Hammer ons

Joyful Uke

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My pinky is unable to do a hammer on that gets enough sound. I don't think it's just a matter of trying to strengthen the pinky, due to past injury. I can do hammer ons that sound OK with other fingers, but sometimes the fingering of a piece doesn't allow that.

I'm currently trying to learn Brittni Paiva's version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, (beautiful version!), and need that hammer on. What do people do if they need to substitute something for a hammer on? Picking the note vs. hammer on doesn't sound the same, of course, but is the best I can do for now.

Suggestions? Of just pick the note and that's that?

Here is Brittni's SOtR:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53lhcN47_YY
 
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Joyful, if you need to substitute something for a pinky hammer-on, I can only think of two options. Just pick the note, as you suggested, or figure out a way to to hit that hammer-on with a different finger (change the chord fingering pattern somehow). Perhaps somebody else can come up with another option. Good luck!
 
Ifyou cannot master the hammer on try a slide instead.
 
I find that looser strings help. I have my Kamaka tuned to eAC#F# and I can do all the note adornments such as hammers, pulls, glissandi. Of course, if you play in a group setting, you won't be playing in the same key as your partners.
 
I have a couple of instances (usually upper fretboard) where I can't hear the 2nd note of my hammer-on, so I just play them as separate distinct notes. Not a big deal for me. my dog doesn't mind.
 
You may have to "pull off" on that one.
 
Here's a wonderful version where she picks the notes rather than using a hammer-on :D



If that's good enough for her, it's good enough for me. :)
Maybe someday I'll play it at least 1/2 that well. Her playing is so beautiful.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try out a few things, and if all else fails, just pick the note instead of a hammer on. TobyDog's dog doesn't mind, but my dogs are critical of my playing. LOL.

I had started to learn this arrangement once before and quit because I couldn't do the hammer on. So, I've decided to play it now no matter how I get that note to play. It's such a beautiful arrangement of the song, (at least when Brittni plays it.)
 
I would agree that if you can't hammer on with the pinky to just pick it.

If you're not picky with the arrangement, I learned this one from Christopher Davis Shannon. It's a fairly easy chord melody version with picking in C. Just a thought.

https://www.thetinman.co/smile/smile-five-pieces-for-solo-ukulele

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll look into it.
I love Brittni's arrangement, but if that doesn't work for me, I do want to learn some version of it, so will keep this one in mind.
 
I just watched the video and immediately understood why you had a problem.

You ain’t playing on a custom Kamaka HF-3D as she has. Now go get one. :p
 
I just watched the video and immediately understood why you had a problem.

You ain’t playing on a custom Kamaka HF-3D as she has. Now go get one. :p

Now there is a solution I like! Buy another ukulele!
 
I have watched the video above and another one where Brittni plays the tune using a hammer on. In the other video she is plugged into an amplifier and the hammer on works very well. The hammer-on is a lot easier if you are plugged in.
So perhaps Brittni plays an amplified and un-amplified version? And perhaps even Brittni has a problem with making a little finger hammer on loud enough when not plugged in?
If you have access to an amp, you could listen to how your hammer-on goes when you are plugged in.

Good point. Some things are probably easier when plugged in.

I don't have any electronics, so I think I'll just have to get it sounding good with picking the note vs. a hammer on. So, that's what I'll be working on for the next 20 years - trying to sound like Brittni unplugged. :)
 
To play barre chords like this and use pinky for various effects is a great technique that can be applied to many songs, and it should be worth your while practicing this as a portable skill. It may help to practice this on a smaller uke with thinner or softer strings, and when you got it on that then move up to bigger size and/or heavier strings.
 
My thoughts were the same as Bill1—amplification makes a huge difference. My hammers sounded weak but after getting a pickup installed on my baritone, my hammers sound pretty dang cool. Pull offs, slides and string bending are now sounding like something. I just love it.
 
I play clawhammer style (which involves lots of HOs, POs, etc.). I was frustrated as well with the low audibility of these embellishments on most ukes -- turns out the small body size and relative thickness of wood (and often of the varnish as well) all combine to dampen these to the point of inaudibility.

I've tried a bunch of ukes to see which ones work best for this style of playing, and settled on the Romero Creations ST Concert with a spruce top. Really, it was the only one (of out DOZENS) that alloowed me to play embellishments easily and audibly. On most others, the note just disappeared or was so faint as to be useless...

So... I'd follow the recommendation here -- either pick the note or convert it to a slide...
 
I play clawhammer style (which involves lots of HOs, POs, etc.). I was frustrated as well with the low audibility of these embellishments on most ukes -- turns out the small body size and relative thickness of wood (and often of the varnish as well) all combine to dampen these to the point of inaudibility.

I've tried a bunch of ukes to see which ones work best for this style of playing, and settled on the Romero Creations ST Concert with a spruce top. Really, it was the only one (of out DOZENS) that alloowed me to play embellishments easily and audibly. On most others, the note just disappeared or was so faint as to be useless...

So... I'd follow the recommendation here -- either pick the note or convert it to a slide...

Thanks for sharing your experience. It makes me feel a little bit better that at least it's not just me that can't get it to sound the way I want (without electronics.) I think you're right - most ukuleles aren't going to allow the note to sound right.

If even Brittni picks the note when playing acoustic vs. plugged in, I guess I'll work on making that sound as good as possible, vs. doing the hammer on.

Thanks!
 
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