Holding/Strumming

I'm still struggling with holding the uke properly and strumming. I know it will get better with practice, but I don't want to develop any bad habits.

I really enjoy UU's videos on YouTube.

Plane Ignerints said:

I'm still struggling with holding the uke properly and strumming. I know it will get better with practice, but I don't want to develop any bad habits.

I really enjoy UU's videos on YouTube.

Click to expand...

I'm still fairly new to the uke, too, as I have not played for a year. It is tricky at first, especially if you don't use a strap. I don't use a strap. Depending on how im sitting (I rarely stand and play), I generally hold the uke in the crook of my right elbow kind of. It's under my arm, but I feel a balance in that area. The uke generally sits on my chest. When I sit and play on the couch or in my recliner, I generally rest it in my thigh and play, instead of up on the chest.

You just have to try different ways to see what is comfy for you. There isn't really a right/wrong way. You will find that there are also straps and leashes that can help. I've never tried any of those with my uke.

Welcome to UU and thanks for your service to our country.

I tried to see if any of my vids show how I hold my uke, but my camera normally cuts most of my uke out...but there are many of us on UU that have youtube channels and it may help you to check out how different people hold their ukes. You may find a comfy way.

A strap can be very helpful. I have been playing for 6 years, and nobody cares if you play with a strap or not. Most of the top professional ukulele players use a strap.

–Lori

I bought a strap that uses a single strap button on the butt of the uke and ties above the nut.
It has made playing much more enjoyable.
I would strongly suggest a strap. The thicker the strap, the more comfortable it will be.
I tried a neck style that hooks in the sound-hole but it wasn't comfortable with my Pono so I upgraded to a "proper" strap. I can send you a link to the one I purchased on Amazon if you would like. It was under $20usd.
Johnson

please remember your thumb placement.

I believe your uke should NOT be resting in (or touching) the web of your fingering hand
(generally left hand) as your thumb should generally be hidden (from the front) at the
middle of the back of the neck behind the 2nd fret.

I see many beginners 'grasping' the neck with their fingering hand and not giving their fingers
enough room to properly form the chords, especially the 3 and 4-finger chords.

I'm not saying you may not or cannot hold your uke in the web of your chord-forming hand,
I'm just saying that if you're having difficulty forming chords and/or switching from chord to
chord smoothly and easily, it may have something to do with your thumb placement.

my 2 cents

keep uke'in',

I use a classical guitar strap similar but with a smaller hook than Jake Shimabukuro's(it goes under the uke and hooks onto the sound hole). I have to wrap the strap around itself to shorten it but it was cheap and locally available. It also wouldn't work for a pineapple uke as well if you have that style of body.

Uncle Rod's advice is gold, not copper. haha

I just got my first tenor. I play all my ukes sitting down. I thought it would be like my concert - which is very comfortable to play with my left foot slightly elevated while I sit. I play it without a strap.

I was surprised that the tenor was really uncomfortable that way. I was having a hard time holding it no matter what I did. I had ordered it without strap buttons, thinking I would not need them. Maybe it was because I mostly play sopranos, but it just seemed big and ungainly. (Sounded good, though, when I was able to hold onto it for more than a few notes.)

So, I used the Mobius strap that I use when I play my vintage sopranos that are too fragile for strap buttons. It works really well on the Outdoor Ukulele tenor shape. Problem solved.

Uncle Rod Higuchi said:

please remember your thumb placement.

I believe your uke should NOT be resting in (or touching) the web of your fingering hand
(generally left hand) as your thumb should generally be hidden (from the front) at the
middle of the back of the neck behind the 2nd fret.

keep uke'in',

Click to expand...

I'm glad you said this. I'm relatively new to ukulele as well, and hold the uke as you described. I've seen so many videos where players hold the ukulele in the web of their hand that I began questioning if I was holding the instrument correctly. Thanks for the peace of mind Uncle Rod!

Uncle Rod Higuchi said:

please remember your thumb placement.

I believe your uke should NOT be resting in (or touching) the web of your fingering hand
(generally left hand) as your thumb should generally be hidden (from the front) at the
middle of the back of the neck behind the 2nd fret.

I see many beginners 'grasping' the neck with their fingering hand and not giving their fingers
enough room to properly form the chords, especially the 3 and 4-finger chords.

I'm not saying you may not or cannot hold your uke in the web of your chord-forming hand,
I'm just saying that if you're having difficulty forming chords and/or switching from chord to
chord smoothly and easily, it may have something to do with your thumb placement.

my 2 cents

keep uke'in',

Click to expand...

Thank you for this advice. I'm still working on things. I have really tried to take a basic, fundamental approach; last night I practiced strumming without even trying to make chords, just trying to get comfortable strumming.

PI, you can take a more pragmatic approach. After all, you may have just begun down a happy trail to a life-long pursuit. The suggestions from others are sound, but I don’t think you necessarily have to practice with perfect posture and positioning.

My ukulele sits beside my desk or favorite chair, depending upon what I’m doing; and I pick it up to pick or strum a few notes or several songs as the mood moves me. Sometimes, I play while laying back in my favorite lounge chair. Often, I’m in my desk chair that has arm rests. At other times, I might be in various postures or positions and hold the instrument in any old way just to get at the strings. The only time I seem to be concerned with holding the ukulele properly is when I’m at the monthly ukulele club jam; and even then, I often slouch back, just enjoying the evening.

My point is, I think you can progress nicely if you just play without much concern about all the specifics of posture, etc. And play chords or notes while learning to strum, even if you are not all that happy with what you hear. You need to develop strength in your fingers, and harden the tips of your fingers on your chording hand. You also need to develop the coordination of the strumming hand so it will work together with the chord changes and varying music beats.

I’m far from being the best player, nor will I ever be, because I just don’t have the gift. Still, I’ve enjoyed the ride for the past going on 56 years. What I am saying is…just play and enjoy the ride. You will develop the skills to play close to perfect no matter if you just play.

Thank you for this counsel. I definitely am enjoying myself. It also helps that I invested in a tuner...so now the chords I play match what I hear in songs. My little monsters keep asking me to play the opening theme from "Adventure Time" which is the first song I learned.

I, too, use a classical type strap that clips onto the sound hole. I'm having a custom one knitted too.

When I was just starting out (which wasn't long ago) I found it to be a nightmare just getting proper instruction on the MECHANICS of strumming a ukulele. There are approximately 1 million videos on strumming PATTERNS, but very few good/useable videos that just show the basics of how to hold your finger and contact the strings with it up and down. I wasn't even at the point of patterns and rhythms yet. I just needed someone to show me how to work the thing first..

This video was so good for me when I was starting out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoalVl5ikL4

I install one strap button on all my ukes.

At first I tried without a strap but it was so cumbersome that I added 2 strap buttons to all my ukes, and use a 1 1/2" leather strap, rough on the inside to keep it in place. Doesn't bother me one bit to drill holes in my ukes, no matter what the price of the uke. I even did it to my custom gypsy uke that was $780.

If you don't want to develop any bad habits, strap is the best way. Because it brings us better condition to hold the uku.

I use a sucker instead of strap pin. The sucker is 5cm diameter. It was only $1 in DIY shop. It works very good and never had a trouble for me over 3 months. You can just try it to see how strap works.

I struggled with this as well, initially, and got quite confused by the conflicting advice that books and videos (not referring to any in particular) offered. The worrying about bad habits impacted by enjoyment for some time. The three tips that really helped and let me have fun again were: getting an Uke Leash, remembering to keep the thumb behind the neck, and holding down strings with the finger tips. As finger strength improves, the strap becomes less needed and more of bit of convenience (at least while sitting).

actadh said:

I just got my first tenor. I play all my ukes sitting down. I thought it would be like my concert - which is very comfortable to play with my left foot slightly elevated while I sit. I play it without a strap.

I was surprised that the tenor was really uncomfortable that way. I was having a hard time holding it no matter what I did. I had ordered it without strap buttons, thinking I would not need them. Maybe it was because I mostly play sopranos, but it just seemed big and ungainly. (Sounded good, though, when I was able to hold onto it for more than a few notes.)

So, I used the Mobius strap that I use when I play my vintage sopranos that are too fragile for strap buttons. It works really well on the Outdoor Ukulele tenor shape. Problem solved.

Click to expand...

Thanks, Laura, for passing on your positive experience!

I didn't see any straps on the Hawaiian Music Supply videos, featuring some of the top ukulele players. They are playing tenors and seem to mostly use various parts of the left hand to support the instrument. Sometimes their thumbs are hidden, sometimes they protrude past the top. They do plenty of strumming in the first position, but are also doing extravagantly difficult position shifts in fast, complex music. For example, check out the link below to Corey Fujimoto playing some of the most difficult music imaginable on the uke without a strap. Troy Fernandez plays without a strap despite playing all over the fretboard. Maybe it is a Hawaiian thing. My guess is that if you play tons and don't confine yourself with rules about how you're "supposed" to hold the uke (for example, you're not "supposed" to use the palm of the hand to hold the uke--even though many of the finest players do, or you're not "supposed" to let the thumb show, even though they do), you eventually figure out all the little tricks necessary to do whatever is necessary. I play classical guitar and these rules help a lot in that instrument, but the uke is a folk instrument, a different ball game. Ever seen classical musicians try to play folk?

It is possible to play a tenor sitting with just the weight of your arm holding it in place, no left hand necessary at all. Like a classical guitar. There is an issue here, though--your hand will end up at a particular place, probably near the juncture of the body and neck. If you don't want to pick there, then you are out of luck. Check out Troy Fernandez. He plays to the right of the soundhole. Probably because he wants a bright, brilliant sound to highlight his fast, flashy licks. It looks like he is pressing the palm of his picking hand into the soundboard to help secure the uke, but I think he uses a lot of left hand to hold up the neck.

Jake S and James Hill use straps, but, significantly, they are playing tenors and standing. Both use playing styles that require a lot of freedom in the right arm, complex combinations of picking and body percussion and rapid strums.

This treatise aside, the easy way out is--yes, get a strap! I have a simple one by Neotech and it makes everything so much easier. I'm sure the others listed in this thread also work great. It is work to hold up the guitar and the straps take that work away and free you to just play the thing.

Corey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy1faNxAaqI
Troy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNGdpjwAm2E

"We're wiser now" than the Hawaiian players in their 20s who have thoroughly mastered their instrument? Or even the ones in their 50s? On what authority would such a statement rest, I wonder? Nor am I sure how the players that I happen to enjoy and emulate constitute cherry picking. I think studying the techniques of the most accomplished players with an open mind would be the most productive way to learn. Sometimes mastering the things which are at first glance are unpleasant pay out down the road. I may never get as good as Troy or Corey, but I did get good enough on guitar to make a living at it. It wasn't by thinking I knew more than John Williams or Andres Segovia.