Ukulele Picks

Another Ukulele

Another Ukulele

Well-known member
Joined
May 1, 2019
Messages
363
Reaction score
157
Location
San Francsico Bay Area
I’m off to Berkeley this Saturday to attend Peter Luongo’s Seminar.
He always has a segment or song that utilizes a pick. I prefer using my fingers and their tips or the back of my inter/nail. Unfortunately, I just can’t keep my nails strong enough to grow them out.

Using a pick always feels like painting and holding the brush at the very tippy tip of the handle. Awkward for me. But I’m practicing.

Anyway...

I’ve read about ‘Alaska’ picks, which go over the finger and UNDER the nail, making using a pick a more natural extension.

Anyone used them? Have any suggestions?
 
I can relate to your dilemma! Sometimes in winter, I'll develop those little splits on the sides of my fingernails, and they can make it painful to play with my fingertips, so I go in search of a pick that feels right. Ultimately, I have settled on the standard "teardrop-shaped" pick, and tried my best to make myself get comfortable with it. It helps to use it exclusively for a few days straight, so that it starts to feel "routine". In the process, I try to be mindful of maintaining a gentle touch, and just let the pick do the work. I haven't tried the Alaska picks, so I can't offer any comment on them. In any event, have a great time at the seminar!
 
Aaron Keim has a good tutorial on using Alaska picks and other kinds of picks with the ukulele.
 
I am one of those apostates who usually uses a pick with my ukes, as I actually find it sort of painful to strum with my index finger. For anyone who might like to use a pick, but finds it difficult to hold onto, there are a couple of great designs that make it a lot easier.

For a leather pick, the Lohanu has a large hole in the middle, and produces a very nice mellow tone.
61msOGwX9lL._AC_SX679_.jpg

https://www.amazon.com/Leather-Pick..._1?keywords=lohanu+pick&qid=1573749521&sr=8-1

For felt, D'Addario makes a similar shape, giving a brighter (and loud!) tone with its stiff material.
61BMi7z2nsL._AC_UL115_.jpg

https://www.amazon.com/DAddario-Acc..._77?keywords=felt+pick&qid=1573749613&sr=8-77

And from the guitar world, the easiest to hold I have found is the GuitarMoose with its sticky silicone like covering on the top half of the pick so it holds like glue. One criticism of guitar picks with ukes is that it often gives a clicky sound, but if you use the lighter models (such as the 0.5 mm light gauge) the sound is quite nice, and you can't hear the pick at all, just the uke.

rs=w:600,h:600


https://guitarmoose.com/shop?olsPage=products/stickygrip-guitar-pick-classic
 
EDW said:
I recently tried one of these and it works pretty well and seems better than other options I have tried. Plastic seems too hard, felt too soft and leather may be just right. It offers a little different tone color or attack than using the fingers.
Click to expand...

This raises the great point that picks are unfortunately very much like strings, in that no one pick is right for all ukes. I have found that I use different picks for different ukes, so you do have to explore a bit. A plastic pick on a resonator is a bit much, so there I use leather. But my HPL Bonanza is too mellow with leather, so there I use plastic.
 
I'm jealous! Peter's workshops are fantastic.

I keep my nails too short to use Alaskas, but I've used other similarish plastic finger picks. I don't know that they'd help a lot for Peter's class. In the classes I've had with him he used the pick primarily for picking fast melodies and tremolo, which would be much more difficult pure finger-style than with the pick (and I assume that if you knew how you wouldn't be asking ;) )

If your pick feels awkward and floppy then you may be holding it wrong. It shouldn't be held at the tip of the fingers. It should be between the side of the thumb and the index finger in a closed (but not tight) fist, and you should be choked up enough that just the tip is out.


The herco thumb-picks that Adam demonstrates at 3:10 look like they more or less enforce that position and might be an interesting one to try.


For the type of picking that Peter teaches I prefer a medium-heavy pick to a lighter one. The leather and light guage picks that besley linked are probably a lot better at strumming than tremolo. I think the pick Peter handed out was a 1mm guitar pick (that may have been random). I moved up to a triangular Dunlop 1.5 prime tone (my normal mandolin pick) or a Dava guitar pick ('cause I usually have one in my pocket). A loonie was a bit too heavy for me. I'm no May or Gibbons ;)
 
Bill1 said:
I have a little box of picks. Every time I visit a physical music shop I buy picks.

Ukulele tops are around 3mm thick. They are very easy to damage if you do not control a hard pick.

Thumb picks come with a long extension so you can file it to the size that you like

You do not have to use a pick or your fingers for an entire 3 hour session. You are allowed to fingerpick one or two tunes and use the pick to strum other tunes. So you do not have to give up either.

You can save a lot of time changing strings and money paying for strings if you realise that often a 50c pick made out of the right material is going to get the sound you want. If you keep a box of them, you can easily change your sound any time you choose.

If you have sore finger nails, you do not need to use your finger nails, you can pluck the strings with fingertips and leave your nails alone.
Click to expand...


A small correction, most ukulele tops are only 1.6 to 1.8 mm thick.
Brad
 
I gave up using picks years ago as a guitar player, when I realized that I couldn't hold onto one. Never liked the feel of finger picks, although a thumb pick was the only way I didn't drop my pick.

Led Kaapana uses picks on his Moore Bettah - see this thread.

I joke that I sound just like Led... when I push the play button on the CD player.
 
Huh. I've never really given picks much thought for my uke playing. I've always used my fingers and never really needed or wanted to start using a pick. I will have to try out these leather picks. I'm intrigued.

Also, I've never heard of the "Alaska pick" that goes under the fingernail. That sounds like it would either be painful or just awkward to use. I'll have to do some more research.
 
Peter’s work shops ARE terrific- exhausting, but terrific. This will be my third. And the first that will be a day trip— only 15 miles away.
I can get my fingers moving rapidly, I played piano and clarinet and saxophone. I’m just having a little difficulty in extending my fingers with the pick. Knowing where the end of my ‘long’ finger (pick) is at.

The first Peter pick as smooth. The second had a rough surface, which I like better. But I’ve never paid attention to thickness or heavy vs. light. Alaska or Lohanu. Perhaps I’ll start buying different types of picks every time I visit a Music Store.

Y’all have given me ideas to consider.

Thanks
 
I use picks sometimes especially when my nails are worn. Alaska pick, I don't tuck it under the nail, it hold on fine around the finger. Thinnest guitar pick, Dunlop .27, noisy but fine in a group. Homemade using plastic roofing material with just the right flex, there's a punch for making picks. I don't like leather or felt picks. Best is to try them all.
 
Does a plastic pick wear out Aquila super nyguts quickly as my soprano is only a couple of months old and the picking area of the strings has started to sound gravelly and if I rub the pick anywhere else there is no noise.
 
Just use your finger/nail. If you can't grow nails, learn to play with flesh. Plenty of players do fine without nails. Picks are cheap so if you want to try, it's low cost. But the vast majority of greats that are playing on very expensive instruments don't use them... and it's not because they can't afford a 50 cent pick.
 
Perfect thread for me as I was thinking of getting some picks for my uke, and was gonna ask whether people prefer leather or felt. Also I imagine it would be quieter than strumming with my fingers! I do have guitar picks but on uke, strumming fast, its clicky. And uke picks are bigger than those for guitar. But leather or felt, hmmm...
 
Steedy said:
These are good picks for ukulele:

Wedgie Rubber Picks
Click to expand...

I tried those a number of years back. I did not care for the feel as they seemed to grab or drag on the strings. I also found they left rubber dust residue on my instrument after playing for a while.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
Middle-aged man picks up a ukulele and gets hooked
Replies
14
Views
376
PTRarch.
PTRarch.
badhabits
Donner Concert Ukulele Black Carbon Fiber 23 Inch Travel Starter Bundle Kit with Free Online Lesson Gig Bag Strap Nylon String Tuner Picks Cloth DCF-1
2
Replies
21
Views
3K
Stoneyrun
Stoneyrun
C
Ukulele Picks
Replies
7
Views
666
Kenn2018
Kenn2018
H
  • Locked
For Free: D'Addario Felt Ukulele Picks
Replies
2
Views
289
hjdefoe
H
S
HonuPicks.com-the Best Ukulele Picks! Hear the music, not the pick.....finger smooth!
Replies
11
Views
1K
Sushidan
S
Top Bottom