What's Your Play Style?

CasanovaGuy

Well-known member
Joined
May 27, 2012
Messages
281
Reaction score
3
Location
Mililani, HI
Everyone has their own unique way of spicing up a melody or chord progression, and this shows through both on-the-spot improvisations and meticulous covers. Take myself, for example. When I improv, I do a lot of slides, and I also like to jazz things up. One little thing I like to do is bend the second interval of the key I'm improvising in (if a song's in the key of A major, I'll bend a B up to a C or C# then back to B and maybe end on A). My covers seem to emphasize rhythm and playing low and high notes together to get a fuller, piano-like sound.

Imagine this: If someone were to ask you to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in the key of C major, how would you play it? Would you slide to a note in order to emphasize it, or perhaps incorporate harmonies? Would you play the chords along with them melody, and if yes, would you just strum the chord and pick notes after or would you try to space out the chord like pianists do with their left hand? Are you loyal to the score (in other words, would you play the song note-for-note or would you randomly throw in a lick from the A blues scale)? Are you a fan of slow and passionate tempos or fast and technically-demanding ones? In short, what are the little things you do to add your flair to a song?
 
I usually use whatever technique is the one I've just learned! Recently that was fret-hand damping, but just now it's adding a triple-strum here and there.

With Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star I would just try a simple picking pattern on the chords (pick one string, pick the other three, repeat) and aim for a musical-box sort of sound - it's a simple tune and doesn't need jazzing up at all. Somehow I don't think the triple-strum would feature.. but then again.. :)

Generally I'm not a fan of overly fancy or frantic fingerwork - it can sound very clever but in my mind often detracts from delivery of the song itself, especially if the timing suffers as a result of the added complication.
 
I usually use whatever technique is the one I've just learned! Recently that was fret-hand damping, but just now it's adding a triple-strum here and there.

With Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star I would just try a simple picking pattern on the chords (pick one string, pick the other three, repeat) and aim for a musical-box sort of sound - it's a simple tune and doesn't need jazzing up at all. Somehow I don't think the triple-strum would feature.. but then again.. :)

Generally I'm not a fan of overly fancy or frantic fingerwork - it can sound very clever but in my mind often detracts from delivery of the song itself, especially if the timing suffers as a result of the added complication.
I feel the same. I like to sing the songs, and my uke is there to accompany my singing, not to dazzle the audience. A little razzle dazzle is good to bridge, but if it takes away from the song it is too much for me. As a spectator, a whole bunch of fancy fingerwork is sometimes fun to watch for a while, but it does not hold my attention. I would rather hear a song.
 
Whatever style convinces the listener that I know what I'm doing, LOL!
 
About the same as Trevor and Phil. It's what's evolved over the last half-century -- thumb the bassline, finger a melody or descant with chords, throw in some some slides and hammers-on and pulls-off and little muscle-memory riffs that do as they will. Mostly automatic unless I force myself in some direction. Usually.
 
I pull faces. I'm VERY good at it. :p
 
Last edited:
I pull faces. I'm VERY good at it. :p

You sir.......do have the very best faces. If there was a clasification for virtuoso face puller you would qualify.

Actually I really enjoy the expression and emotion you pour into your songs Jon. I try to emulate you when I am singing and playing, how sick is that :biglaugh:
 
I pull faces. I'm VERY good at it. :p

I shut my eyes. The words are written on the inside of my eyelids and I need them to hand in case I forget them. :nana:
 
I pull faces. I'm VERY good at it. :p

Yes he gurns like a trouper....Me ? I just panic like Joe Buggery that nobodies going to listen....and I'm usually right..so I just do what comes next....
 
I find myself dropping a lot of suspensions in the middle of chords and 7ths at the ends. And, of course, I sneak in one strum of the wrong chord before moving to the correct cord every now and again, but that's less style and more technical difficulty. :)
 
"Playing Style" is an interesting question for me. I've tried getting into various styles of playing, claw hammer, travis picking, chord melody strum, etc. The excitement never last for long. I just slip on back into my comfort zone, playing along however I feel the song should sound. I'd have to describe my "style" as a haphazard collection of strumming and picking. I tend to pick the important melody notes and use the strumming for harmonic and percussive rhythm. Sometimes I think my playing sounds kind of 'thin,' but then again its just a four stringed instrument. And, by the way, don't anyone tell Jake S. I said that. I'd hate to burst his bubble.
 
I don't play twinkle in C - because I play it in A or D so my kids can play along on violin and/or cello. Hadn't realized how that's effected my playing.
 
My playing style is that of the guy at open mike night you wish would sit down. But i make my wife smile, my grandkids wiggle, and the dog digs it.
 
And, of course, I sneak in one strum of the wrong chord before moving to the correct cord every now and again, but that's less style and more technical difficulty. :)
Me too. I call it "Pilot Error" and give the audience a winning smile in a pathetic effort to gain some love, as in "We're all just human beings here trying our best. Cut me some slack."
 
Last edited:
I try to get from the beginning to the end in the correct key with the correct chords and some of the correct words, and, above all, without dropping the Uke or getting my fingers caught in the strings again--Ahhh, well.

One can easily see that I got nowhere to go but up--plunka, plunka, plunka . . . :eek:ld:
 
I'm with you on that. I play whatever comes to mind. The prime factor is keeping rhythm and timing. Sometimes, as with a waltz, I'll play rolling chord arpeggios and put emphasis on the melody note.
Do what you will; be the whole of the law.
 
Top Bottom