Holding the ukulele

M

matakazer

Active member
Joined
May 13, 2015
Messages
37
Reaction score
0
I seems to have some trouble finding a good position to hold the ukulele(tenor) , seated position.

The neck seems to move a little whenever I changes chord and that makes it harder for me to position my fingers accurately. It is normal for the neck to move around when the fretting hand is not supporting?

I have tried my friend's guitar, and without support on the neck, it doesn't move around. As the guitar body is resting on my lap and I am calming it in between my arms and chest. But all this is not possible due to the smaller size of the ukulele.

Any suggestions guys?
 
Last edited:
What size are you using? Straps are best, but sometimes that is not an option.

I have an easier time holding a concert - I play with my left foot up on a stool and the body of the ukulele between my legs and resting on my left leg.

I find that I can only play a soprano with the neck almost pointed up and the body lower bout laying on my right leg. I usually have to cross my left leg over the right for added support.

Some use a small pillow on their left leg and the lower part of the neck rests on it.
 
actadh said:
What size are you using? Straps are best, but sometimes that is not an option.

I have an easier time holding a concert - I play with my left foot up on a stool and the body of the ukulele between my legs and resting on my left leg.

I find that I can only play a soprano with the neck almost pointed up and the body lower bout laying on my right leg. I usually have to cross my left leg over the right for added support.

Some use a small pillow on their left leg and the lower part of the neck rests on it.
Click to expand...

I am playing a tenor. Looks weird to play with a strap while seated haha..
 
The organizer of our uke jam plays a tenor, with a strap, while seated. He's a longtime guitar guy, so that may just be habit. Still, whatever is comfortable for you!
 
I play my soprano ukes with a strap when seated. But my vintage ones do not have strap buttons and I am afraid they are too fragile to drill into the body. That is when I play as described above.

I have a Mobius strap that is great for the Harmony soprano as it works well for that hourglass type of body. It does not work well with a ukulele with a small upper bout or a pineapple style.

I have only played a couple of tenors and only while seated. Still need to have that left foot elevated. I have a small folding milking stool that is the perfect height.
 
Last edited:
I have found that the Ukeleash has helped to stabilize the neck while I make chord changes. Without the leash, I found that I would be pressing on other strings to allow me to change from a Bm to Em. With the leash, I could transition cleanly without the awkwardness of pressing other strings. It's probably due to my inexperience as well, but the leash did make it easier.
 
I personally don't have a problem with uke movement while playing. My right forearm holds the body steady and I play with my thumb under the neck a-la- classical style, so the head/neck doesn't move around enough to notice. A lot of it is practice and some of it is just finding your own playing style, including how you hold your uke. Lots of tutorials on YouTube. Search "ukulele, how to hold" to see how others do it....not all the same way.
 
I try to change chords without letting go of the neck. You don't have to move all your fingers at once. Try changing in two steps. It requires a little thought sometimes but there is almost a way to make it work.
 
matakazer said:
The neck seems to move a little whenever I changes chord and that makes it harder for me to position my fingers accurately. It is normal for the neck to move around when the fretting hand is not supporting?
Click to expand...

My left hand lightly braces the instrument neck whatever my fretting fingers are doing, while my right arm presses against the body. The neck floats on my palm; my thumb is under or beside the neck. Or I shift a little, thumb under the neck, fretting fingers pressing down, the instrument still supported by my right arm and left hand. This works with small instruments when standing and any instruments when sitting -- EXCEPT my Martin Backpacker guitar, whose fat neck and narrow body force me to wear a strap whether I stand or sit. But my soprano and tenor 'ukes, mandos, and their banjo versions, all follow the same pattern.

I think the trick is to find the instrument's weight balance. When you properly support and balance the body's mass, the neck becomes weightless, a virtual runway for your fingers to dance around on.
 
matakazer said:
I seems to have some trouble finding a good position to hold the ukulele(tenor) , seated position.

The neck seems to move a little whenever I changes chord and that makes it harder for me to position my fingers accurately. It is normal for the neck to move around when the fretting hand is not supporting?

I have tried my friend's guitar, and without support on the neck, it doesn't move around. As the guitar body is resting on my lap and I am calming it in between my arms and chest. But all this is not possible due to the smaller size of the ukulele.

Any suggestions guys?
Click to expand...
Hi Matakazer
Welcome to UU. I had the exact same problem when I started to play uke. I was used to playing classical guitar, and discovered that I let go of the neck to move up and down the fretboard. That action made the neck of the uke move. Guitars are so big and heavy, that they don't move when you do that. It was very distracting, so I found a way to get strap support that would stabilize the neck, and be adjustable enough so I could get the best ergonomic angle for my playing style. Problem solved for me! The more complicated your playing, the more likely you will benefit from a strap of some kind. Trying to play without a strap is personal preference really. Nobody else cares, so no stigma. It takes a bit of hunting to find out what works best for you.
–Lori
 
With my Soprano, Tenor or Baritone or Guitar I cannot play without a strap. Strap is perfect for me, seated or stood up.
 
One of my mistakes when starting to learn the ukulele was that I didn't want to use a strap. I saw people playing without one (and they all made it look very easy), and I wanted to be able to do this also. It didn't work well. The neck kept sliding, I felt cramped, and I started to feel hopeless and inept.

In the end, this frustrated me enough to put away the ukulele for a while altogether, until I eventually bit the bullet and ordered a couple UkeLeashes. My local vendor had a few in stock, so I didn't have to import them. And it made all the difference between frustration and enjoyment. I could actually focus on fretting (instead of fretting!) and started to make progress. Above all, I had a much better time.
 
actadh said:
I have a Mobius strap that is great for the Harmony soprano as it works well for that hourglass type of body. It does not work well with a ukulele with a small upper bout or a pineapple style.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words, Laura! I designed the Mobius Strap for exactly the reason the original poster asked about. I use it standing or sitting. It is the only option that doesn't require strap buttons and gives completely hands-free support. You can check it out at http://mobiusstrap.com.
 
One thing that I have tried to do is be flexible and versatile in my ukulele playing. I've avoided ritual thus far. I hold the ukulele in a lot of different ways. I play with my thumb planted on the neck directly behind my fretting fingers, and I wrap my thumb halfway around the neck sometimes. I put my music on a stand, a table, on the floor, and even on my lap, which sometimes requires some contortions in how I hold my ukulele, just to see the music. I use a strap, and I don't use a strap. I play standing up, standing up with one foot on my footstool, sitting down, and laying back in my recliner. My goal, because I do have a goal with it, is to be versatile. I do not want to be limited to how, when, or where I play. Anyway, that is my take on it all. For me, I never subscribe to the all or nothing approach.
 
Last edited:
Don't know if it might be helpful...
Quite early as I had started playing ukulele I found that it is possible to hold ukulele with my right arm only. While seated of course, and the arm MUST be bare.
I find it is a bit hard to explain so I made a video. It is exaggerated but I think it conveys the main idea that left hand may be absolutely free to do anything...
 
matakazer said:
I am playing a tenor. Looks weird to play with a strap while seated haha..
Click to expand...

You worry about things that are of no importance. I play tenor seated with a strap all the time and I look damn good.

And I suggest two strap pins and a guitar strap as opposed to a uke strap. Even with my heavy Risa it's very comfortable.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
Big belly's and holding a ukulele.
Replies
3
Views
444
JEngle1122
JEngle1122
B
Big belly's and holding a ukulele.
Replies
0
Views
303
Bibs
B
M
No longer available Holding sale till I come back from vacation Beautiful National "Style O" Art Deco Concert Ukulele
Replies
0
Views
302
Mossimo
M
Poul Hansen
A new way of holding your ukulele
Replies
5
Views
748
Peter Frary
Peter Frary
NewKid
How is your Compass Rose ukulele holding up?
Replies
2
Views
566
NewKid
NewKid
Top Bottom