About GBU

Welcome to ‘Great Big Ukes’!

We teach ukulele.  We host uke groups and workshops.  We love it when people get together to make music and do all we can to make that possible.

We teach beginners the basics of this lovely little instrument.  A bit of learning will give you hundreds of hours of joy.

So if you know uke already or feel like you want to step through and beyond the Beginner stage: get involved!

‘Great Big Ukes’ is Harry Harrison and Betty France.

Harry has left us for the time being to head west and we hope he’ll visit us when he’s in Melbourne.

On a weekly basis, Betty leads the Yarra YUkers, who meet at The Retreat Hotel, Abbotsford, on Tuesday evenings.  

Both have associations with the famous Melbourne Ukulele Kollective, Betty’s going right back to the start in 2004 and Harry from 2010. 

Betty also organises and plays in various other groups – from festival marching brass bands to the internationally successful ‘Thin White Ukes‘ who celebrate David Bowie’s oeuvre with ukulele arrangements.  She also teaches uke at universities and neighbourhood houses around Melbourne.  She is sometimes even available for private classes!

Harry has taught uke workshops from Gippsland to Ballarat, including regular absolute beginner classes with Laneway Learning – from St Kilda through the CBD to Northcote. 

If you have any queries, hop on to our ‘Contact Us’ page or ring or email🙂