www.MPtB.us
Friday, November 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Crowne Plaza West in Plymouth, Minnesota
Instructor - Tony Anthonisen
Friday, November 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Crowne Plaza West in Plymouth, Minnesota
Instructor - Tony Anthonisen
To sign up and pay for Moving Past the Basics 2 (MPtB2), purchase your Fall Jam ticket, and when you go to the purchase page, you will be able to select MPtB2.
MPtB Workshop Details & Participant Comments
Moving Past the Basics 2 (MPtB) - Fall 2025 GMUG
Basic Moving Past the Basics Description
Moving Past the Basics will teach the skills that will help you to move from a ukulele advanced beginner to a far more accomplished level. MPtB is perfect for those who are comfortable with basic chords and songs. Moving Past the Basics 2 is updated for 2025 and will cover strumming options, more complex chords, playing from tablature (TAB), the structure and use of scales, fingerpicking for all, transposing songs from one key to another, and effective practice tips.
Skill Level — Advanced beginner and above. This MPtB 2 workshop at GMUG is designed to fill a skill level between GMUG beginner lessons, and more advanced GMUG workshops.
Fee - The fee this four hour workshop is $80.00, and it will include handouts that can be downloaded by the attendees. This fee is for the MPtB 2 workshop only. It does not include admission to the 2025 Fall Jam and GMUG.
Lunch from Noon to 1 p.m. — Bring your own, or we will order from Davanni's as a group. You pick your choice from the Davanni's menu, we'll order for you and pay Davanni's, they deliver, and you pay Tony for what you order rounded up to the nearest dollar, plus a $3.00 tip per person.
MPtB Specifics
Learning objectives = To understand and use moveable shapes and scales to add variety, color and additional functionality to playing songs on a ukulele. To provide advanced beginners and above with the tools to move their ukulele skills well past the skill levels that are typical of the great majority of the jammers at our Twin Cities Ukulele Club jams and events.
Overview of Topics (Revised 10-20-25 - Topics are basically the same with some additional material and changed names) — We will cover as many of these as time allows. The downloadable workshop materials will cover all of them.
Background — This MPtB 2 workshop is part of what Tony Anthonisen has taught for many years, both at Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Kamp and other locations.
Previous Attendee Comments -- Tony has taught this workshop a number of times. Here are a few of the comments from attendees.
Moving Past the Basics will teach the skills that will help you to move from a ukulele advanced beginner to a far more accomplished level. MPtB is perfect for those who are comfortable with basic chords and songs. Moving Past the Basics 2 is updated for 2025 and will cover strumming options, more complex chords, playing from tablature (TAB), the structure and use of scales, fingerpicking for all, transposing songs from one key to another, and effective practice tips.
Skill Level — Advanced beginner and above. This MPtB 2 workshop at GMUG is designed to fill a skill level between GMUG beginner lessons, and more advanced GMUG workshops.
Fee - The fee this four hour workshop is $80.00, and it will include handouts that can be downloaded by the attendees. This fee is for the MPtB 2 workshop only. It does not include admission to the 2025 Fall Jam and GMUG.
Lunch from Noon to 1 p.m. — Bring your own, or we will order from Davanni's as a group. You pick your choice from the Davanni's menu, we'll order for you and pay Davanni's, they deliver, and you pay Tony for what you order rounded up to the nearest dollar, plus a $3.00 tip per person.
MPtB Specifics
Learning objectives = To understand and use moveable shapes and scales to add variety, color and additional functionality to playing songs on a ukulele. To provide advanced beginners and above with the tools to move their ukulele skills well past the skill levels that are typical of the great majority of the jammers at our Twin Cities Ukulele Club jams and events.
Overview of Topics (Revised 10-20-25 - Topics are basically the same with some additional material and changed names) — We will cover as many of these as time allows. The downloadable workshop materials will cover all of them.
- Strumming Options — Importance of Tempo.
- Playing our “3 practice songs.” — I’m Waiting to Hear You Call Me Darling, Beautiful Brown Eyes and the Sloop John B.
- Chord changing "economy of motion.”
- Moving the simple songs to other keys using the Nashville Number System.
- Starting a song at a jam.
- Concept of Tone vs. Shape — C Tone is always C — Many chord Shapes can be used to produce the C Tone.
- Moveable chord shapes A, A7,Am, F, F7, and ??? using a "moveable nut" barre.
- Multiple simple finger picking methods using our simple three chord practice songs.
- Playing from Tablature (TAB).
- Structure of Scales - W W H W W W H - Using piano keyboard scale visual.
- Practicing Scales on One String from TAB - Focus on C scale on C string.
- Practicing Scales across strings from C starting point on C string.
- Playing a simple song in C using TAB and the C shape scale — Maximum three chords.
- Playing a simple song in C using only knowledge of the C shape scale — same song NO TAB
- How to practice these topics/skills, as well as effective practice guidelines.
Background — This MPtB 2 workshop is part of what Tony Anthonisen has taught for many years, both at Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Kamp and other locations.
Previous Attendee Comments -- Tony has taught this workshop a number of times. Here are a few of the comments from attendees.
- I thought the classes were excellent! I really enjoyed them! It was really worthwhile to get information in a class setting,
- This series of classes was perfect for the aspiring uke player who is eager to move to the next level.
- Learning uke has been a joy and this class was exactly what I needed to improve my playing. Thanks!!!
- I thought the sessions were great. I learned a lot and think you are a great natural teacher.
- I enjoyed and learned much from you and your material.
- I liked the casual style of the class and how you demonstrated all the different techniques taught.
- Loved Tony’s MPtB workshop on Friday at GMUG.
Questions - Contact Tony Anthonisen at [email protected].
The Great Minnesota Uke Gathering is Organized by the Twin Cities Ukulele Club GMUG Planning Group - Bill Beckman (Co-Chair), Don Harju (Co-Chair), Jo Moser (Co-Chair), Tony Anthonisen (Co-Chair), Craig Rothfolk (Co-Chair), Ryan Carlson, Steve Forslund, Karen Olson, Will Ribbens, Bruce Weaver, and Mickie Weaver