Why can't i strum?

i'm trying to usemy index finger but i always get caught on the strings or i dont get all of them or i dont get a good consistent sound. then ill switch over to my thumb which has the same problems plus i cant go up and down with it. im also having problems with speed. is there any tips besides practicing? i feel like i can practise forever but if im doing smoething it wont matter.

Make sure your nails are not in the way-trim some, might be helpful. The rest comes I think with picking it up every day and strum some

Maybe you're trying to strum too hard and that's why your fingernails get caught up in the strings?

Perhaps you're holding your fingers too stiffly? Your index finger should sort of "fall" down all four strings. There should be a bit of give in your finger so that it bends with the downward motion so that they strum each string with equal pressure. Also, make sure you're strumming with the wrist, rather than the arm, and keep your movements nice an limber. Keep trying-I'm sure you'll get the feel for it!

Spend some time, ie as much as you can stand doing it sloooooowly with a regular action up down, it takes a while (days) for your brain to accept the action as second nature, doing it slowly over and over and over again will put the pathway in your brain, eventualy, fear not, you will get better and better, its just a triffle frustrating!!! (and boring no doubt). Just remember everytime you are learning something new, repitition with good action is the key. BTW if it takes a week to form a habit in your uke technique, it will take two to rectify it if you got it wrong!!!! SLOW SLOW SLOW..

Try using the back of your forefinger. Curl the finger up, and strum with the bit you can't see.

You also may be trying to strum too deliberately...trying to get every string to sound as loud as the last. If you make sure you're strumming in one fluid, quick, motion - they'll sing without all the effort!

Make sure you're strumming over about the 12th fret of the fretboard or so... not over the soundhole.

JJ

I feel sort of silly replying to this, because I'm a total beginner myself, but I was just going through the same thing as you (very frustrating!) and I recently made a bit of a breakthrough, so I thought I'd share what worked for me.

First of all, I had been strumming sort of parallel to the uke, if that makes sense, so that my index finger was hitting the strings on the sides of my finger/nail and I was getting caught up in the A&G strings as I moved my finger up and down.

Then I switched to strumming 'up-and-down' with my finger perpendicular to the strings. With my pointer finger curled under loosely on the way down, the nail of my pointer finger brushes the strings on the way down, and then on the way up I let the pad of my finger brush the strings (keeping my finger loose), and that seemed to help a lot. Nail on the way down, pad on the way up. No more catching.

It's harder to explain clearly than it is to do! Maybe it's incorrect form, but it seems to work for me, so I'm going with it!!

Another thing that helped was watching a few basic strumming tutorials on Youtube.

Finally, a HUGE breakthrough for me was using an online metronome (like this one: http://www.metronomeonline.com/ ) and doing nothing but strum for 10 or 15 minutes straight without stopping, other than to change the tempo occasionally. You can do this with your left hand muting the strings so you can concentrate on rhythm and not worry about the sound of the strings. If you do this a couple of days in a row, you'll definitely improve! I did, and I'm definitely not a musical genius by any means

Edna nailed it for sure.

I dealt with the exact same thing a few months ago. The youtube tutorials helped immensely. I did exactly what Edna described above and after about a week I figured it out.

Also try asking other musicians how they strum. I got some great advise to a guitar player that had never seen a uke before. Just stick with it and you will figure it out.