Finger Picking--Strumming-Chord Melody, etc.

johnnysmash

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I have been curious for a long time as to how many just strum, how many play only finger pick patterns, and how many play the melody notes, and how many play chord melodies. I am sure some players can play all. I am mostly interested in how many just go for only one or two of the above ways to play. Myself I am still learning but I go for chord melodies and melody note playing mostly. I do not sing but I a learning to strum.
 
Since I don't sing, I personally go mostly for chord melody style tabs that I can find. I also strum if I'm in a group or with someone who can sing, but I just don't personally enjoy strumming by myself for practice (I still do it, to practice chord shapes and so). Give me a new tab to learn and you'll lose me for hours...

I am working from home, so I usually keep a uke on my desk and when I have a brief pause in my work I'll try and play the tab a couple of times and then get back to work. It's a nice way to break up the day and seems to work for me to learn quite fast too :)
 
I mix it all up and for each song use different proportions of the various methods. I try to avoid being too repetitive as I think it bores the audience.
 
I mainly strum on the uke. Once a while, I'd play melody, etc. but I find the uke too limiting there (I play soprano).
 
I do finger picking and chord melodies. Mostly starting with simple melody and blending in chords whwre they sound good or playing arpeggio patterns in the chord progression. I play for my own entertainment, mostly alone, so don’t do a great deal of strumming, consequently my rhythm needs work
 
I play finger picking and rarely or never strum. To me finger picking is the most fun.
 
I do a little of all but mostly various versions of Travis picking or some tabs. I'm trying to figure out how to change the picking patterns so I'm not running the same one through an entire song. I mostly just strum in groups. I like to play from tab as well
 
i do both fingerpicking and chord melody. but i prefer chord melody with picking arpeggios so i have time to change between chords/Brain is able to have that 1second -2second of processing :)
 
Some wag once said that when playing a ukulele, one must also sing…
AS LOUD AS ONE CAN
So as to drown out the ukulele.

I have a three octave range on my voice, unfortunately they are not continuous, so I don’t sing

I pluck and play chords
 
When I’m playing by myself, I’m a strummer/singer. When playing with others, I generally play fills and instrumental melody-based solos. I find it more fun and useful to the group than just one more person banging away at the chords.
 
Here is my stupid question for the day:
What is the difference between chord/melody and fingerpicking?

In answer to OP, I'd have to say that I don't strum, (I think my singing has been outlawed), but I probably am fingerpicking...and maybe doing chord melody, but since I don't know the difference, don't hold me to that answer. :)
 
Right now, I strum while I sing. I basically started playing uke as an accompaniment to my singing. I am an OK singer but do have trouble with singing harmony.

I'm very slowly learning fingerstyle. It doesn't come easily and my fingers protest a lot.
 
I've had voice lessons twice in my life, and it's official ... even with pretty good relative pitch, I can't hold a tune. So, I strum only to fill in chord melody or to practice changing chords quickly. And you're all welcome that I don't sing.
 
Here is my stupid question for the day:
What is the difference between chord/melody and fingerpicking?

Definitely not a stupid question.

Chord melody is playing chords of a song in voicings that put the melody note on top of the chord so it stands out.
Here are the first few bars of April In Paris. The red indicates a lazy triplet (quarter note triplet) and the X is a rest. Chord melody can be played either with the fingers or with the thumb or a pick.


_5__4_ _3_3_3_______ ________5__4_ _3_3_3_______
_5__4_ _3_3_3__6__7_ _X_6_7__5__4_ _3_3_3__6__7_
_5__4_ _3_3_3__6__7_ _X_6_7__5__4_ _3_3_3__5__6_
______ ________6__7_ _X_6_7_______ ________6__5_

Finger picking has many variations, but often means keeping an alternating bass going with the thumb while either picking the melody on the treble strings or playing a pattern (pattern picking) to back up a vocal. Here's a bit of Five Foot Two. (C / / / |E7 / / / |A / / / |/ / / / |D / / / |C. . .)

____________ ____________ ___0______0___ ___0_______0_ _3__3__3_0___ ____
_0__3_0_____ _0__4_0_____ _0______0_____ _0______0____ _____________ _3__
____0_____0_ ____2_____2_ _____1______1_ _____1_____1_ ____2______2_ ____
_0_____0____ _1_____1____ _2______2_____ _2______2____ _2_____2_____ _0__

Pattern picking is playing a pattern over chords to back up a song:

_M________M___ ____M_______M____
______I________ ________I_________
____T________T_ ______T________T__
_T______T______ __T_______T_______
 
Last edited:
Definitely not a stupid question.

Chord melody is playing chords of a song in voicings that put the melody note on top of the chord so it stands out.
Here are the first few bars of April In Paris. The red indicates a lazy triplet (quarter note triplet) and the X is a rest. Chord melody can be played either with the fingers or with the thumb or a pick.


_5__4_ _3_3_3_______ ________5__4_ _3_3_3_______
_5__4_ _3_3_3__6__7_ _X_6_7__5__4_ _3_3_3__6__7_
_5__4_ _3_3_3__6__7_ _X_6_7__5__4_ _3_3_3__5__6_
______ ________6__7_ _X_6_7_______ ________6__5_

Finger picking has many variations, but often means keeping an alternating bass going with the thumb while either picking the melody on the treble strings or playing a pattern (pattern picking) to back up a vocal. Here's a bit of Five Foot Two. (C / / / |E7 / / / |A / / / |/ / / / |D / / / |C. . .)

____________ ____________ ___0______0___ ___0_______0_ _3__3__3_0___ ____
_0__3_0_____ _0__4_0_____ _0______0_____ _0______0____ _____________ _3__
____0_____0_ ____2_____2_ _____1______1_ _____1_____1_ ____2______2_ ____
_0_____0____ _1_____1____ _2______2_____ _2______2____ _2_____2_____ _0__

Pattern picking is playing a pattern over chords to back up a song:

_M________M___ ____M_______M____
______I________ ________I_________
____T________T_ ______T________T__
_T______T______ __T_______T_______

Thanks. That explains it very clearly. I appreciate your help.
 
Last edited:
Definitely not a stupid question.

Chord melody is playing chords of a song in voicings that put the melody note on top of the chord so it stands out.
Here are the first few bars of April In Paris. The red indicates a lazy triplet (quarter note triplet) and the X is a rest. Chord melody can be played either with the fingers or with the thumb or a pick.


_5__4_ _3_3_3_______ ________5__4_ _3_3_3_______
_5__4_ _3_3_3__6__7_ _X_6_7__5__4_ _3_3_3__6__7_
_5__4_ _3_3_3__6__7_ _X_6_7__5__4_ _3_3_3__5__6_
______ ________6__7_ _X_6_7_______ ________6__5_

Finger picking has many variations, but often means keeping an alternating bass going with the thumb while either picking the melody on the treble strings or playing a pattern (pattern picking) to back up a vocal. Here's a bit of Five Foot Two. (C / / / |E7 / / / |A / / / |/ / / / |D / / / |C. . .)

____________ ____________ ___0______0___ ___0_______0_ _3__3__3_0___ ____
_0__3_0_____ _0__4_0_____ _0______0_____ _0______0____ _____________ _3__
____0_____0_ ____2_____2_ _____1______1_ _____1_____1_ ____2______2_ ____
_0_____0____ _1_____1____ _2______2_____ _2______2____ _2_____2_____ _0__

Pattern picking is playing a pattern over chords to back up a song:

_M________M___ ____M_______M____
______I________ ________I_________
____T________T_ ______T________T__
_T______T______ __T_______T_______

Is your example of finger picking basically Carter scratch? She played the bass lines then the melody on treble. It's on my list of things to do. Thanks for the explanation
 
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