Give the Gift of Music
A gift voucher for our ukulele taster event for complete beginners with ukulele provided—a unique experience that opens up a lifetime of creativity and connection.
Times
6 - 7pm Monday Evenings — see Discover the Ukulele for dates and details.
Location
The Castle Pub, 44 Commercial Rd, London E1 1LN
The Perfect Gift for Any Occasion
Looking for a thoughtful, memorable gift? Our Discover the Ukulele Gift Voucher is ideal for birthdays, anniversaries, or just because. It’s more than a present—it’s an experience that introduces the joy of music, creates lasting memories, and offers a new, lifelong skill.
Discover an exciting world of music at your fingertips
The ukulele has become the world’s most alluring instrument for good reason—it makes learning to play music achievable for everyone. And, you can literally play anything on it - Pop, Rock, and R&B to Jazz, Folk, Country, and even Classical music. We’ve even seen people play Hip-Hop loops and beats on the ukulele.
Whether you're strumming basic chords, accompanying yourself while singing, or reaching for more advanced techniques, the ukulele will grow with you and open up new possibilities for creativity. It will become your companion and soul mate for life!
Learn to play your first song in under 1 hour!
Designed for complete beginners (adults 18+), our Discover the Ukulele event shows how anyone can pick up the ukulele and play. In just one hour, you’ll be playing your first song, proving that music is for everyone. No prior musical experience is needed, and ukuleles are provided!
A Fun, Social Music Experience
Hosted in lively Central London pubs, our Discover the Ukulele events offer an opportunity to meet new people, share in the joy of learning something new, and bond over music in a relaxed, social environment.
Highlights
- Session Duration: 1 hour
- 20 Places Available
- Hosted in Central London pubs
- Ukulele Provided - No experience needed!
The Ukulele - A Companion for Life
For most people who take their first step into music with the ukulele, the experience is transformative. It opens the door to a lifetime of music and creativity, with rewards and benefits that go far beyond the instrument itself. Playing the ukulele can elevate your mood, reduce stress, and improve your overall well-being. Whether it’s about finding a new hobby, playing with friends, or discovering an outlet for self-expression, the ukulele makes it all possible.
Here are just a few of the benefits:
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Emotional connection: Playing music elevates your mood, lowers anxiety, and offers a creative escape. Imagine unwinding with your ukulele after a stressful day at work.
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Social engagement: Group learning fosters new friendships and connections—many of our students stay connected as part of our School of Uke alumni, creating a lifelong community of music-loving friends.
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Boosts Cognitive Function: Playing the ukulele strengthens memory and improves attention span. Regular musical practice is known to enhance brain function, helping to improve working memory, processing speed, and even verbal fluency.
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Mental Well-being: Music engages the entire brain, promoting neuroplasticity, which helps keep the mind sharp. Studies show that learning an instrument can help delay cognitive decline, improving both short-term and long-term memory.
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Creative expression: The ukulele encourages you to explore different music genres and styles—broadening your knowledge and appreciation of music, and opening up new avenues for creative expression.
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Portable Jukebox: Light and compact, it fits seamlessly into your life and is the perfect companion for any setting—whether it’s the park, beach, office, picnic, campfire, or your next adventure.
Give the Gift of Music Today!
From our experience, the ukulele isn’t just a musical instrument—it’s a lifelong companion, bringing joy, creativity, and connection to every moment of your journey.
Whether it's for a birthday, anniversary, or simply a thoughtful gesture, share the joy of music with someone special, and let them start their ukulele journey today!
What if I've never played a musical instrument before?
We absolutely welcome complete beginners, and people who have never touched a musical instrument in their lives. Come along with an open mind and we'll do the rest!
When do your group lessons take place?
All our group lessons take place on weekday evenings from 7pm. And occasionally we will host workshops and jam sessions on weekend afternoons.
Where do the group lessons take place?
We love to run our lessons in pubs, which we feel adds to the social and relaxed vibe.
All our pubs are hand-picked for their special qualities, and just 5-10mins walk to central London TFL Stations. We work with a number of partner venues in London Central and City Central, including Soho, Covent Garden, Shoreditch, Clerkenwell, Tower Bridge, Aldgate, Bethnal Green and Bermondsey.
And during the Summer months, weather permitting, we host our evenings at pubs with outdoor facilities to make the most of the sunshine and summer nights.
Is the ukulele a children's instrument?
The ukulele is a very versatile instrument that comes in many different sizes. While it is taught as an elementary instrument in some schools, it most definitely is not a kids instrument. It's the native instrument of Hawaii and is hugely popular with adults due its portable size and playability.
Are these sessions for adults or for kids?
All our evening classes are for adults 18+.
What if I don't have a ukulele?
All instruments are provided at our Discover sessions so all you need to bring is your best self!
For our beginner sessions, you can borrow a ukulele for the first lesson, but we recommend that you purchase an instrument as soon as possible to make the most out of your learning experience.
How many people are in each class?
There are 20 places available in each of our group classes and Discover sessions. Sometimes they sell out completely, but we usually run with about 15-20 people.
Are the sessions wheelchair accessible?
Unless otherwise stated in the venue description, sadly our sessions are not wheelchair accessible. They usually take place in pub function rooms, which are often only accessible by staircases.
Is it ok to drink alcohol in the session?
Absolutely. We encourage people to grab a drink at the bar before the session and during the mid-lesson break.
It's a fun and lighthearted vibe, and a bit of dutch courage never goes amiss. Our partner pubs & venues all offer a good range of beers, wine, spirits and simple cocktails like Negroni, Aperol Spritz etc.
What time should I arrive?
It's great if you can arrive 10-15mins early to grab a drink, meet your tutor/s and get settled in.
Is it ok to hang out after the session?
Absolutely, we want to create a community of friends so we encourage people to hang out for drinks after our weekday evening classes. Our lessons are about social connection, music appreciation and learning to play as part of a group so they are as much social events as anything else.
What kind of music can you play on the ukulele?
Absolutely anything! Anything you can play on a piano or guitar, you can also play on a ukulele. It's just half the size and easier to play.
The ukulele is a great instrument to get started on and also a stepping stone to all other stringed instruments. And it's nice and compact so you can take it anywhere. Rock, Pop and R&B bangers at your fingertips!
What are the health benefits of learning to play the ukulele?
Learning to play music, especially socially, has many health and well-being benefits. As well as brain development, when you make music, your brain releases endorphins that induce feelings of joy and pleasure and block the nerve cells that cause us to feel stress and pain. There is evidence to suggest that it even boosts your immunity!
What other events and services does School of Uke offer?
We offer a range of ukulele lessons & events for complete beginners to advanced players, both online and in-person. As well as group based lessons, we offer one-to-one ukulele lessons, our 5wk Ukulele Challenge For Beginners,10wk Evening Courses, plus package events for private & corporate clients.
How long has the School of Uke been established?
School of Uke is a sister brand of Duke of Uke, London's World Famous Ukulele Store. The School of Uke name and company was formed in 2012, but we've been teaching ukulele for 18 years, since we first opened our doors back in 2006, as the UK's first ever dedicated Ukulele store.
For all enquiries about ukulele lessons or courses at School of Uke please email or use our Online Live Chat service.
Email: info@schoolofuke.co.uk