, theory, improvisation, and preparation for structured music study.

Most importantly, Noel understands what it is like to learn and perform music himself. He can explain not only what to practise, but why a particular technique or exercise matters when you are actually playing.

Read more about Noel here -->

There is a big difference between knowing how to play a chord and being able to use it in a song.

Ukulele lessons can include music from different styles, including pop, rock, folk, and country. If you have particular artists or songs you enjoy, let Noel know. Your interests can help shape what you work on.

For example, a lesson might involve learning a new chord shape, practising a strumming pattern, and then using both in a song you actually want to play.

As your playing develops, lessons can move beyond basic chord playing into scales, picking, improvisation, music reading, and other skills.

Ukulele and Guitar

Some students start with ukulele and later move to guitar.

That can be a useful path because many of the basic chord shapes and musical ideas learned on ukulele can also be used when learning guitar.

If your child is interested in guitar but is not quite ready for the larger instrument, ukulele may be worth considering first. Noel can also help you decide which instrument makes the most sense based on the student's age and physical development.

For guitar students, Upbeat Music Academy also offers acoustic and electric guitar lessons in Kelowna.

Performance Opportunities

Learning privately doesn't mean students have to stay in the studio.

Upbeat Music Academy holds two student showcases each school year, giving students the chance to perform for family and friends outside the regular lesson environment.

Performing is optional. Nobody is forced onto a stage.

For students who choose to take part, it can be a useful way to practise playing in front of other people, manage performance nerves, and see how much they have learned.

Ukulele Lesson Policies

Please see our lesson policies for information about cancellations, make-up lessons, payments, and other studio policies.

For children under 7, we generally recommend starting with piano lessons with Lora Wentworth. Piano can help younger students develop musical awareness, rhythm, coordination, and finger strength before moving on to ukulele.