Starlight Ukes Upcoming Classes
Stauffer Perry 
Upcoming Classes for the Month of July
Fingerstyle - Here Comes the Sun Part 2
Mondays 11 AM & 5 PM Pacific Time
July 6 & 20
Description
Learn to play Dani Joy’s full chord-melody arrangement of George Harrison’s classic Here Comes the Sun in this two-part series, including all the iconic riffs, verse and chorus melody lines, and simple rhythmic accompaniment to keep the song bouncing along.
In Part 1 (June), students learned to memorize the chord structure and simple strumming pattern along with some intermediate riffs which are played in between the lyrics.
In Part 2 (July), students will replace their strumming/singing sections with the chord melody, which is a slightly modified version of the iconic riffs learned in Part 1.
*Part 1 can be found in the Starlight Fingerstyle archives, available with subscription.
What You’ll Learn (Part 1)
Melody in key GHow to replace strumming with chord/melody
Right hand finger placement and execution
Memorization & practice techniques
Coaching on breath and posture
Prerequisites
Part 1 or an equivalent, or confidence intermediate players. Tab reading is essential. Comfortable playing most chords in 1st position and interested in learning how to combine chords and melody. Low G required. The written curriculum of this class is not suited for baritone players.
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Blues - Fingerstyle Blues 4 - The 2442 Blues
Tuesdays 11 AM & 5 PM Pacific Time
Jul 7 & 21
Description
Learn how repeating chord patterns shape blues form. This class focuses on the 2442 progression and how to build confident, repeatable fingerstyle arrangements.
What You’ll Learn
The 2442 progression
Structural awareness
Consistent fingerstyle patterns
Turnarounds and endings
Groove repetition without boredom
Prerequisites
No strict prerequisites. Basic chord knowledge, TAB reading, and a working understanding of the Nashville Number System are recommended.
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Jazz - Thingamajig
Wednesdays 11 AM & 5 PM Pacific Time
Jul 1 & 8
Class Title: Rhythm Changes Closed Chord Workout
Featuring: “Thingamajig”
Level: Intermediate
Description:
Put your closed-chord skills to work on one of the most important progressions in jazz: rhythm changes. Using “Thingamajig” as our practice tune, we’ll explore practical movable chord shapes, efficient transitions, and smooth voice leading through this classic 32-bar form.
This class is designed as a hands-on workout rather than a theory lecture. We’ll break the progression into manageable sections, identify recurring harmonic patterns, and develop a confident swing accompaniment that can be applied to many other rhythm-changes tunes.
Song Example:
“Thingamajig”
What You’ll Learn:
How the 32-bar rhythm-changes form is organized
Closed-chord shapes for the main progression
Efficient ways to connect chords across the fretboard
Common turnaround and bridge patterns
How to simplify fast-moving harmony without losing its character
Rhythmic comping ideas for creating a strong swing feel
How to transfer these chord patterns to other rhythm-changes tunes
Prerequisites:
Students should be comfortable reading chord diagrams and playing 3-string movable or closed chord shapes. Some previous experience with swing rhythm and seventh chords will be helpful.
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Beg 2.0 - I found the melody, now what?? (Chord/Melody Building)
Thursdays 11 AM Pacific Time
Jul 2 & 16
Description
Ok, so you’ve got the bravery to find the melody of a song. What key is it? What chords do you add? We will go over all these questions in this month’s hands-on chord/melody building class for beginners.
What You’ll Learn
How to determine the key of a song
How to know where the chords belong
How to decide which chords belong where
How to put chords and melody together
Prerequisites
Tab reading experience, adventurous spirit.
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Bass - Modern Bass Rhythm Workout
Thursdays 5 PM Pacific Time
Jul 2 & 16
Description
Step beyond traditional 2-feel and walking bass into the rhythms that drive modern music. This class focuses on developing tighter groove awareness, syncopation, and contemporary rhythmic patterns used in pop, funk, rock, soul, and modern jazz. Through practical exercises and song-based examples, you’ll strengthen your timing, improve your rhythmic vocabulary, and learn how to create bass lines that feel solid, energetic, and current.
What You’ll Learn
Modern syncopated bass rhythms
Anticipations, pushes, and off-beat phrasing
Locking in with drums and groove-oriented playing
Creating rhythmic variation without overplaying
Developing tighter time feel and subdivision awareness
Applying modern rhythmic concepts to real bass lines
Prerequisites
Bass 101 or equivalent experience is recommended. Students should be comfortable with basic walking lines, root–5 patterns, and reading simple TAB or chord charts.