Right Hand Technique

ozrider

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Hi all, first post here after my intro post - be gentle!

I've had one session playing my ukulele plugged in, less than stellar results... well I guess only day 4! haha

I just wanted to ask about right hand technique, a light touch seems key to getting the uke to sound like a uke, getting the body to resonate and not just hearing the strings amplified if you get my drift. Am I on the right track with that?

Also, left hand string muting seems really key as that top string really seems to resonate...
 
Playing while amplified has an adjustment period.

A light touch is certainly essential to playing the 'ukulele expressively (it's a very sensitive instrument to slight changes in right hand pressure). Being able to control the amount of pressure the right hand applies to the strings prior to release is critical.

Another important factor to tonal color is the location and angle at which you attack the string. String tension is highest at the saddle and nut and lowest at the midpoint of the vibrating length. Adjusting the angle of attack can produce anything from a mellow, thin tone to a full, bright tone. These two factors can be unified to execute a broad range of tonal colors.

String muting with the left hand is probably not quite as important. It can be useful in chord-melody and more complex strumming patterns, but seldom is it strictly necessary.
 
When you say "the top string seems to resonate" I assume you are playing with a low G? You might want to try a high G to reduce that resonance and make your life a bit easier in the short term.
 
Hi, thanks for the responses. I am experimenting with a few effects to fill up the sonic territory, including chorus and delay. It is working well, but I am trying to strum so that it doesn't just sound like strings, that the unique sound of the uke comes through. So far I find the uke is kinda underwhelming on its own without effects. Great for the bedroom and quiet numbers, but I'm looking to do songs like 'kiss' by prince
 
The bedroom is definitely one of the places the ukulele excels (no pun intended, I swear). Having said that, "Kiss" works pretty well acoustically as a country-blues tune. Prince even put together an acoustic demo for Kiss (see link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXMGp_7vl8w). Use that for a bit of inspiration.

As for getting the tone of the uke to come through...do you mean you're getting too much piezo quack when amplified, do you find certain effects incompatible with preserving the ukulele's sound, or do you mean to voice a more technique-oriented concern? Can you be more specific?

If the first, you can upgrade your uke's pickup system. This forum is full of advice on that topic. I use a SBT that is a bit expensive and prone to feed back but captures a very natural tone with minimal quack.

If the second, I agree. If I want the ukulele to sound like an ukulele, I limit myself to less intrusive effects like delay and reverb (maybe with a taste of light overdrive). The moment I add volume effects, distortion, octaves, etc. the instrument sounds less like an acoustic instrument and more like an electric one.

If you mean the third...the uke is capable of a broad sonic palette, but you might need to invest some time in right hand development to make more use of it. If you want to overcome the bedroom-oriented image of the ukulele, you'll need the technical chops to pull off more dynamic performances.
 
I mean this "If you mean the third...the uke is capable of a broad sonic palette, but you might need to invest some time in right hand development to make more use of it. If you want to overcome the bedroom-oriented image of the ukulele, you'll need the technical chops to pull off more dynamic performances"

Yup, it has really surprised me what nice tones this thing can pull off and how expressive and instrument it is, without having to worry too much about feedback playing through a pa. I'm quickly figuring out how much the strumming technique matters. My uke needs a setup though.. action at the nut is a tad high... working too hard at the first fret.
 
Well its a few weeks in and my right hand technique is really improving. I strike down mostly with two fingers with the thumb coming to rest on the edge of the fretboard. This looks like common method? I find one finger across the strings is a little thin sounding. This allows upstroke with soft pads of the fingers, also I'm in a position to pluck. Loving the uke...
 
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