Does fingerstyle playing require specially written music?

Whistle · Sep 12, 2012

I am ordering some books to supplement my ukulele education. Right now I just play notes with my thumb, but I'd like to try out fingerstle playing and utilize some more digits. I am curious though... does fingerstyle playing require specially written songs, or can you use this style to play regularly written sheet music? Newbie question, I know....

Thanks!

RichM · Sep 12, 2012

I would give the answer as a qualified "yes." When I think of fingerstyle, I think of an arrangement where chords and melody are intermingled so that a song will sound full and complete when played on a solo instrument. Traditiional sheet music will usually provide you with melody and accompaniment, so unless your capable of arranging it yourself, you'll be able to play one or the other, but not both.

There are a few good fingerstyle books out there which will walk you through the basics and provide you with some good arrangements to get you started. Fingerstyle playing can get very complex, but you should be able to start with a few simple tunes.

janeray1940 · Sep 12, 2012

Can you read standard notation? If you can, any sheet music can become ukulele music. If not, you'll want to look for books of "ukulele tab." (Worth mentioning: the word "tab," short for "tablature," is often misused to mean chord charts, so be aware of this.)

If you can read standard notation you'll be a lot less limited in your options. If not, there are some decent books out there, and a few good websites as well.

Whistle · Sep 12, 2012

janeray1940 said:
Can you read standard notation? If you can, any sheet music can become ukulele music. If not, you'll want to look for books of "ukulele tab." (Worth mentioning: the word "tab," short for "tablature," is often misused to mean chord charts, so be aware of this.)

If you can read standard notation you'll be a lot less limited in your options. If not, there are some decent books out there, and a few good websites as well.

Hey! Yes, I can read standard notation. I'm learning from books that teach this and I much prefer it to tab. Okay, now that I know I will try to find some good books that teach this. Thanks!

Whistle · Sep 12, 2012

RichM said:
I would give the answer as a qualified "yes." When I think of fingerstyle, I think of an arrangement where chords and melody are intermingled so that a song will sound full and complete when played on a solo instrument. Traditiional sheet music will usually provide you with melody and accompaniment, so unless your capable of arranging it yourself, you'll be able to play one or the other, but not both.

There are a few good fingerstyle books out there which will walk you through the basics and provide you with some good arrangements to get you started. Fingerstyle playing can get very complex, but you should be able to start with a few simple tunes.

Thanks for the reply.

I am looking at a book called "Learn To Play Fingerstyle Solos For Ukulele", so hopefully that will walk me through it. There aren't a whole lot of books to choose from but this seems to get good reviews.

Freeda · Sep 12, 2012

Let us know how it works out for you.

Always interested in good resources.

Newportlocal · Sep 12, 2012

I just saw the reading standard notation comment. You can start with picking G,C,E,A in a song open. Then whatever you need besides those look for the closed note on a ukulele fretboard image with the notes. At first if you write down the notes so you only have to focus on the picking of open and closed strings it will help. So you aren't trying to do two things at once. Hope that helps.

Pundabaya · Sep 12, 2012

You can also do pattern-picking, where you take a chord and play it as an arpeggio instead of strumming. You 'pick' it in a 'pattern' as it were.

Obviously, you don't need to use tabs or sheet music for this, you're just picking the chords instead of strumming them.

katysax · Sep 13, 2012

As a kid I had books called "Folk Strums for Guitar" and "More Folk Strums for Guitar" that taught pattern picking. Then I got some books that transcribed various folk patterns for guitar. I've sort of incorporated many of these patterns into how I play so with ukulele I tend to pick the melody with my fingers or thumb and surround it with various picking patterns. It makes it possible to make an arrangement of just about any melody. If you add in different chord positions, then it makes it more interesting. Ukulele does not lend itself as easily to pattern picking as guitar does because a lot of my guitar playing is adding in a bass line to the strum. At first I started with a lot of low G tuning but more and more I'm adapting to the reentrant. Bottom line is that you don't really need an arrangement, but it is helpful to learn some basic music theory and a bit of pattern picking.

KamakOzzie · Sep 13, 2012

Pundabaya said:
You can also do pattern-picking, where you take a chord and play it as an arpeggio instead of strumming. You 'pick' it in a 'pattern' as it were.

Obviously, you don't need to use tabs or sheet music for this, you're just picking the chords instead of strumming them.

Here is an example....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=fvwp&v=jeOgbrdCE_I

Bill

Newportlocal · Sep 13, 2012

Thanks KamakOzzie for the link. You having practicing my Taylor strum which led me to practicing that and a Maybelle Carter strum for the today. Good stuff.

Whistle · Sep 13, 2012

Pundabaya said:
You can also do pattern-picking, where you take a chord and play it as an arpeggio instead of strumming. You 'pick' it in a 'pattern' as it were.

Obviously, you don't need to use tabs or sheet music for this, you're just picking the chords instead of strumming them.

Cool! Will definitely have to give this a try now!

itsme · Sep 13, 2012

Whistle said:
Cool! Will definitely have to give this a try now!

Tim's site has some good stuff on it.

http://ukulelesecrets.org/

rowjimmytour · Sep 13, 2012

Whistle said:
Thanks for the reply. I am looking at a book called "Learn To Play Fingerstyle Solos For Ukulele", so hopefully that will walk me through it. There aren't a whole lot of books to choose from but this seems to get good reviews.

Great book and great song selection I am learning fast by this book

guitharsis · Sep 13, 2012

This is a good book to get you started.

Whistle said:
Thanks for the reply. I am looking at a book called "Learn To Play Fingerstyle Solos For Ukulele", so hopefully that will walk me through it. There aren't a whole lot of books to choose from but this seems to get good reviews.

Does fingerstyle playing require specially written music?

Whistle

Active member

RichM

Well-known member

janeray1940

Well-known member

Whistle

Active member

Whistle

Active member

Freeda

Well-known member

Newportlocal

Well-known member

Pundabaya

Well-known member

katysax

UU VIP

KamakOzzie

Well-known member

Newportlocal

Well-known member

Whistle

Active member

itsme

Well-known member

rowjimmytour

Well-known member

guitharsis

Well-known member

Similar threads