Up Strumming

cupcake

Active member
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
29
Reaction score
0
Location
Connecticut
For some reason, I can't get my up strumming to sound right. I have been playing most of my songs DDDD because I just can't get the technique down. My finger seems to get stuck between the strings when i strum upwards. I'm not sure if im pressing too hard or what. I use the my nail on the down strum and then use my actual finger on the up strum, but it always sounds realyl uneven because my fingers get stuck and I can't get an even tempo or sound going.
 
Use your thumb for up strums and see if that works for you :)
 
take your ukulele and strum down then strum up with your index finger but do it very very very slowly and concentrating on getting the up stroke sounding nice,dont worry about tempo just the action of the finger going up. now keep doing that for five, ten minutes, however long you can before it messes up. When yo're bored with that or the fingers are messing up the strum, put the uke down and go do something else (iron the clothes, clean the bathroom) then come back after 30 mins or an hour and start again with the strumming practice and try not to rush it.... just go real slow listening to the sound as it goes down and up. Keep this up for a day (BORING I know but it'll be worth it) and do it last thing before you go to bed. Next morning give it a go and I think you will find it has become better, not great but better?? Keep this up and increase the speed as you become more comfortable, but dont get crazy fast yet, keep it slow. And remember as soon as you're mussing up the strums, stop and go away...Practice and rest are both important
 
I agree with GreatGazukes, (except the part about cleaning the bathroom;0) perhaps the position of your index finger should be checked, on the down-strum your palm is facing the strings, even facing slightly upward as you drop your hand with your fingers curled and the nail of your index finger making contact across the strings. On the up strum your palm should be turned a little downward finger more straight so you are pulling or dragging the index finger (meaty part) up lightly, not pushing up across the strings. My up-strum is done more with the side of the index not the finger pad. The up-strum is not going to be as loud as the down-strum obviously. All relaxed too.
DAP
 
I had a friend who was having this problem. We sat together and together we moved our strumming hand up and down at a slow and steady pace, not touching the strings at all. So, kind of like air strumming, about an inch away from the strings. We did that for a couple minutes and then kept the same tempo of up down, up down and slowly moved our strumming hand to very lightly touching the strings....still going up down, up down....not even holding a chord.

The emphasis was not on playing or sounding good but getting comfortable with that up down sensation without even trying to make any music. After about five minutes of having his brain just focus on this he was strumming on the up stroke basically the same as the down stroke.

Just something I used to help a friend....maybe it can help you a bit. Good luck!
 
I suppose the point I want to make is that all that learning to play the Uke, or any other thing in life, is about training your brain. The actions required are stored in many spots of the brain and each time you repeat an action the information is sent to many spots for the brain to say hey move the index finger up, hey move it around dah dah dah. Any how the more times the action is repeated the easier it is for the brain to get and send messages, it is sort of like slashing a path through a forest, the more times you walk through and slash the more open the path becomes.

Also give your brain some nourishment.....DRINK SOME WATER....it really helps with brain function, and it needs rest.

Finally you are unwittingly giving your brain a real workout learning a musical instrument....and thats a real good thing...it will help stave off dementia....truly, keeping your brain active is probably the best thing you can do for yourself....Enjoy
 
thanks for all the replies. I definitely think that practicing just my strumming would help things and that i need to do the action over and over again, but I guess I am mostly worried about my technique. I think I am doing something wrong because I just cannot get it to sound right and I don't want to practice doing something the wrong way. I have been trying to watch youtube videos, and I think I have the finger positioned correctly. I think the problem is the amount of pressure im using and I think I also might be letting my finger come off the strings too much, but I'm not really sure. It's hard to tell the correct way to strum through videos.
 
I agree with most of the posts so far.......... but nearly all miss out on the most important thing.........
Do not hold you fingers/hand stiff.............RELAX ........and let the finger stroke the strings not pluck or hit them..........
Practice but relax..

Ukulele Ray
 
Top Bottom