Strumming help

StringDaddy

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Hey everyone. I have only been clunking around on a Ukulele for about two weeks now, so I'm about as "beginner" as they come. I also play Upright Bass and Banjo. I'm having difficulty with strumming chords. My left hand seems to be moving OK on the fingerboard, it's my right hand that needs work. I'm lost as to the best way to hold my right hand while strumming, to get good sound. Every video tutorial I've watched on strumming, including my lesson book, mention a different way. Everything from using only your thumb, using your index finger with thumb across it at the first joint, using a claw shape with your hand finally a felt Ukulele pick. What is the best way for a complete beginner? I've tried them all and nothing seems to be working. I know they will take practice, as strumming is a new technique I don't use on my other instruments as I do 3-finger Scruggs-style on the Banjo. I also know that being brought up Orchestrally, we are taught to over-analyze every single detail. Am I making this harder than it needs to be? Someone please point me in the right direction.
 
I've never really got on with strumming, preferring to pick melodies for my own enjoyment, but basically it is 'anything goes', just as long as you get the sound you want. :)

Most of my ukes are tuned low G, so down strumming works well for me when I need to, but I do have re entrant, & when I strum that, I usually use finger nails down, thumb nail up.
 
Hi Stringdaddy, I had to grab my uke and do a little strumming to refresh myself on exactly how I approach it, I guess it's become so second-nature! And I may be somewhat in the minority on this, but... I find that I actually rest my thumb very gently on the soundboard (to give me a sense of being "grounded") and that I do the strumming with my index finger only (the second, third, and fourth fingers just sort of hang loosely out of the way). I try to maintain the nail on my index finger at just enough length to keep the pad of that finger from "taking the full hit" of each strum. But it's funny, now that you mentioned it, that I never could get comfortable with using the index finger with thumb across it at the first joint; somehow that just feels too aggressive, like on a guitar when you're used to using a very thin pick and someone hands you a heavy gauge...
 
I'd advise not reading about how you are told to do it but just pick up the uke and make a noise with it and note what feels natural to you. I use only my index finger extended comfortably and naturally curved striking the string with the side of my nail. My thumb floats naturally neither touching the uke or my index finger. Sometimes a little bit of the fleshy part of my index finger will strike the string along with the edge of my nail. Other times I will hook my index finger and strike the string with the top edge of my nail. They make subtle sound differences so it will depend on what sound I want at the time.
 
I mainly strum and this is only the way I use my fingers. I strum with index or index,middle and ring fingers down and with index finger up.

Some strum with thumb up, but it feels unnatural for me. Thumb down strum is also in the arsenal and that is maybe also related to fingerpicking and produces the gentler softer sound because I don't use thumbnail.

The 3 finger down strum came to me when I started learning chucking/chunking, but I now use it also with normal downstrum to have perhaps a more powerful strum than just from index finger. Also I believe myself that it might give the correct angle of the right hand regarding finger nails but your mileage may vary, etc. regarding hand shape and size. I just try get most volume out of the strum and when I first started with index finger strumming only, that finger was more sideways whereas the more powerful sound I get when the finger is more down pointing. So the nail(s) hit more straight than sideways, if this makes any sense ;)
 
I keep my strumming hand in a loose claw configuration. On the down strum the ring finger seems to be the finger that hits the strings. On the up strum I use the knuckle of my thumb.

I think you're seeing the theme of this thread: do whatever you want. After all, it is just a stop-gap. Once you advance you are going to try other strums. So, the one you pick right now isn't really going to matter too much; it will just be one of many tonal tools you will have at your command.
 
My beginning sequence (and what I have seen with a number of classes) is:
Use whatever gives you a consistent down strum and then a consistent up strum.
Strum whatever you are playing D U D U
Keep doing that until you get to a comfort level with how to use the rest of the Uke. Then consider a different strum pattern. D DU UDU or some such depending on the piece.
Then continue to add.
 
Thanks for all the pointers. It sounds like I was being overly-critical. I will try some of these things out when I get home from work.
 
Hi, Daddy!

I'm lost as to the best way to hold my right hand while strumming, to get good sound.

I have once taught strumming to my friend and it was bit difficult. There were two difficulties for him. The first problem was that he pat strings rather than strummed out. This was the first strung instrument for him and he was about 50 years old. The other problem was that he shook his forearm like guitar (See photo A) rather than turn his wrist (photo A C and D). According to Ohta-san's book, we should use wrist for strumming. One of the reason of this is that we have to hold ukulele with our right hand (green circle in photo B). We utilize the angle (green line) of the strings and forearm for strumming and finger picking, the anchor point (green circle in B) should be located on the upper half of the tail of the ukulele body. My friend has big tummy, and it helped to hold his ukulele a lot. Half sleeve shirt (C and D) helps this anchor a lot.



This kind of lesson is much easier in person like my friend. I know it is difficult to learn it by books, internet or videos. My friend took a couple of month to strum, but it was fun.
 
I do 3-finger Scruggs-style on the Banjo. I also know that being brought up Orchestrally, we are taught to over-analyze every single detail. Am I making this harder than it needs to be? Someone please point me in the right direction.

"3-finger Scruggs style" is actually the example that serves best as an illustration of my thoughts on this.
Earl was not a revolutionary banjo player because he played banjo the way somebody else played banjo. He played the banjo the way Earl Scruggs played banjo.

So, I say have at it. Find out how YOU like to strum a ukulele and don't worry about how somebody else does it.

If you want a nudge in the right direction, I'd say to keep in mind that the more flexible your strum, the more adaptable it will be as you learn new techniques.

My strum uses the backs of my index, middle, ring and pinkie fingernails on a downstroke, (often followed by a thumb pad downstroke for a triple strum) and the back of my thumbnail on the upstroke. This style is dependent on a free hand, so no thumb or pinkie planting.

YMMV
 
A great point by Swamp Yankee concerning Scruggs. I strum in many different ways depending on what kind of sound and rhthym I want. The important thing is to have a good solid rhythm. I also pick a little Scruggs style, this 3 finger thumb lead works fairly well on uke with a small adaptation.
Strum as if you are playing a drum. From the lower arm and wrist.
 
Hi

Ukulele was my first stringer instrument too, having previously played flute classical and orchestral music.learning to strum simply took hours of practice for me. There are minute changes that you will gradually make over time to make it sound better whichever style you choose. I use either an index finger or a middle finger sinks finger strum - I alternate as sometimes one gets sore from overuse

The only recommendations I would make are don’t stress, it takes time and also keep remembering to relax the strumming hand. The more relaxed the more resonant. It may be a little quieter. If it sounds nicer. Oh and watch YouTube lessons from lots of different teachers. I found I had to keep coming back to that first lesson to emphasise different tile
 
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I mainly strum and this is only the way I use my fingers. I strum with index or index,middle and ring fingers down and with index finger up.

Some strum with thumb up, but it feels unnatural for me. Thumb down strum is also in the arsenal and that is maybe also related to fingerpicking and produces the gentler softer sound because I don't use thumbnail.

The 3 finger down strum came to me when I started learning chucking/chunking, but I now use it also with normal downstrum to have perhaps a more powerful strum than just from index finger. Also I believe myself that it might give the correct angle of the right hand regarding finger nails but your mileage may vary, etc. regarding hand shape and size. I just try get most volume out of the strum and when I first started with index finger strumming only, that finger was more sideways whereas the more powerful sound I get when the finger is more down pointing. So the nail(s) hit more straight than sideways, if this makes any sense ;)

I also use 3-4 fingers strumming quite often, particularly with my 8 string (it sounds great that way, really chimey with the slight delay between fingers). On my 4 string Martin, I usually use just my index finger with my other fingers kind of spread out of the way.
 
I teach my beginners to hold the right hand thusly:
strum hold.jpg
 
I advise my beginning students to use youtube tutorials. You can search ukulele, how to...……...and fill in the blank. Playing uke involves many skills and beginner's often try and master all of them at the same time....learn to hold, fret, strum, new chords, lyrics, melody, etc. Spend some time just practicing strums...there are many styles that compliment different rhythms. YouTube has a little gear icon at the bottom you can use to slow down the video to your current ability level. Speed comes with practice. I used to practice them during tv commercials, usually muting the strings with my fretting fingers so I wouldn't bother my wife while I practiced tricky chord changes and strums like triplets and chunking, and others. Be patient...."practice and it will come.'
 
I picked up the uke about 18 years ago and bought a Jim Belloff book. I began strumming with my thumb, I didn't know any better I guess. 5-6 years ago I decided to learn how to finger pick. I grew my nails out and took lessons. Strumming with a longer nail on my thumb didn't work, the nail kept getting caught on the strings. I don't feel comfortable brushing with the index finger for some reason. I gravitated towards strumming with the index and middle fingers and the thumb when I'm strumming upwards. It feels comfortable and for me that's all that matters.
 
I started by holding my index finger out there and going up and down. Pretty simple, nothing fancy. The biggest obstacle to overcome was letting my finger relax and glide over the strings instead of digging into them. I think that every imaginable way that you can strum a ukulele has already been done and named, so you can't really go wrong. But I got pretty good at the up down index finger strum and did a different one that I call the wave, I'm sure that it has another name, because I picked it up watching some show on tv where a guy was playing the ukulele and strumming like that. I have a couple of others, and none of them are something that someone taught me, I just came to them messing around and experimenting, or watching other people. Along the way I started doing variations of ups and downs. Anyway, I always tell people to just do what comes naturally and quit trying to make it so complicated. Watch any good strummer, and they all have one thing in common, they are relaxed. Just relax. That goes for a lot of things ukulele.
 
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