Being a relatively small instrument, the ukulele has a smaller sound when compared with other larger instruments such as the guitar. With it’s bright and distinctive tone the ukulele is ideal to play rhythmically when singing along with friends.
When strumming most ukulele players use the index finger on their dominant hand and gently brush it downwards across the strings just above the sound hole. The index finger is extended and the other fingers are curled into the hand in a relaxed way. When strumming down strokes the nail side of the index finger is used and when strumming up strokes it’s the flesh side of the index finger. The strumming motion comes from the wrist rather than from the finger itself or from the elbow.
Without putting any fingers from the other hand onto the fretboard and leaving the strings open, by just brushing down the strings with your strumming hand means that you’ve actually played your first chord. It’s known as C6 (C sixth) or Am7 (A minor seventh) and I included the appropriate chord chart below. In my next “Quick Start” Guide I’ll be suggesting some more chords to get you started playing some well-known songs.
When you play music, it’s important to play on the beat. Most popular songs have a 4/4 beat which means that they have four bears to the bar. When you play in a group the leader will usually count everyone in so that they all start together. Hence you’ve probably heard the leader of a band calling out something like “a-one, a-two, a-one, two, three, four“. In my experience I’ve found it’s great if we can all start together, even better if we keep together throughout the song and best of all, if we can all finish together.
In many songs with a 4/4 beat the ukulele is strum alternatively up and down. If you think of the beat as going “one, and, two, and, three, and, four, and“, the ukulele is strum not only downwards across the strings on each beat with the index finger but the index finger is also pulled back up across the strings on the “and” in between each beat. This is known as adding a backbeat. After a bit of practice you’ll be able to develop a gentle, relaxed rhythm. It can help if whilst you’re strumming you can also mentally count out the beat.
The place where you strum on the ukulele also has an effect on the quality of the sound. Every ukulele has a sweet spot where it sounds best. This is often around the bottom of the fretboard, just above the sound hole as can be seen in the above photo of me strumming my Kala KA-ASAC-T tenor ukulele. However every ukulele is slightly different and this sweet spot might be in a different place on your ukulele.
There are many different strumming patterns and rhythms which I’ll mention in a later post.
With playing in a couple of ukulele bands I’ve found that a lot of strumming can wear away the nail on my index finger. I’ve recently started painting some liquid plaster to protect the end of the nail. In the UK there’s a product available from the pharmacy which is used to painted over minor skin damage (such as grazes, blisters and other superficial wounds) to provide a waterproof and germproof barrier. Although it’s not designed for this purpose, I’ve found that a coating of this liquid plaster can prevent my nail from getting worn away.