Fingerstyle vs strumming

Which way do you prefer to play?


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AmandaJ

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I'm curious as to which way people prefer to play.

I can't sing very well so I prefer fingerstyle because I can make it sound more like the song I'm trying to play.

But it seems that a lot people prefer to strum chords?

Which do you prefer and why?
 
I do both of and I don't prefer one over the other. I play fingerstyle and sing to it as well. A lot of songs sound good accompanied by fingerstyle. Others sound better strummed. It just depends. I like to mix them up for variety. So I can't vote.
 
Option three: both have their own place.

I tend to play more with strums at this point in my ukulele career (they are easier for me for now), but I have fingerstyle on my practice plan and I am careful not to neglect it.
 
I started off picking melodies, & only later gave strumming a shot, because I wanted to join in on the Seasons threads, & they mostly sing & strum, but when it's just me, I pick melodies. :)
 
Like Rllink and MopMan, I like to do a bit of each, sometimes in the same song. For Five Foot Two/Please Don't Talk About Me, I like to play the melody using finger style and strum while I'm singing.
Is chord/melody style considered strumming?

I have never used a flat pick on my ukes, but two of my students, who had been playing for a while before they came to me for lessons, use the pick exclusively. I have tried to get them to experiment with finger style, especially for double stops, and they have reluctantly given it a try.
 
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Hm . . . tough question. I voted for fingerstyle because I love all that you can do with it and I love baroque and classical music, but strumming is probably more fun and relaxed for me. If I am going to sing along, I strum. Strumming is easier for me, too.
 
I voted fingerstyle but I actually do both as well. I like to sing for both styles if there are words included. It might be better to make a poll answer that includes both.
 
I voted fingerstyle but I actually do both as well. I like to sing for both styles if there are words included. It might be better to make a poll answer that includes both.

Yes - I thought of that. But I was curious as to which people liked most. Ideally, I guess, you'd be able to play both and choose which one depending on the song and if you were playing with others etc.

Interestingly, so far, fingerstyle is winning the poll. But a lot of the resources that I find only gives chords. Sometimes there is a lead sheet but often not arranged for ukulele or have ukulele tabs (I can read music but I'm a bit slow). Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places!
 
I voted fingerstyle. I'm currently on my 2nd book of classical tabs from S. Muir's website. My 2018 goal is to get though each of her classical books.

I like the way strumming sounds, but what time I have to practice I end up spending on fingerstyle.
 
... But a lot of the resources that I find only gives chords. Sometimes there is a lead sheet but often not arranged for ukulele or have ukulele tabs (I can read music but I'm a bit slow). Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places!

Have you checked out Samantha Muir's website (she's British)? She has a ton of tab music for ukes. I think her beginner's book is called something like 'The Art of Arpeggios". http://www.samanthamuir.com/ukulele-2/
 
I mostly strum. That said, I do a little picking within chords too sometimes. I'm not sure that should qualify as fingerstyle though. I tend to associate fingerstyle with more instrumental music, and as something much more involved than what I do.
I also will hit a single note here and there while strumming in sort of a folk or country type style. I'm just more rhythm oriented on uke.
 
Have you checked out Samantha Muir's website (she's British)? She has a ton of tab music for ukes. I think her beginner's book is called something like 'The Art of Arpeggios". http://www.samanthamuir.com/ukulele-2/

Thanks - I'll have a look. I picked up one of Tony Mizen's books as a result of a recommendation from here which has nice fingerstyle arrangements for ukulele.
 
Fingerstyle only for me. I can't play and sing at the same time (as if anyone would want to hear me to sing), and strumming alone would be boring as heck.

bratsche
 
I started all strumming, trying to incorporate more fingerstyle now. The Samantha Muir books will really get all the right hand fingers going. On the other hand, I've watched some videos by Kimo Hussey, and he plays the heck out of his ukes using what looks like mainly thumb and pointer, pincer style. So I guess there are many degrees of fingerstyle.
 
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I do both. No preference, other than my mood.
 
I don't understand the question and need a explanation as to the difference between "strumming" and "fingerstyle". With my steel strung guitars I use a plectrum and I pick and strum with that. With my ukulele, I use the fingers to strum and pick ... so I guess it would be fingerstyle as I don't use an additional tool.
 
I don't have a real preference but I guess I actually do more strumming as I mostly play to accompany vocals. Or, in my case, to try to drown out vocals.
 
I play both. I voted "strumming" because it's losing and I felt sorry for it.

Are you really asking about whether we play melody? Because I often fingerpick chords to accompany vocals and I am not sure if that's included in your definition of "fingerstyle."
 
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I don't understand the question and need a explanation as to the difference between "strumming" and "fingerstyle". With my steel strung guitars I use a plectrum and I pick and strum with that. With my ukulele, I use the fingers to strum and pick ... so I guess it would be fingerstyle as I don't use an additional tool.

Finger style usually means picking out the melody, whilst picking individual notes of a chord is usually referred to as arpeggiation.
 
I'm primarily fingerstyle, since I can't stand the sound of my own voice. But I'll happily strum and sing with others, or play chords to accompany other instruments.

As for resources - I'm not very familiar with free/online sources since I prefer print, but there are many, many books to choose from. OP has already seen Tony Mizen's books; the late John King put out two classical books as well. Fred Sokolow is currently releasing a number of books that have both chords/lead sheets and fingerstyle tab (I like his Beatles book), James Hill just released one, and there are a few from Lyle Ritz and Herb Ohta Sr. available through Flea Market Music.

And if you have access to a Japanese bookstore or are willing to order online, you'll find countless options. Ukulele is huge in Japan and some really great players/arrangers have done books ranging from standards to pop to classical to anime/video game themes.
 
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