Picks or no picks ?

Picks or no picks ?


  • Total voters
    134
I am a strong supporter of no picks just because I was taught that way. But I would love a pick for my guitar! Painful I tell you.
 
Usually no picks, but I sometimes use rubber picks for some songs/styles. It doesn't have to be an either/or thing. Be wary of anyone who tells you there is a "right" way to play the uke.

For me the rubber "wedgies" were the deciding factor. They sound great, don't tear up my soundboard, and in a pinch can be used as an eraser. While I don't use them often, For a half dozen songs or so, they are the perfect thing for the sound I want.
 
I never used a pick when I played guitar for 48 years,so
it was natural on the ukulele,not to use one.In truth,I had
used a pick (very rarely) when playing a bit of bottleneck
on guitar,but not as a general rule!
 
I voted no picks, but.... when my nail is really worn down and I just can't get the tone I like, I slip a Fred Kelly freedom pick on my index finger. I'm still able to switch between strumming and finger picking with this pick on.
 
I say whatever makes you feel good....that's what the uke is all about.
This guy seems to do alright with an imaginary pick:
 
Not taboo, mate. Whatever works for you is fine.

I'm a guitar and mandolin abuser myself, so a pick is almost like part of my hand, but never use one for 'ukulele. IMHO it limits the control you have over your tone, limits the techniques available (makes fingerpicking awkward) and, most importantly to me, ruins the lovely tactile experience of playing a uke.
Agree with the first part - do whatever works for you. No rules. It's your music.

Second - mmmm. Somewhat.

I use a pick sometimes. I'm also a former guitar player and for me it depends on the instrument, the sound and the music I'm playing. I use a pick with my steel-string, soild-body electric ukes about 99% of the time, and mostly play rock, blues and a little jazz on them. Just fits the sound and feel. Fingerpicking those slim steel strings doesn't make the sound I want.

On my acoustics, I use a pick - a regular, thin, plastic guitar pick - about 10-15% of the time. I don't feel a pick limits my control - I feel it gives better control for certain styles of music. But I don't use it a lot.

I tend to play fingerpicking songs - folk, or folk-style arrangements of vintage and pop music. A pick sounds a bit harsh for this stuff, at least to my ears. I belong to the fingertip school of play, too, not the fingernail school. I keep my nails cut to the quick, and use different parts of my fingers and hand for different sounds and different effects.

However, when I play along with backing tracks to do some blues solo practice, I often use a pick, even with an acoutic uke. And for a couple of pop pieces I used to strum aggressively on guitar, I find a pick gives me the sound I like. And with a pick, my other fingers act as a sort of counterweight when I'm strumming and I can open or close them depending on the speed and strength of the strum.

Anything with a slide sounds better to me with a pick, too. I like having a choice.

I don't like those big, fat and soft felt picks you sometimes get with ukes. To me they're like trying to string a uke with oven mitts on. I prefer a thin, light plastic pick. I can hold it at the end for strumming flexibilty or choke it at the tip for controlled lead picking. I also find hard picks a bit too rigid when strumming. But that's my taste.
 
I don't like pick on nylon strings....it sounds quite weird to my ears....But I really like the way UV gel coating on fingers sounds like... It gives me a tone that I can't get without them...

From all the kind and brands that I've tried, the only fingerpicks that is not that bad with nylon strings are the Alaska pik....but it takes some time to get used to it!!
 
... I really like the way UV gel coating on fingers sounds like... It gives me a tone that I can't get without them...
UV coating? What is this?

I never use fingerpicks - tried metal and plastic and mizrabs. Didn't like any of them. prefer my bare fingertips. But I'm talking about a flat pick. It can really give some sounds a bite.
 
I think it depend on your style of playing and preference. I prefere to play with just my fingers.
 
I've never used a pick with an ukulele… Not sur i'm willing to try…
 
No picks for me, but if it works for you and you love the sound...that's cool!!!!
 
No picks for me, I like to feel the strings.

But I'm also with the vast majority, whatever floats your boat!
 
I use picks when playing with my amp or playing a really tempo song. other than that, i always just use my fingers
 
For me it depends on the uke. I lean towards playing my 6 string tenors more than anything and while I am 90% fingers, if I need to boost the sound while playing in a mix of guitars... I use a Fender "thin" .60mm model 351. It does not take an aggressive attack to get what need with a pick.

BTW... the Poll should have a 'sometimes" or "what percentage of time used" for the pick option.

d.
 
i've had my uke for about 4 months now and i've tried to play without a pick but it seems impossible! i don't know if i'm playing with the wrong technique or what but it just feels so weird.. i was scared that using picks with ukes is a bad thing but based on the previous comments in this thread its good to know that true ukers are fine with people who use picks too :)
 
I totally agree with Buddhuu, whatever works for you is fine. I felt like I probably "shouldn't" use picks because they weren't popular. Then I got fed up and tired of my nail wearing at an angle. I bought about five different picks and tried them. My favorite is the .38mm Jim Dunlop nylon. It sounded closest to what my fingernail sounded like and had the least "background" noise. The felt pick (they only had one at the store) was large, off-white, and sounded like crap. The thumb pick was too stiff and had too much background noise(this sounds like the Goldielocks and the three bears story...). The other nylons were just thicker and made it louder.

My advise, buy a few, try them, and make up your own mind.
This forum is awesome, the responses on here are great. I like how everyone has such an open mind.
 
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