Do you have a "style"?

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Joyful Uke

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When I started playing, I was delighted to be able to play anything, (still am), and worked on a hodgepodge of things.

I now have some things that are definite favorites to play/learn, and suspect that underlying that is that I'm developing a "style" of playing, vs. my hodgepodge. I play fingerstyle, but of course, within that designation, there is still a wide variety of styles. I can't yet quite define the style that I'm honing in on, (and expect it to potentially alter dependent on my abilities down the road), but I hadn't really consciously thought about having a particular "style" before. I just play for myself, so it's not necessary, but I guess I'm seeing it as a sign of developing as a player.

Do any of you have a conscious style of playing? How did it develop?
 
I think I have developed a style, in that I sound different from other players and people recognise a similarity across the songs I play.

That came from performing, first to small groups (in pubs), and then on stage to larger audiences. The style comes from a combination of:

a. The kinds of songs I like and choose to play, and

b. The choices I make about how to play them, which are informed by how audiences have reacted to each song.

The outcome of this organic process is what I think of as my style, which is different from a genre (like blues or country). When asked, I describe it as "Tin Pan Alley meets Western Swing", though I don't know whether an audience would agree!
 
The style of songs I play is very eclectic depending on which group I’m playing with. My main group chooses a theme each month. The theme can range from blues & jazz, country & folk, classic rock, swing, and contemporary. The kind of songs you’d find in the Jim Beloff yellow & blue books. On Sundays, I play contemporary Christian music at church. I gravitate towards 30s & 40s stuff, but whenever I hear something I like, I’ll go to Ultimate Guitar and find the chords. Most of my group play is basic is strumming, but I try to change things up with alternate fingerings & harmony. I really enjoy chord melody play and have been doing more of that. I think because I’m a so-so singer, chord melody is appealing, especially when I do an open mic at one of my groups.
 
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gochugogi said:
Fingerstyle is actually a technique and can be used to play many musical styles, e.g., blues, pop, country, jazz, classical, etc. Me, I leans towards hodgepodge and find it all good!
Click to expand...

Right, but within fingerstyle, there are a variety of styles. Jake, Brittni, James Hill, Daniel Ho, Matt Dahlberg, Aldrine Guerrero, Kris Guchigami, and on and on will play the same song/piece of music differently because of different styles.

I know I wasn't clear in my initial post, but hopefully that helps clarify.
 
I'm not sure what you meant by style....

I tend to prefer to fingerpick chord melodies. Sometimes I use a thumb-finger style, and sometimes I use a two or three finger-thumb style. I have learned to do certain songs using just my thumb, especially Hawaiian songs, and even one song with just my forefinger.

Is that what you meant. Or am I crazy?
 
Yes, I believe all musicians have a "style" or voice. One's voice comes from their personality, musical influences, what we experience (or want to experience) when we create music, among other things. Methods, techniques, chops, and fundamentals of playing help us express the voice.
 
I suppose I have a style. I never ever play other people's music; I only play stuff I come up with. I usually use modes and modal progressions and harmonizations as well as ideas I have picked up through the blues. However I never play "the blues"; someone might say that I play blues-based music or even jazz, but I don't think I stick close enough to those traditions to warrant the label. I have heard people refer to American roots music and I think I fit better under the roots rubric.
 
I like a rhythmic strum, adapting songs to different styles of strumming. Country or rock songs, adapted to a blues or reggae style of strum, etc. Some songs probably have no business being played that way, according to the original, but that's what keeps music interesting & fun to me, and isn't that what it's all about?
 
Hey RafterGirl,

Hooray for 30s, 40s, (even 20s and 50s) music!

Although I grew up in the 60's I really like my Mom's generation of music.
To me the melodies and the lyrics are more memorable and singable :)

email me at ( rohiguchi@seattleschools.org ) and I'll share my songbook(s)
so we can enjoy the same music in different locations... together :)

keep uke'in',
 
When I see videos of the most famous ukulele virtuosa play, like Jake etc. I instantly realize that I am never going to be able to play like them. Fortunately It doenst really bother me. It is not the style I am going for, with all those notes and purely instrumental stuff. I like to hear them, but that is not how I would express myself musically. That way it is comforting to have an idea of your style. That way you don't judge yourself the same way.

I like to blend strumming and finger picking, and play mostly for singing. But I love instrumental intros, fills and breaks etc.
Mostly genres like easy listening, folk and jazz.
There are many people out there better at that than a happy amateur like me too, but it is not as intimidating or unachievable to learn just a little bit of what those can do.
 
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Yeah, I guess I've got my own style..... :smileybounce:

When I have posted on the Seasons thread, I have a kind of talk along style rather than singing, & wrote some ditties, to which I just strummed a few chords..... :music:

When playing for myself, I just pick a tune, mainly with my thumb. :cool:
 
Uncle Rod Higuchi said:
Hey RafterGirl,

Hooray for 30s, 40s, (even 20s and 50s) music!

Although I grew up in the 60's I really like my Mom's generation of music.
To me the melodies and the lyrics are more memorable and singable :)

email me at ( rohiguchi@seattleschools.org ) and I'll share my songbook(s)
so we can enjoy the same music in different locations... together :)

keep uke'in',
Click to expand...

Thanks Rod. So many songs from that generation translate so well to the ukulele. I've looked at your songbooks many times, great stuff. One of the chord melodies I've worked on lately was "Stormy Weather." Love that song.

Right now I'm working on a chord melody for "Bridge Over Troubled Water." I'll be playing it this Saturday at my uke group. We're doing 60s music, and I signed up for one of the open mic solo spots. It took me awhile to decide on a song, but this one is so beautiful. Hopefully my brain & fingers work properly on Saturday, and don't get overcome by nerves.
 
I did a search for music styles and I came up with a Wikipedia page that lists all of the music styles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_music_styles

I do like the blues and I was really surprised how many blues styles they listed. Holy cow, who would have thunk? Going through the list, cow punk caught my eye. I don't think that I have ever played cow punk, but I might start.

I'm pretty sure this isn't what the OP is referring to. So if someone will define style for me, I'll try to narrow it down a bit more. Seriously, I don't know if I have a style or not. I play with a lot of people and in several groups and I think that my playing style depends on who I'm playing with. Whenever you play with others you have to adjust. I do have my owns "style" when I play just by myself, but I couldn't put a name to it. It is just my style. It is how I play. But my "style" also isn't just reflected by playing the ukulele. I sing, like to busk, do the occasional coffee shop gig. So my singing and my stage presence plays into it as well. It isn't just about playing the ukulele, because to me the ukuele is just one part of it. A hard question to answer.
 
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Cow punk, huh? Sounds interesting.

I apologize for my lack of ability to define what I'm trying to mean by style.
It appears that I'm using the word incorrectly, though I had always thought that things like rock, blues, and cow punk were genres, but I guess a genre is a musical style, so that's circular.

But within the same genre, there are different styles - or whatever the word is - of playing. John Hartford and Earl Scruggs both played bluegrass banjo, but not in the same way. Sam Bush and Bill Monroe both played bluegrass mandolin, but not in the same way. Their playing was distinctive, (at least until enough people copied them, I guess), and you could pick them out from other players. Whatever made them distinctive is what I'm trying to call style.

Maybe that doesn't help explain what I'm trying to say, (especially if you don't know the musicians I'm mentioning), but it can't hurt to try again, I hope.
 
Joyful Uke said:
Cow punk, huh? Sounds interesting.

I apologize for my lack of ability to define what I'm trying to mean by style.
It appears that I'm using the word incorrectly, though I had always thought that things like rock, blues, and cow punk were genres, but I guess a genre is a musical style, so that's circular.

But within the same genre, there are different styles - or whatever the word is - of playing. John Hartford and Earl Scruggs both played bluegrass banjo, but not in the same way. Sam Bush and Bill Monroe both played bluegrass mandolin, but not in the same way. Their playing was distinctive, (at least until enough people copied them, I guess), and you could pick them out from other players. Whatever made them distinctive is what I'm trying to call style.

Maybe that doesn't help explain what I'm trying to say, (especially if you don't know the musicians I'm mentioning), but it can't hurt to try again, I hope.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean. I was just having some fun with it. No offense meant.
 
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Rllink said:
I know what you mean. I was just having some fun with it. No offense meant.
Click to expand...

I did think that your post was fun. And I really am going to try to find out what cow punk is, and what is sounds like. I might like it. :)

I was just mulling over my lack of vocabulary to define what I was trying to say. But, I played my ukulele for a bit, and decided it didn't matter if I've got the words or not. I'm having fun anyway. :)
 
Everything i play sounds the same, i practice different rhythms but once i start singing my brain automatically strums D-D-UUDU. Accompanied by deep, mournful very slightly flat singing.
 
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