The classic uke pick is the felt pick , which comes in a variety of shapes oval and triangular , sizes, thicknesses, and degrees of hardness. The softer the felt, the mellower the sound. There are even thin poly-felt picks with a stiff inner core that provides a punchy attack without a plastic-y click. Two nice alternatives are picks made of leather or rubber.
Along with felt, leather is the classic material for ukulele picks and dates back to a hundred years ago. They come in a range of thicknesses and degrees of hardness, plus they have a molded grip, making them a good choice for hands young and old. Which one is the best? Well, there really is no rule: get what feels best and works best for you. Your best bet is your local music store, where you can handle and test-drive several options.
You can use it to build up chords one note per ukulele. In this example four different ukes are playing one note each to create an Em — G — D progression with Uke 1 playing a little melody. The harshness of picks can sometimes be a big advantage. When playing a single string line in a group of strummers a pick really helps you cut through.
Using a pick gives the notes a piercing tone that suit the tune perfectly. Name required. Email Address required. Speak your mind. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Picking Basics Which Pick? We as musicians are naturally creative and curious people.
After all, our instruments are our toys! The biggest reason is that the instrument is no longer limited to traditional Hawaiian music.
Ukulele players are now adapting pop and rock songs over from the steel-stringed acoustic guitar, which is played with the pick. There are singer-songwriters that sometimes accompany themselves with the ukulele instead of the guitar. Normally this kind of ukulele music is beautifully executed with a pick. Ukulele ensembles sometimes have one or more of their players play with a pick for a difference of timbre that is, the particular sound of a musical instrument.
Within such groups it is a wonderful idea to use all the possibilities available on the instrument — it makes the music interesting and exciting. Why not record a pick solo on top? The pick naturally produces a louder sound so the difference between solo and strumming will come out beautifully and naturally! There are very practical reasons too. You might want to go for a pick if your fingernails are weak or take a long time to grow strong.
Some people have naturally thin nails and these tend to produce a very metallic sound. The same issue also applies to people whose fingernails break or get damaged often.
It gets very frustrating to practice with the nails for weeks or months and then have to wait for days until a broken nail regrows.
While you can use guitar picks on a ukulele, you might want to try the picks that are specifically intended for the ukulele. The main reason is that many guitar picks tend to be heavier and harder. Most standard guitar picks are made out of plastic and this might damage the ukulele top and wear out the strings rather quickly. Felt, leather and rubber ukulele picks avoid this issue as they are smaller and softer. When you are choosing a pick, remember that the ukulele is a light instrument and has soft nylon strings so you do not really need a heavy pick.
For playing rhythm, a thin pick is great because you can keep a relaxed arm and you get a lot of freedom and control on the motion of your wrists. There are fingerpicks that go under your nails and not over them, basically extending the fingernails. The advantage of these picks is that they can be used in up and down motions too. Because some uke picks are derived from the guitar ones, people wonder if they can use guitar picks. Felt picks or leather are the best when it comes to protecting your strings.
And strings are expendable, so no matter how well you take care of them, you will still need to replace them. However, if you wish to keep your uke in pristine shape for longer, and you also want a more traditional sound coming out of it, felt or leather ukulele picks are for that. But that is a matter of personal choice, and you might want to have more sound volume and a better string-picking experience, than protecting your ukulele for longer.
Tania is a full-time writer with a penchant for music, books, and outdoors. She describes herself as breathing music, so she writes about it, musical instruments and accessories included.
She hopes that her posts will help you discover your passion for music and the products you need to explore it beautifully.
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