Fingerstyle uke

[SleepyheadRooster]

I’ve done some diving into past posts, but I’m just hoping to get some ideas. How many of you who play intermediate/advanced solo fingerstyle ukulele use a concert instead of a tenor? Not just fingerpicking accompaniments, but solo classical, celtic, chord melody jazz, and things like that.

I am primarily a guitarist, and I play a lot of fingerstyle including slack key guitar and some easier classical. I’ve been playing a little bit on a tenor ukulele, but I really love the sound of smaller ukuleles like concerts - probably because they are even less similar to the guitar than a tenor.

I know there are super concerts, but I wonder whether my fingers might eventually adjust to smaller fingerboards with practice.

Practice, practice, practice… and have fun! Thanks!

 

[ghostrdr]

I sometimes play my Otha-San which is a little longer scale than concert and shorter than tenor but because of the shape has a nice full sound. I think it makes the initial crazy chord stretches a little easier when figuring out the best chords to use

 

[ripock]

are custom concerts allowed in this thought-exercise? If so, then I'd bespeak a concert with 19 usable frets and a florentine cutaway, and I wouldn't feel that my quality of playing life is affected because I have nothing against the concert body size.

 

[Joyful Uke]

I only play concerts, and play fingerstyle. I'm not sure if my playing fits what the styles that you mention, (I don't have the background to play jazz, for example), but it's all solo fingerstyle, and I have a great time.

It probably depends on the specific concert ukulele, but there are plenty out there that have great tone, sustain, and whatever else you might like.

 

[SleepyheadRooster]

I sometimes play my Otha-San which is a little longer scale than concert and shorter than tenor but because of the shape has a nice full sound. I think it makes the initial crazy chord stretches a little easier when figuring out the best chords to use

It’s funny you mention this. I’ve never seen one of these in person, but in the last week I keep coming back to looking at these online. I plan to buy a second ukulele, but I am probably aiming at a basic Kamaka or KoAloha tenor or concert. Maybe I should save longer or sell a guitar. Those look beautiful!

 

[Joyful Uke]

It’s funny you mention this. I’ve never seen one of these in person, but in the last week I keep coming back to looking at these online. I plan to buy a second ukulele, but I am probably aiming at a basic Kamaka or KoAloha tenor or concert. Maybe I should save longer or sell a guitar. Those look beautiful!

Up until just a few weeks ago, I've only seen the high end Ohta Sans for sale. But then TUS had this one, which to my ears sounds great, and cost much less than the usual Ohta San.

Kamaka Ohta-san Koa Concert (HB-2 220883)

Concert Bell Shape Concert 16" scale (HB-2) Pictures AND video show the exact ukulele just now available. Also known as the "Ohta-san" model, this bell-shaped ukulele was designed by Sam Kamaka, Jr. and Herbert Ohta in 1965. It produces sharp, clear tones, and was designed primarily for...

theukulelesite.com

It's out of stock now, (some lucky person is probably playing it right now), but if you are interested, you could probably find out if there will be more available. Very close to the price of the basic Kamaka.

 

[Spicysteve]

Up until just a few weeks ago, I've only seen the high end Ohta Sans for sale. But then TUS had this one, which to my ears sounds great, and cost much less than the usual Ohta San.

Kamaka Ohta-san Koa Concert (HB-2 220883)

Concert Bell Shape Concert 16" scale (HB-2) Pictures AND video show the exact ukulele just now available. Also known as the "Ohta-san" model, this bell-shaped ukulele was designed by Sam Kamaka, Jr. and Herbert Ohta in 1965. It produces sharp, clear tones, and was designed primarily for...

theukulelesite.com

It's out of stock now, (some lucky person is probably playing it right now), but if you are interested, you could probably find out if there will be more available. Very close to the price of the basic Kamaka.

 

[captain-janeway]

I finger pick almost exclusively on my concert. I don't play up past the 10th fret though

 

[Jan D]

I fingerpick a wide range of musical genres on several different concert ukuleles, routinely playing up around the 10th and 12th frets. During the early days of my uke journey I played tenor uke, but found the stretch too hard for my smallish hands, so these days I stick to the concert and soprano scales. Switching between them isn’t generally a problem. By the time I get to the end of the first tune, my fingers have made the necessary adjustment.

I also have two celtic-style harps, one with narrower string spacing than the other, and can play them back to back with few transition issues. When taking on a new instrument with fret or string spacing that is different than what I’m used to, what I’ve found helpful is to play the new instrument exclusively for a period of time. That allows my fingers to learn new muscle memory - one that is specific to that particular instrument. Once the new muscle memory has been established, it generally won’t take much effort to routinely switch between instruments. Each time you play a different instrument, your fingers recognize it, and then switch to the muscle memory associated with that instrument. This is generally what works for me (except on those days when my fingers insist on having ‘stupid’ moments).

I encourage you to give the concert scale a try. Your fingers will likely adjust to the smaller fretboard quicker than you think. Best of luck on your uke adventures!

 

[SurferJay]

I play a lot of looping and dabble in a little bit of finger style here and there.

This arrangement sounds better on a Concert (video is a concert Uke) than a Tenor and I actually learnt it on a Soprano.

 

[greenfrog]

I wonder whether my fingers might eventually adjust to smaller fingerboards with practice.

Yes, they will.

I’m making the transition in the opposite direction - coming from a viola and violin background, the neck of a concert uke felt just about right to me (maybe even a bit big), but I chose baritone because I loved the sound, and have had to get used to a neck that felt enormous at first.

It took me a while to wrap my head around the fact that the between-fingers distance that I expect to be a whole step is now only a half-step. Perhaps thinking in the opposite direction might help you adjust to the smaller concert neck? The finger span that you think of as a half-step on a guitar is more like a whole step on a concert ukulele.

I also second @Jan D’s suggestion to play the new instrument exclusively for a while. Treat it like a language immersion - “this month, the only instrument I will play is a concert ukulele”. By the end of the month, your brain will probably have started getting used to it, and then you’ll be able to more easily switch back and forth.

Another thing that helped me a lot is absent-minded playing. Anytime you watch TV/listen to an audiobook/etc., the concert uke is in your hands and you’re quietly doing scales or familiar songs you know from larger instruments. It’s easier to play the same song or exercise over and over for 60+ minutes straight if you give your brain something else to keep it from getting bored, and that repetition will still build muscle memory even if it doesn’t have your full attention.

If you find a concert size physically uncomfortable to play, you might also want to look into one with a wider nut width. Nut width can make the neck feel bigger/smaller without changing the scale length. (When I tried a bunch of baritones I wound up choosing the one with a 35mm nut width, the narrowest out of all the ones I had played.)

(Oh, and if you have any doubts about whether it’s possible to do fast and intricate playing on a small neck, watch this. That’s a man with large fingers playing an instrument with a smaller neck than a concert ukulele. So yes, it’s possible.)

 

[merlin666]

I only play fingerstyle on ukulele, whereas guitars I play mainly with plectrum. The main difference for me is that my tenors are low G and re-entrant six string, whereas my concert is four string re-entrant. So while I sometimes play everything on all three ukes, I also have definite preferences which tune to play on specific ukes.

 

[RafterGirl]

All my ukuleles are concert. My finger style efforts involve playing easy/intermediate chord melodies. The uke I play the most for chord melody is my Cocobolo concert, which is a 16 inch scale like the Ohta San concert mentioned above (traditional concert scale is 15 inch, and tenor is 17 inch). I have tried tenors in the past, but find concerts more comfortable for my hands. The Cocobolo is a nice compromise, and it's easy to play for me. It has a very nice sound for a reasonable price.

 

[Larry U]

A lot of classical arrangements use campanella technique. I really like the way that sounds on my concert ukuleles. I find I use my tenors more for chord melody arrangements. If you're not familiar with campanella, here's a good explanation (and a simple lesson.)