strumming with one string....

o almost forgot to ask this. alright so the one thing i can't do on an uke is strum with just one string and have the others muted then using your index finger or sumtin to strum with. i've seen jake and aldrine do it before but i don't get it. haha my finger keeps getting stuck every time.lol
Terrell, add a link to what video you saw this technquie on and I'll check it out and let you know what's going on.

For now, if I'm understanding you correctly, you want to do a full 4 string strum but only hear one note at a time?? If this is correct, then my answer would be that the technquie varies with whatever note you are playing. The idea would be to play the desired note while muting the other strings with whatever skin is avaliable. That is a very vague description I know, but you will just have to find what works for you.

Here are a few idea's to try: Let your thumb come over and mute the high G string. That will take care of one string. Also, just let your fingers sort of relax and rest on any open strings you want to mute.

Bottonline, there is no one muting "trick" that I know of that will work for every given single note you want to play. So you will need to find a number of different muting positions that relate directly to whatever given note/string you apply it to. After awhile though it will simply become more of a "feel" and you won't have to think of these positions as you play. I hope this helps you. Good luck...e-lo...
 
Last edited:
If you're trying to sound a single note you should consider just picking it instead of strumming and only letting one of the notes ring out.

You can either do this like fingerpicking or you can do it like you were using a pick. Coming from a guitar background, the latter is what I mostly do.

I've found that I can most easily do the single note picking if I press my thumb and index finger together as if I was holding a guitar pick and then use my index fingernail to actually pick the note. Pinching my fingers together like that seems to improve my aim so that I'm only hitting the one string. I'm sure that's a psychological thing... I'm fooling my brain (and trained-in instincts) into thinking I have a pick in my hand and I'm hitting the string with it.
 
umm not really what i was talkin about. if check out jake's song shake it up. it's that picking in the very beginning
 
it's on limewire:p haha if u don't wanna use it though just send me an e-mail and i'll send you da file. my e-mail is sftmb4@yahoo.com. sorry for being so complicated but i've always wondered how to pick super fast like that.
 
it's on limewire:p haha if u don't wanna use it though just send me an e-mail and i'll send you da file. my e-mail is sftmb4@yahoo.com. sorry for being so complicated but i've always wondered how to pick super fast like that.
Terrell, I got your mp3. For this intro Jake in simply playing with his thumb nail. This technique can be seen on his youtube video "orange world".

http://youtube.com/watch?v=bT_Jr3vasOo

The middle section is where he uses this technique. At first an octave below on the 2nd string (E string). Then an octave above on the 1st string (A string).

To achieve this technique I believe he plants his pinky and ring fingers on the uke's soundboard (body) for leverage and then uses just his thumb to pick very very fast single notes. I can't get it to sound right when I do it because my thumb nail is not grown out. Also I don't like the feel of planting my fingers on the soundboard as of yet.

He also has a DVD out that I have called "Play Loud Ukulele" which is a very good instructional video. Pick it up and he shows you step by step how he uses his thumb for very fast picking. That's all I know about it dude! Hope it helps ya. Good luck... e-lo....
 
Last edited:
wow, looks difficult.
 
I believe Taimane is using that same technique in this vid of her:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BVf40uwsTQg Starting at 1.25

That is sick:eek:
Yeah, same technique, however, I believe in addition, she is using her index finger to stablize her thumb picking. Sort of like holding a pick (without a pick). hahaha.. It's all good. Whatever it takes to get those single notes to ring out....e-lo.....
 
dang that video was nutz. haha but yea thanx for the input guys. i'll have to check out that play loud DVD like ya said e-lo.
 
Top Bottom