Fingerpicking over the neck or soundhole?

YUNI

YUNI

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Hey y'all, so when I started fingerpicking on the ukulele I would do it over the soundhole area, but in videos I've seen people kind of fingerpicking up along the neck so I decided to try that.

After a while, I found that I can play faster fingerpicking over the neck, and I think it's because when I play over the soundhole, there is more space under the strings so my fingers tend to "hook" more around each one, if that makes sense:(

Maybe because I have super short nails (basically no nails, haha) on my right hand so I pluck with too much of the whole fingerpad/top of the finger area?

Anyway, when I play over the neck, the space under the string is more shallow so my fingers just brush the wood instead of hooking under the string. It feels like it requires less effort to play each note, and allows me to move more quickly without my fingers tiring out or feeling like they are getting stuck in the strings. The best way I can describe it is like the feeling of wading through mud vs wading through shallow water.

Has anyone else had this experience or does this sound weird. Maybe it comes down to playing with a lighter touch? :confused:
 
YUNI said:
Hey y'all, so when I started fingerpicking on the ukulele I would do it over the soundhole area, but in videos I've seen people kind of fingerpicking up along the neck so I decided to try that.

After a while, I found that I can play faster fingerpicking over the neck, and I think it's because when I play over the soundhole, there is more space under the strings so my fingers tend to "hook" more around each one, if that makes sense:(

Maybe because I have super short nails (basically no nails, haha) on my right hand so I pluck with too much of the whole fingerpad/top of the finger area?

Anyway, when I play over the neck, the space under the string is more shallow so my fingers just brush the wood instead of hooking under the string. It feels like it requires less effort to play each note, and allows me to move more quickly without my fingers tiring out or feeling like they are getting stuck in the strings. The best way I can describe it is like the feeling of wading through mud vs wading through shallow water.

Has anyone else had this experience or does this sound weird. Maybe it comes down to playing with a lighter touch? :confused:
Click to expand...

Hey Yuni, you're probably right about the speed. The proximity of the fret board disallows any wasted motion. However I want to second the motion for you to play up and down the strings. Different locations have different sounds and you should learn to exploit those differences. For example, when you play really close to the bridge (playing sul ponticello) the notes are much more percussive than when you play them sul tasto.
 
Hmmmm, it never occurred to me to play closer to the bridge :eek: I will definitely try that out, ty!!
 
I play with very short nails. For the majority of my ukes, I pick where the neck meets the soundboard.

On the Enya Nova U, I pick over the swirly soundhole. It sounds better, but this is the only uke I have with a side soundport, so that may be why.
 
Although I'm not much of a finger picking player, I will do so over the sound hole. When close to the bridge, the notes don't sustain as long, which provides a more staccato sound, if that's what the song calls for.

This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 11 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 35)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
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One does not have to do it like someone else does. The nice thing about the ukulele is that each person who plays it is free to develop their own style and sound.
 
Most beginner players prefer a lower action, but a low action limits what kind of picking you can do over the fretboard. You have to experiment with your own instrument to find what works best.
 
prb035 said:
Here's a nice example by Corey Fujimoto :D His style of playing is based around searching for those beautiful notes (dynamics) his picking hand moves constantly to find that elusive "sweet spot" :D

Click to expand...



Oh that's neat how he's moving his hand across like that. My hand is always pretty much stationary...you would probably be able to tell if you saw my forearm after playing for a while b/c the edge of the ukulele leaves an impression haha. The other day I was thinking what if ukuleles had arm rests like violins have shoulder rests :)

I also noticed he was playing mostly with his thumb and index; is that a style thing? I use one finger for each string like the thumb, index, middle, ring
 
I too, pick above the fretboard. I too find it gives me much faster speed. I agree that the depth of the pick is a factor, but also at the 12th fret is where the strings tension is the softest, so it requires the least effort to pick. Do try to pick at different parts of the string, it surely gives you different sound qualities.

Due to this factor, I prefer the action to be set a bit higher. It gives my fingers a bit more space to get the strings, and a bit less of "nails clicking on fretboard" sound.
 
Last edited:
Interesting observation. I just find the frets get in my way (on a soprano) so I made sure I got a soprano with only 12 frets! I suppose working on my picking technique would have been cheaper. :p

The size of the instrument you play has an effect on where your picking/strumming hand wants to be as well. The smaller the instrument, the more natural it might feel to play up the neck.
 
I am chiefly untutored, but my hand naturally goes right above the sound hole when I strum or finger pick. Some times, for affect, I will play on the neck or at the bridge. Here's some food for thought for those of you who play on the neck. I once saw a lady employing this interesting effect. She'd be finger picking up around the 12th fret or so, and she would periodically run her finger down the fret board between the G and C strings and achieve a sound like a Guiro. She did it in every measure she played, so that it became part of her rhythm...kind of like how James Hill flicks his soundboard to get that snare drum sound.
 
I don't play fingerstyle a lot, but out pf curiosity, I checked after reading this thread, and find that I instinctively pick over and around the 12th fret. It just feels right to me (for ME of course!) and the most comfortable positioning for my right hand.
 
My nails are weak, so I seldom fingerpick, goes with age. When I have filed them proper, I can only pick outside fingerboard because of the low action. I can't rely on my nails to last for that though. For strumming I keep my nails longer, but never thumb nail, I prefer the flesh sound for thumb. Just my part taking in this thread.
 
Lapyang said:
I too, pick above the fretboard. I too find it gives me much faster speed. I agree that the depth of the pick is a factor, but also at the 12th fret is where the strings tension is the softest, so it requires the least effort to pick. Do try to pick at different parts of the string, it surely gives you different sound qualities.

Due to this factor, I prefer the action to be set a bit higher. It gives my fingers a bit more space to get the strings, and a bit less of "nails clicking on fretboard" sound.
Click to expand...


I have two ukes - one with higher action and d'addario titanium strings, the other with lower action and Martin flurocarbons - and I think I actually prefer the lower action one because I can "skim" over the strings with my fingers with less effort. Although it might also have something to do with the thickness of the strings since the d'addarios are thicker and stiffer feeling...
 
I generally have low setups on my tenors. So, fingerstyle works a little better for me over the soundhole. That's where my hand goes naturally to pick.

Strumming, I still play on the portion of the fretboard that overhangs the upper bout.

But neither one is exclusive. I do change the location for effect or through exuberance.
 
The neatest solution I've ever seen for this was on a Loprinzi ukulele. Donna stopped the fretboard before the soundhole, so there's plenty of room for fingerpicking without using high action. Sorry I don't have a pic of it.
 
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