Most of the people I have seen play ukulele with their fingers, however, I did run across a video of someone playing with a pick instead. I was wondering how many out there do use picks instead and their reasoning.
Anyone prefer using a pick instead of fingers?
- Thread starter CYN
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Peter Frary
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It's not uncommon for old time 'ukulele players in Hawaii to use a thumb pick combined with finger technique but most younger players go with finger flesh or nails. Plastic picks render a more twangy and bright tone than fingers, so not for everybody. I use a pick when I play electric and steel-string acoustic guitars but don't find a pick on nylon or fluorocarbon strings to be as nearly attractive as flesh or well smoothed nails. If you do use a pick, the heavier jazz style picks make a rounder tone than the thin praise band strummer picks.
Down Up Dick
Well-known member
I use picks sometimes, but I think I enjoy fingers better. Especially if I’m just noodling some stuff by ear. I use picks under .050 mm like “Ukulele for Dummies” suggests. I mostly use Dunlop .046 nylon or Red Prime Grips. 
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EDW
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You can also do a search on the topic. There was a discussion a couple of weeks back about picks.
FWIW- I recently tried a leather pick which has some attractive features- a little more bite than fingertips, yet less than a plastic pick. Overall, I still prefer fingertips/nails.
FWIW- I recently tried a leather pick which has some attractive features- a little more bite than fingertips, yet less than a plastic pick. Overall, I still prefer fingertips/nails.
I use a pick 99% of the time. I do a lot of blue grass double pickin' on both guitar and usually, a baritone uke. Like others, I have a drawer full of picks searching for one I really liked with a nylon strung instrument. Right now my favorite is a Charmed Life Pick brown CLT.075 and CLT.088.
When I played guitar (for almost 50 years), I always used a pick, since playing ukulele 6 years ago, I never use a pick, as well as with bass that I took up 5 years ago.
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, 14 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 39)
• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers
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, 14 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 39)
• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers
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Rllink
Well-known member
I've tried one but it didn't last long. A pick doesn't lend itself to my strumming style.
Badger uke
Well-known member
I prefer the sound using a heavy smooth plastic pick I think my strings disagree as they seem to were quickly.
Bill Sheehan
Well-known member
Hahahahaha! As a Catholic boy who pioneered the "guitar Mass" at my Church back in 1969, I am getting a kick out of the term "praise band strummer picks"!!
Bill Sheehan
Well-known member
How has he felt since then?
Aaron Keim uses Alaska Piks, which fit over the fingertips and thumbs like banjo picks. They’re plastic. I got a set in case my nails wouldn’t hold up but they have and I’ve never really used the Alaska Piks.
Bill Sheehan
Well-known member
Bill1, I like your spirit! Seems like every winter, as I start to develop those pesky little splits on the sides of my fingernails, I explore the possibility of playing with a pick, just to take my strumming finger (index, in my case) out of the equation; and for single-note doodling the pick produces a great smooth tone; but doggone it, I can't seem to get much going in the "strumming" department with the pick, try as I may! It just seems too clumsy, and interferes with the "feel" I like to have when I'm strumming. But nonetheless... I love the idea!
I have heard that some professional guitarists use clear nail varnish to keep their nails intact even if male.
My dog survived the pick eating experience and now curls up near me when i play. I am not sure if she enjoys the music or is after another snack.
I actually forgot i bought another one to experiment with over the holiday season, must get it out.
My dog survived the pick eating experience and now curls up near me when i play. I am not sure if she enjoys the music or is after another snack.
I actually forgot i bought another one to experiment with over the holiday season, must get it out.
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I played guitar in an old time/bluegrass trio for years using flat picks but a few years ago medical problems made it painful to hold guitar so rather than downsize my guitar I opted for a uke. This gave me chance to introduce the grandsons to this beautiful instrument but all instructions suggested finger picking or strumming until Aaron Keim's videos suggested otherwise and he plays my sort of music so I too was left in the same dilemma as the poster.When one grandson said he would like a banjo we decided to go for a banjolele and to me this really called for so picks were tried and despite nygut strings it sounds fine to me although I have not tried this with the 6 year old grandson yet prefering to let him get better at his strumming patterns. I suppose all this is a long way round of suggesting that maybe attitudes have changed and anything goes as long as you are playing one of these beautiful little instruments and you are not spoiling others enjoyment.
TopDog
Well-known member
Never used a pick on ukulele; as a former guitarist I always used my fingers too, on 12 string acoustic and six string electric guitars.My one variation was when I learned slide guitar,and I often used a pick then,for extra volume when 'sliding'. One of our group cannot play with his fingers and always uses one;the rest of us are happy with fingers.Whatever you are comfortable with,and whatever suits you, will always work best for you!
SteveZ
Well-known member
I always use a pick on everything in the stable. It just feels comfortable. I have not gotten into a "pick preference" by brand name, gauge, et cetera - the medium weight discount picks the local guitar store has in a jar by the check-out work fine for me. Considering how many I lose over time, buying the brand-name ones would have me in the poorhouse before long.
rlgph
Well-known member
I tried Alaska Piks, but didn't like feeling of them pulling up on my nails on an upstroke. I changed to Fred Kelly finger picks and have been very happy using them on guitars and now tenor uke. Since i started playing concertina several years ago, i've had to keep my nails short, so the fingerpicks have become almost essential for my fingerstyle playing.
Recently i've been trying to learn how to strum, and for that i've been using a fairly heavy flat pick, but use one of the more rounded corners rather than the more pointed one.
Rllink
Well-known member
As I said in an earlier post, I tried a pick and it just didn't work for me. But I think one of the reasons that it didn't work was because it was one more piece of equipment that I had to have in order to play my uke. It takes much of the spontaneity out of the playing when one has to dig around looking for a pick before they can play. But that was just one of the reasons.
Bill Sheehan
Well-known member
Hahahaha! We'll give you the benefit of the doubt and go with "she enjoys the music" !! Seriously, Dav, I'll bet she really does... plus, she just flat-out likes to chill with you!
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