Fingerstyle vs plucking

valde002 · Feb 9, 2017

I have been playing the ukulele for about 7 months now and have had some lessons. I am not new to music, as I play the keyboards and percussion in a non-professional manner.

I have noticed that if I try to pluck the strings like a guitar, the volume is very low, almost inaudible. Plus sometimes I over-pluck and get a nasty response from my uke.

Now, I watch videos of really good people playing and they seem to pick/pluck sometimes at the sound hole and then use their thumb at the neck around the 12th fret sometimes. For resonance I believe.

Is this right? I am beginning to feel that ukuleles are not meant for plucking but more for thumbing, I guess, at the 12th fret. Is that why it's called fingerstyle and not plucking?

janeray1940 · Feb 9, 2017

Hmmm... interesting question. I'm a mostly-fingerstyle player and always thought the term came directly from guitar - never gave it much thought. But your question led me to Wikipedia which states:

Fingerstyle guitar is the technique of playing the guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to fingers, as opposed to flatpicking (plucking individual notes with a single plectrum, commonly called a "pick").

So per that definition, I'd say it's all plucking, as opposed to picking, unless you use a flatpick - the main difference being that you use your fingers. Or in my case, fingers and a thumb-pick.

As for volume/overplucking/nasty responses - it's probably just a matter of practice and getting to know what works for your particular uke to get the sound that you want (hence my use of a thumb-pick, but it took me a good 4 years of playing before I figured out that yielded the sound I wanted). I've never given much thought to where I actually pluck - usually just to the neck-side of the soundhole, I'd guess, although for some songs plucking near the bridge gets me the sound I want.

Lori · Feb 9, 2017

Fingerpicking on the uke is similar to classical guitar finger picking. There should be videos online about "rest stroke" and "free stroke". A "rest stroke" is one where you pluck the string, and then let your finger rest on the string next to it. For example, play a note on the first string, and on the follow-through, rest it on the second string. Classical guitar players often alternate the index and middle fingers (like legs walking)- doing this stoke for a full, loud tone. You might also check your strings. You might need new ones.

–Lori

kypfer · Feb 9, 2017

It might be helpful if the OP defined exactly what they meant by "plucking" or "thumbing". I certainly pluck with my thumb, with my fingers and with a plectrum, similarly when I'm strumming ... not quite sure where "thumbing" fits into all this

Croaky Keith · Feb 9, 2017

I mainly support my ukes with my hand & pluck strings with my thumb between fretboard & sound hole.

(I mainly play melody.)

It has been said that you should pluck the string midway between the nut & the saddle, which is at the 12th fret, or there abouts, to get the most out of a string, volume & tone wise.

Finger picking & arpeggiating are methods of playing, as are (flat)picking & strumming.

actadh · Feb 9, 2017

I fingerpick with extremely short nails, and the result still is plenty of volume.

You might try more of a sideways bend and release than a upward pull and release.

Kayak Jim · Feb 9, 2017

Regarding where on the strings, I pick slightly on the neck side of the sound hole as well. The fretboards of one brand of uke (name escapes me at the moment) wrap partially around the sound hole. I found this interferes.

lfoo6952 · Feb 9, 2017

kypfer said:
It might be helpful if the OP defined exactly what they meant by "plucking" or "thumbing". I certainly pluck with my thumb, with my fingers and with a plectrum, similarly when I'm strumming ... not quite sure where "thumbing" fits into all this

I think what the OP meant was "thumbing" is playing any of the 4 strings just with the fleshy part of the thumb, as opposed to using the index, middle, and ring fingers.

Canada Jim · Feb 10, 2017

uke1950 said:
I mainly support my ukes with my hand & pluck strings with my thumb between fretboard & sound hole.
(I mainly play melody.)

It has been said that you should pluck the string midway between the nut & the saddle, which is at the 12th fret, or there abouts, to get the most out of a string, volume & tone wise.
Finger picking & arpeggiating are methods of playing, as are (flat)picking & strumming.

Where you pick the string depends on the tone you are after. When the song/tune calls for a mellow sound, playing closer to the fretboard will give you a bassier, mellower tone. If the song/tune calls for a twangier, treble tone, you should play closer to the bridge. You can get some interesting effects by moving around during a piece. Bluegrass banjo players often play back-up near the fretboard and lead near the bridge. Rock guitarists often use the bridge pickup for lead and the fingerboard pickup for rhythm.

valde002 · Feb 10, 2017

Jim Yates said:
Where you pick the string depends on the tone you are after. When the song/tune calls for a mellow sound, playing closer to the fretboard will give you a bassier, mellower tone. If the song/tune calls for a twangier, treble tone, you should play closer to the bridge. You can get some interesting effects by moving around during a piece. Bluegrass banjo players often play back-up near the fretboard and lead near the bridge. Rock guitarists often use the bridge pickup for lead and the fingerboard pickup for rhythm.

Thank you for the tip. I will try it out!

valde002 · Feb 10, 2017

lfoo6952 said:
I think what the OP meant was "thumbing" is playing any of the 4 strings just with the fleshy part of the thumb, as opposed to using the index, middle, and ring fingers.

Hi, my reference to thumbing was just striking/strumming one string at a time using just the thumb, mainly at the fretboard. Because it is so shallow, my fingers cannot reach in there like they can at the sound hole. Thus I am forced to either scratch the fretboard away with my fingers in a silly way that produces no volume at all, or else I have to use my thumb to do all of the work. This can be awkward and slow. But it produces the best sound. Sorry, that was my made-up term for this type of maneuver.

valde002 · Feb 10, 2017

actadh said:
I fingerpick with extremely short nails, and the result still is plenty of volume.

You might try more of a sideways bend and release than a upward pull and release.

Thanks. I think that I try to pull up from underneath. Sorry, not a guitar player so all of this is new. I have been experimenting with moving downward with my fingernails (using my nail as a pick with a downward stroke towards the floor) but that doesn't work. I am beginning to think that my longish thumb and first finger nail is actually interfering with the sound, so I will cut my nail a little to see if I like the results...

Debussychopin · Feb 10, 2017

Valde, don't try to pluck upwards this is not the best technique for guitar and Uke.

Yes do cut your nails a bit shorter, contrary to some opinion, I think short nails will make sound crisper (more separated) than long rounded nails. I used that before and it also got in my way of making a clean sound due to the extra length of nail sliding on the string as there isn't really much friction on the uke strings.

What I do now, for myself, it may be considered cheating perhaps, but I cut my picking finger nails down low halfway on left side (palm facing away) and a bit higher on right side ...w a little plateau between forming a sort of right angle notch.

This notch is where the string catches ( ever so slightly, not a huge plateau and right angle or else the string will just snag there and then you won't be able to control dynamics) and creates a crisply attacked note relatively.

Be wary not to make the right angle tear through cutting into your flesh area so be careful how you make that notch.

valde002 · Feb 10, 2017

Debussychopin said:
Valde, don't try to pluck upwards this is not the best technique for guitar and Uke.

Yes do cut your nails a bit shorter, contrary to some opinion, I think short nails will make sound crisper (more separated) than long rounded nails. I used that before and it also got in my way of making a clean sound due to the extra length of nail sliding on the string as there isn't really much friction on the uke strings.

What I do now, for myself, it may be considered cheating perhaps, but I cut my picking finger nails down low halfway on left side (palm facing away) and a bit higher on right side ...w a little plateau between forming a sort of right angle notch.

This notch is where the string catches ( ever so slightly, not a huge plateau and right angle or else the string will just snag there and then you won't be able to control dynamics) and creates a crisply attacked note relatively.

Be wary not to make the right angle tear through cutting into your flesh area so be careful how you make that notch.

Interesting...Can you take a picture of your nail by chance? And is this to one or which nails?

Debussychopin · Feb 10, 2017

Well, I wont show my nails here as I'm self conscious but pm me

I do it to my p i m fingers as those are only ones I use for playing

I'll just load it here. I can't upload an image on pm for some reason.

Camsuke · Feb 11, 2017

Debussychopin said:
Well, I wont show my nails here as I'm self conscious but pm me

I do it to my p i m fingers as those are only ones I use for playing

I'll just load it here. I can't upload an image on pm for some reason.

Please be very careful using this type of nail shaping, you could potentially tear your nail off or cause permanent damage as a result. A lineal tear to the nail can take years to mend and may even cause permanent damage.

Debussychopin · Feb 11, 2017

Got it. Thank you

Kayak Jim · Feb 11, 2017

Camsuke said:
Please be very careful using this type of nail shaping, you could potentially tear your nail off or cause permanent damage as a result. A lineal tear to the nail can take years to mend and may even cause permanent damage.

I have a linear split down the nail on my right ring finger due to a bang 50 years ago. It has never repaired itself. I must cut that nail as Debussychopin describes to avoid catching the string.

Mivo · Mar 31, 2017

You can get a similar effect by shaping the nail like a continuous ramp, without the potential risks.

Fingerstyle vs plucking

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