I have only started learning the uke for a month, the cords not too much of a problem, but strumming was, untill I saw this video, you changed my life. thank you.
Thank you so much for this... at last I’ve found a player who has explained strumming so well! What a difference it makes to my playing now. I hope you will continue making videos here? If not, can I find you online anywhere else? Thanks again 🤗👍
Aloha! Jason is in the final stages of writing an instructional ukulele book that will (hopefully) be available digitally in late April/early May. Once the book is done, he'll be posting some more videos. If you haven't already, head over to our website (lahainamusic.com) and download our strum sheets and beginner booklet (under Free Sheets and More). Mahalo!
My favorite part of this video is watching you laugh at your own jokes! hahaha love it! I'm not even done yet and it is so helpful. Now i know why i keep having to retune my uke every 10 minutes haha
Aloha! It certainly can be especially if another technique was learned first. But, i believe it will be rewarding to those who learn it, to a degree that they would never want to go back. Experimenting can be fun. Aloha! - jason
Hi Jason, great video, very informative and very entertaining (even more so when you playback 6.40 at half speed ,.......try it, it's hilarious) Serious now, I get the "thumbing" action/motion with my hand and wrist, however, I don't seem to be able to get my fingers to get the strings to ring out like you do. What am I not doing, please?
I started learning to play ukulele about 6 years ago and learned how to strum with my thumb - I picked it up a couple months ago and still cannot get out of the habit. any tips on re-learning how to strum?
Aloha! A trick I use with students is to have them imagine that they accidentally glued their thumb to the uke, above the strings. The result is that it forces (encourages?) the player to strum instead with their fingers, and it prevents the arm from swinging. Note that not all thumb strumming is bad--however--exclusively thumb-strumming tends to be a rut from which people can have a hard time escaping. Aloha! - Jason
Really enjoy Jason’s approach! I took lessons 3 years ago and was very frustrated and put the ukelele away fir 18 months. Went to one of his free classes and am back at it and enjoying!
Will needs lots of time to figure out strum 4! Cannot determine when to hit the strings and when not to. But this is day one so go figure, I'm going to run out of pinky finger skin by nights end.
I really enjoy your videos! I do wish the mic was a little closer to you. Even with my volume turned up all the way the sound is pretty low. Your laugh is that contagious kind of laugh. :-)
I'm having same issues even with side speakers turned up FULL. I learnt a trick recently that may help those of us with hearing issues & no to little computer training.. Move mouse over bar line bottom of any you tube music lesson video. Right hand side look for and click on the cog wheel (4th from left). A drop down window appears. Select new speed.]
I would like to learn to play the ukulele. I have a trigger finger on my left hand, middle finger. I am normally right handed. I won’t be able to chord with that left hand. However, I can probably, strum and pick with the left. If I bend the finger too far, it locks up. Should I consider learning with the instrument turned upside down, with or without the strings reversed. Or do you think that I really need to get a left handed uke?
Aloha! I'd recommend having your ukulele re-strung to be left-handed (in general, that means putting the strings on in reverse order). Almost all ukuleles are able to be strung either way, so you should be able to get any one you'd like and then just switch the strings. Mahalo!
Great question! Usually, I only strum with my index, middle, and ring fingers. If the pinky makes it, that's great, but the other fingers produce most of the tone.
I dunno. I have a Donner concert mdoel where the strings always seemed muted until I used this technique, so it's good. But on my Kala, my finger nails seem to clatter off the strings and it sounds bad. Oh well. Practice. Practice.
