Tips on strumming with your thumb

itizwatitiz

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Hello!
I have been meaning to learn some new basic strumming techniques, strumming with just your thumb in particular. So far I have only "mastered" (lol) strumming with my index finger, what seems to be the prefered technique being teached on the internet. I think that strumming with ones thumb makes the ukulele sound very smooth, which is what I'm looking for.

However, I doesn't come to me easy. Strumming down is not really problem, but coming up sounds extremely akward. Are there any great tips on how I could speed up the learning process?

I know that obviously practice is the key, but if there is anything that you could share, it would be much much appreciated.
 
Strum with your thumb up and down, as slowly and quietly as possible. Slowly. Quietly. When it sounds nice, play slightly less slowly, but still very quietly. When that sounds nice, increase the volume a bit. Etc. Etc. Alternately increasingly tempo or volume a bit at a time. Soon you'll have a full, lovely thumb strumming style all your own.
 
That was my normal approach too, but it seems that I can't really get a nice tone out of the upstroke at all. Anyways, I'll keep practicing that. If it doesn't get better in the next few days, I might upload a video to illustrate.

Thanks!
 
try making the tone of your up and down strums the same. like if you strum down with the nail of your index finger then strum up with the nail of your thumb. or if strum down with the flesh of your thumb and up with the flesh of your index.
theres many different strums, but mastering the basics is the key to becoming great :D
 
hi Itizwatitiz, It may be difficult to get a nice mellow sound on the up strum because of the thumb nail. I use my thumb on the upstrum specifically for extra volume. For the nice clean thumb strum sound I use all down strums w/thumb.
Don
 
Strum down with thumb, up with index finger.

Works for me at times.
 
When I strum with just my thumb it's usually because the song requires a very slow strum or doesn't lend
itself to the kind of strum rhythm I generally use. Also, my thumb strumming is almost always DOWN only.

When I had a cast on my strumming hand I strummed with my thumb only and it worked well.

However, for now, with songs like Danny Boy, I tend to use my thumb strumming down because of the
rhythm and tempo I use with the song.

keep uke'in',
 
Strum down with thumb, up with index finger.

Works for me at times.

Like holding a virtual plectrum? Or do you have space between your thumb and index finger?

I have the same problem as the OP, strumming with my index is the easiest, but down with my thumb sounds better, while up with the thumb sounds like my cat just got attacked by a Dobermann.
 
up with the thumb sounds like my cat just got attacked by a Dobermann.

Haha, glad I'm not the only one with these problems. Having practiced the up strums a bit over the last days, it already sounds much better, especially the movement doesn't feel as awkward, but as someone mentioned in the thread, it's the occasional contact with the nail that makes the upstroke sound somewhat "metallic".
 
i have the same problem as the op, strumming with my index is the easiest, but down with my thumb sounds better, while up with the thumb sounds like my cat just got attacked by a dobermann.

bwahahahahahahahah!!!!!!!
 
For quieter things, I get a very sweet sound by strumming down with the meat of my thumb.
 
I use my thumb in two ways.

One is, as described by others, for a soft strum by strumming down with the meat of the thumb, usually downstroke only but sometimes back up with the side of the thumb.

The other is an up strum with the thumbnail following a down strum with the index or middle finger nail to give a firm ringing strum.

I have also found a useful soft strum with a slight ring by strumming down with the tip of the finger so it's mostly the meat of the finger, but with light contact with the nail and back up with the side of the thumb so that, again, mostly meat of the thumb but with light nail contact.

I have noticed on George Formby videos that, when he is singing seems to alternate between down strums with the thumb and the classic down up with the index finger. The fancy split stroke strums are for the instrumental solos.
 
Down with thumb, Up with index.

That's how I do it.
 
i know this seems the tiniest bit rude... but i just get out there and do it. like john lennon said they are just chords...

I take your point. That's pretty much how I started but for some people it does not come naturally, they have to work at it, so discussion like this is valuable.

For me, it's also about trying to inject some variety into my playing, trying to avoid sameyness in my accompaniments.
 
I pretty much exclusively play with my thumb. I've heard people say they think that limits them, but I've found I can get a lot of variety depending upon if it is the side of the thumb, the meat, nail etc.
The best advice I can offer is just strum for hours, don't worry too much about the sound at first. You will get a little bored, but you will realise at some point that you are much more aware of your hands and what they can do.
 
I take your point. That's pretty much how I started but for some people it does not come naturally, they have to work at it, so discussion like this is valuable.

For me, it's also about trying to inject some variety into my playing, trying to avoid sameyness in my accompaniments.
oh sorry, i will re-insert my post, not expecting to be rude or anything. yeah i'm still stuck on basic strokes and rhythms and still can't do my beginner chord changes. so i spend alot of time sloshing through the songs i choose to play, just trying to go in the right direction.

i know this seems the tiniest bit rude... but i just get out there and do it. like john lennon said they are just chords.

but honestly... the only songs i modulate rhythms on is a bob dylan song, one you would instantly recognize. i change it up towards the end, it sounds alright to me. it's the song, it's tight, that i do open with when i busk. :2cents:
 
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oh sorry, i will re-insert my post, not expecting to be rude or anything. yeah i'm still stuck on basic strokes and rhythms and still can't do my beginner chord changes. so i spend alot of time sloshing through the songs i choose to play, just trying to go in the right direction.

I didn't think you were trying to be rude and it was a useful point.

Put another way it's about following your gut instincts and letting your natural sense of rhythm suggest a strum pattern. It's certainly what I do. I think, though that some people maybe don't have confidence in their innate sense of rhythm so it goes awry.
 
My "general" rule of thumb (probably 90+% of the time) is to use the Index Finger for DOWN and for UP strokes and Thumb for DOWN only.
If I must use Thumb for UP (for for normal strokes) I use the side of my Thumb (keeping the nail trimmed back on the side).
For complicated strum patterns I do use one, or more, other fingers (including the Pinky).
 
As someone who learned to play uke only thumb strumming, i'm now struggling to learn index and other finger strumming.
Thumb strumming is a great technique, but can hold you back from becoming better and being able to do faster strums. (Basically anything Jake can do!)

That said, I'm quite proficient at thumb strumming, can mute the strings easily with my palm, and really have control over which strings I'm hitting when strumming.

I strum with the side of my thumb. I never hit the strings with my thumb nail... Both in the up, and down direction.


Sorry you can't see my thumb that much, but this is all done with thumb strumming... (yes, I know it's not xmas)
Cheers,
Skottoman


 
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I didn't think you were trying to be rude and it was a useful point.

Put another way it's about following your gut instincts and letting your natural sense of rhythm suggest a strum pattern. It's certainly what I do. I think, though that some people maybe don't have confidence in their innate sense of rhythm so it goes awry.
well yeah. that is precisely what i was trying to say, the ideas i was trying to formulate. i just get out there and do it, i cry the tears later that night usually. gut instinct must be my middle name or something, know no other way. perhaps comes from being a spoilt little child or something.

My "general" rule of thumb (probably 90+% of the time) is to use the Index Finger for DOWN and for UP strokes and Thumb for DOWN only.
If I must use Thumb for UP (for for normal strokes) I use the side of my Thumb (keeping the nail trimmed back on the side).
For complicated strum patterns I do use one, or more, other fingers (including the Pinky).
that's what i do. just a basic index finger strum, rarely do i use my thumb only. actually it seems i close certain songs with a single strum, to get that edge going. the george formby thing is way over my head.
 
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