Better strumming

samcupcake

samcupcake

New member
Joined
Mar 31, 2016
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Location
South Wales, UK
Hello! :) I'm pretty new to the ukulele, I've been practising for a couple of months now and really enjoying it.

I upgraded last week from a no name ukulele, to a Kala KA-CG and I really love it, it's so much better then what I had.

I've now got an issue though, when I'm strumming down, I'm occasionally catching the fingerboard with my nail and making a noise. It's driving me crazy! Am I strumming too hard? If I try and strum lighter I end up not hitting all the strings sometimes. It seems like a hard balancing act.

Is there a secret to strumming well, or is it just a cause of practise practise practise? :eek: Sometimes I swear I'll pick up my ukulele for some practise in the evening and it'll sound like I just picked it up for the first time ever...

Perhaps there's an idiots guide to strumming well out there for me? :rolleyes:
 
Welcome samcupcake. Do you have a strap or other means (binder twine) to keep the ukulele under control and to have it secure so it does not wander over your body. I found and still do that I enjoy the time with the instrument more if I use a strap to help me keep it where I want it.
 
No I haven't, I have considered getting a strap put on though. I only ever play sitting down, will using a strap help me strum better even if I'm sat down? I've never played an instrument before so I'm quite new to anything to do with music let alone playing an instrument.

I do find my new concert sized ukulele much more comfortable to hold then my first one, as I don't need to support it so much with my strumming arm.

Thanks for your reply! :)
 
samcupcake said:
Hello! :) I'm pretty new to the ukulele, I've been practising for a couple of months now and really enjoying it.

I upgraded last week from a no name ukulele, to a Kala KA-CG and I really love it, it's so much better then what I had.

I've now got an issue though, when I'm strumming down, I'm occasionally catching the fingerboard with my nail and making a noise. It's driving me crazy! Am I strumming too hard? If I try and strum lighter I end up not hitting all the strings sometimes. It seems like a hard balancing act.

Is there a secret to strumming well, or is it just a cause of practise practise practise? :eek: Sometimes I swear I'll pick up my ukulele for some practise in the evening and it'll sound like I just picked it up for the first time ever...

Perhaps there's an idiots guide to strumming well out there for me? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

One word for you to consider, Geometry.

Oh, and nail shape, so two/three words.

Look at the planes and angles of your strumming vector. Is the plane of your strum parallel to the plane of the strings or at an angle to them. Some times you want the strum movement to be a little angled to emphasis the A string note. Some times you want to not hit the G string at all, to bring out a note. Are you holding the Uke vertical or a little face up to see your left hand placement? Practice not looking at your left hand, or with your eyes closed.

It takes a few months to get all these muscle memories in place. Practice chords you can form without looking and watch/think about your strumming hand/arm geometry. Practice more.

Get a set of nail clippers and or a nail file to keep you nails in shape. Practice more.

Try different tempos. Play at half speed to get you movements correct and smoother. Practice more.

Laugh at your mistakes and Practice more.

Try a different strum pattern, DuduD, or DD uudU, etc. Practice them more.


Or take up finger picking and practice more.:D
 
samcupcake said:
No I haven't, I have considered getting a strap put on though. I only ever play sitting down, will using a strap help me strum better even if I'm sat down?
I do find my new concert sized ukulele much more comfortable to hold then my first one, as I don't need to support it so much with my strumming arm.
Thanks for your reply! :)
Click to expand...
If you can play without supporting the ukulele with your strumming arm then you will be concentrating on the playing and not worrying about the supporting of the ukulele. Years ago I found this was the first step to improving. In your original posting you wrote "It seems like a hard balancing act" I think you will like a strap.
PS: uke1950 and JackLuis type faster than I do. giggle
 
Last edited:
practice.................strumming is a skill that needs to be learned. I did that in the beginning when I tried to strum beyond my ability...too fast is often the problem.
 
PhilUSAFRet said:
practice.................strumming is a skill that needs to be learned. I did that in the beginning when I tried to strum beyond my ability...too fast is often the problem.
Click to expand...
I feel slower is more difficult to be honest, much harder for me too keep a steady rythm at slower tempos...
 
cml said:
I feel slower is more difficult to be honest, much harder for me too keep a steady rythm at slower tempos...
Click to expand...

The issue with the original poster appears not to be with tempo, but quality of tone and strum as a result of either the vector/path that he is using and how he is striking.

To the original poster, I applaud your efforts in identifying that the quality of your strum could be improved, good ears. The feedback you've received is excellent. Monitor the path of your hand as you strike to get a smooth even path that cuts across all strings. Typically on ukes there is a "sweet spot" that gives you the richest, loudest, most even tone when strumming, which I find more often than not where the neck meets the body. Finally, the length of your strumming nail(s) can be a huge factor as well.
 
A metronome helps too with slow 3/4 time. Or any tempo really. I should practice more with mine.
 
PhilUSAFRet said:
practice.................strumming is a skill that needs to be learned. I did that in the beginning when I tried to strum beyond my ability...too fast is often the problem.
Click to expand...

I'm not too much farther along my ukulele journey than the OP is, and this is a problem that I had after a few months, as well. I found that I eventually got used to it and stopped doing it.

The only suggestion I have apart from practice is to try to keep your strumming finger relaxed so that if you do end up hitting the fretboard, at least it won't be too hard and you won't hurt yourself (plus you'll have better tone)
 
A strumming question?

I tend to noodle using a long strum sequence ~6-10 movements and then practice chord changes in a Key. Some times in Minor keys the strum is 'menacing', sometimes it is light and Jig like, but it is never an evenly divided uniformly 3/4 or 4/4 beat.

I can do regular if it is called for but I like to strum to the lyric if there is one. Am I doing a bad thing?
 
Probably has nothing to do with the OP's situation, but I've been having periodic issues where the A string rings sour as well as sometimes missing a string here or there. My instructor told me I need to pay attention to consistent follow through. This was just yesterday so I have no idea if it'll really help.
 
If you play sitting down, it's usually possible to find a comfortable position for the uke where you are not having to hold it in position with either hand. I use my left hand to very lightly apply pressure to the neck to properly position it. I find that I can use my right forearm to keep the uke in position on my lap and then use a flicking motion with my wrist for strumming. As with anything new, try it slowly at first and then as you get more comfortable, you will naturally gain speed.
 
uke1950 said:
Are you enjoying yourself? That's all you need to ask yourself. :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, I like it, my strumming is more dum-de dum diddle-dum-dum de dum. than one, two, three, four, (D d u D.) It make Hotel California a little hard but hey, practice, practice, practice. 'Georgia on my mind' is a bit hard as it takes a little finger picking to fill in the rests. My neighbor is a recovering guitar player in a gig band and we play ukes once a week or so. But Gary always uses the same strum pattern and speeds up as the song goes along. Of course he like to sing and I think plays for accompaniment. I tend to like the instrumental approach. Maye I should try to sing?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
i have trouble changing chords while still strumming how can i get better at it
Replies
18
Views
5K
PhilUSAFRet
PhilUSAFRet
I
Better strumming option?
Replies
6
Views
572
MartinLil
MartinLil
G
Your better and wilfully retained mass manufactured Sopranos
2
Replies
26
Views
788
Graham Greenbag
G
Canada Jim
"If I'd known I was gonna live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself." Eubie Blake
Replies
1
Views
112
Canada Jim
Canada Jim
Altrove
Strings D'Addario Pro-Arte classical guitar strings for tenor ukulele: which is better, normal tension or hard tension?
Replies
7
Views
449
Archeonn
A
Top Bottom