Fingerstyle vs strumming

Which way do you prefer to play?


  • Total voters
    50
I too cannot answer the poll with the choices given.

My playing includes songs that are like campanella as well as flamenco and some songs have elements of both. These are songs that I wrote myself.

If making a video for UU's Seasons challenges, most of the time I am simply strumming in order to accompany my tiresome and labored attempt at singing.

Once I realized that sounding like Paul McCartney, Sting, Bono, Bobby Darin or Frank Sinatra was not within my realm with reasonable effort (baritone vocal range) and lots of singing lessons (and NOT wanting to sing Opera or top-40 pop tunes) I decided to focus my attention on writing instrumental music with lyrical melodies, that can be played with the techniques mentioned above.

The ukulele is my voice now.
 
I'll always have a soft spot for strumming as I've been strictly doing that since I started playing the uke. I however just started my journey in finger picking on monday. MAN is it hard. I tried it a bit a few years ago, but couldn't quite get it so I took some time off lol. My left hand does what I need it to but my right hand just won't work right! Does anyone have any tips? I feel like a newbie again. I also can't get the strings to ring louder. If I pick harder, it totally just ruins my accuracy. Here's a quick video if someone can help explain what I'm doing wrong. Maybe it's because I'm only using my thumb to pick?

 
Here's a quick video if someone can help explain what I'm doing wrong. Maybe it's because I'm only using my thumb to pick?

I wouldn't say you're doing anything wrong - it sounds pretty good to me! However, two things that might make it easier for you are using your index and middle (and maybe even ring) fingers in addition to thumb, and - get a strap. I resisted using a strap for a long time and when I finally tried one, I found my playing improved by a huge leap almost immediately.

Using the thumb-only isn't wrong exactly, lots of Hawaiian and Japanese players who are really advanced play that way, and that was how I started as well. But much later I was told to consider "four fingers, four strings" which made a lot of sense, and started using my index and middle as well. I never could quite get proficient at using my ring finger, but I'm working on that now, using Daniel Ward's Arpeggio Meditations for Ukulele. It's tripping me up big time, but getting better.
 
Last edited:
I also can't get the strings to ring louder. If I pick harder, it totally just ruins my accuracy.

As janeray wrote, try adding some fingers. Finger nails will give more volume than the fleshy fingertips. Finally, old strings can sound pretty dead when plucked.

I play finger style on a KoAloha concert (strung with PhD fluorocarbons), and its pretty loud.
 
I'll give it a shot using all of my fingers. I just feel I might get lost with all that movement going on. I don't want to make this thread about my issues, so carry on haha
 
I'll give it a shot using all of my fingers. I just feel I might get lost with all that movement going on. I don't want to make this thread about my issues, so carry on haha

Kyle-

If you pick closer to the soundhole, or even betw the soundhole and bridge, instead of at the 12th fret, you will get more attack in the sound of the strings (without necessarily needing to pick/pluck harder), and if you do pick harder in this area, you have more room to dig in than you do in the ~2.5mm of space under the strings at the 12th fret.

I cannot do fingerstyle over the fretboard, for my nails would then scrape the wood under the strings, and I personally am positioned betw the edge of the fretboard and soundhole most of the time so I can approach the strings actually from somewhat on the side and underneath with my natural nails. Works for finger pads too if that is how you play. :)
 
I'll give it a shot using all of my fingers. I just feel I might get lost with all that movement going on. I don't want to make this thread about my issues, so carry on haha

Kyle, I have been using a book called Arpeggio Meditations for Ukulele by Daniel Ward. It is focused on simple right hand techniques for beginners and I found that by following his method I gained finger independence and confidence fairly quickly.

I would recommend you to try it. There is a sample exercise linked in the UU thread I linked above.
 
I'm definitely fingerstyle, either instrumentals or accompaniment. The only time I strum is when my wife and I attend one of the strumming uke groups. That is really mostly a social gathering for me.
 
I'm a strummer, because as lots I solo with my thumb, it is not counted as fingerstyle. I seldom accompany songs with uke's traditional 3241 fingerpicking or any other, so yes a strummer :)

Kyle, I really liked your solo thumb and video. I have some classical guitar fingerplay background and it many times hurts me see and hear how the fingerpicking is going for them, some uke players. I'm now older and can't grow or keep anyways nails playable anymore lool.
And I don't hold my ukulele the way that is really appropriate for fingerpicking anyways.
 
Last edited:
Strummer here! :)

I love to sing with my uke and just about all the song circles I've visited are focused on singing, therefore,
Strumming.

I can fingerpick some songs I've memorized, but I don't focus on that... even for myself at home. I did once,
hence having a few melodies in my back pocket.

When in HNL I try to get permission from Gordon Mark to join one of his classes, and that is all fingerpicking.

Anyway, I like singing and accompanying myself by strumming. i also like figuring out the chords to provide
appropriate background support for songs (as in creating song sheets and songbooks :) ).

keep uke'in',
 
I am strummer too. I like to sing with my ukulele. I am big fan of Uncle Rod Higuchi's songs in his MP3s.
 
I voted picking, but I do strum a lot too. The most fun is a combination of both, or what I call making chord melodies.
 
For me I can fingerpick, I have all the chops for that if wanting to study someone else's arrangements. For ukulele I have not tried to read anything except melody only on standard notation. But I have played some tabs.
Can read and play some songs on classical guitar. They are only for to remember.

But what I want to say ... I can't express myself with uke's melody-chord solo play spontaneously. It would need some work that I don't consider so rewarding. What I consider rewarding is accompany myself with ukulele, my singing kind of ;)
I do solo sometimes, uke is a nice instrument for that. Listen songs on radio tv, etc and just play the melody along. Sometimes chord strums too if I get the key. I like the high range of ukulele over guitar so much.

Thumb without nail gives me the best sound for soloing, but yes I'm a strummer.
 
Didn't vote either. I like to do chord/melody songs while playing alone, but in groups I strum faster songs and fingerpick slower songs.
 
Quote Originally Posted by merlin666 View Post

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 don't agree with this definition of finger style. Picking only the melody in a single line is not necessariy finger style. Picking a melody with your fingers while keeping the rhythm with your thumb would be finger style, but is much easier to do on the guitar or at least a low G uke. Picking the melody with the thumb and strumming chords with the fingernails (Carter's Scratch)is another method of paying that I wouldn't call finger picking.

Any of these patterns, mixed up randomly, would be called Pattern Picking. I guess pattern picking is a form of arpeggios if you hold down a chord.

______3__________3__ _________3__________ ___3_________3_____
_____________0______ _____0_______0______ _________0_________
______0________0____ ___0_______0________ _______0_______0___
___0______0_________ _______0_______0____ ___0_______0_______
 
Last edited:
I strum and play chord melodies. I haven't ventured into finger style yet, but would love to learn it.
 
Top Bottom