If you’re just getting into the Ukulele, you might be wondering about using a pick to strum. I remember being curious myself when first looking into the ukulele because I never saw the pros using a pick. That led me to do a bit of digging around to see if I could figure out if it was okay to use a pick when playing the ukulele.
What did I find?
Using a pick, although it has limitations, is a perfectly suitable way to play the ukulele. The nylon-based strings found on ukuleles perform better with a soft gauge pick, which is why felt, leather, and rubber picks are commonly recommended for playing the ukulele. Song choice and style of play greatly determine the need or lack thereof for picks.
If you’re wondering if a light gauge plastic pick would work or a typical guitar pick, we’ll address that shortly. But first, let’s take a closer look at the whys and why-nots of using a pick.
Why or Why Not to Use a Pick
Traditionally, the ukulele wasn’t an instrument that people used a pick to play. When Hawaiians adopted and adapted the Ukulele they didn’t employ a pick to play it. Surprised to hear they adopted and didn’t invent it? I was too. According to several sources, it is actually a Portuguese instrument that Hawaiians were introduced to by sailors.
However, the instrument was popularized globally due to the influence of Hawaiian players, which is how the style of playing without a pick became a tradition. The sound and vibe that many associate with the ukulele has much to do with using one’s fingers to strum and pluck the strings.
That being said, the ukulele has been a globally recognized instrument for over 100 years. We are all indebted to Hawaiian’s for effectively popularizing the uke, but it has gone through many changes which include playing styles over the years.
Traditional playing styles are always in uke-fashion, but given the Youtube stats alone, a modern take on the uke seems to be steadily rising in popularity. That modern take often includes covers from genres that range from hip-hop to rock. Oscar Wild, who famously stated, “Everything popular is wrong”, would roll over in his grave if he only knew what the internet has been up to. And especially so with the uke, because everything popular, at least with current trends, is right.
Many of the songs that are covered on the uke today, do not necessarily benefit from using fingers over a pick. That is especially true as more choose to play the uke like a guitar. This is why, I do believe, it’s becoming far more common to play with a pick.
Picks are also handy if you’re new to the ukulele and have developed raw or blistered fingers. A pick is a good way to give the finger and thumb rest while they go through the toughening up phase. At the end of the day, you get better from playing. The better you become, the more fun it is. And that’s what we’re about here. Picking up a uke and having fun! It’s hard to have fun when you are in pain. 🙂
Grant, the more experienced player here at Uke Planet (and it’s not close), HIGHLY encourages everyone to learn to strum with your index finger from the beginning as it will save you time and money down the road. It will also give you a leg up when (not if) you want to play the ukulele in the more traditional style.
Over time you’ll find that your fingers will get used to strumming the uke without a pick. This is where most folks I know fall into, the no pick club.
What’s With Ukulele Picks Being Felt, Leather, or Rubber?
With nylon strings, ukulele’s fair much better with fingers or very thin gauge picks. The softer the better. Felt, leather, or rubber picks allow for a more traditional soft sound even when you want to strum out those rock ballads. Unlike plastic picks, these uke friendly options will not create the clacking sound that is problematic with plastic on the ukulele due to nylon strings. Additionally, uke strings need to be less taught than a guitar which means that a plastic pick really can get quite a bit more clicky than one might think. A well-placed clack can be pretty sweet, but if it’s on every strum it just sounds like noise.
Felt is a popular option among the pick club and so is leather. But felt tends to be the crowd favorite (at least when comparing how many are sold). Leather has been held back due to problems with durability and price. But there are a few that are getting a good reputation. Like the Lohanu leather picks pictured here. I’ve recently heard some folks talking about how much they like leather picks. For rubber, it just seems like they have a bit too much grip on the strings for many players to enjoy playing with.
Can You Use a Plastic Pick on The Ukulele?
Yes, you can use plastic picks. Just because it causes problems with clacking doesn’t mean you cannot use them. Just be sure you stick to soft weight plastic picks. Loose strings and heavy picks is a recipe for wearing out your strings prematurely.
How Do You Hold a Ukulele Pick?
Ukulele picks tend to have the same shape as a guitar pick, you hold it the same way you would a guitar pick. You simply grip the pick between your index finger and thumb allowing the narrow point to stick out slightly toward your strings.
Related Questions
Can You Use a Guitar Pick On the Ukulele?
If you have a guitar pick lying around, you can certainly use it. But I’d argue that there aren’t really differences between guitar or ukulele picks. Picks are simply a tool, like our fingers, that achieve a specific sound and style. You could use a felt pick or leather pick on a guitar if you wanted to. Even though picks might be labeled as a guitar pick or a uke pick, they’ll both work just fine depending on the sound you hope to achieve.
How do I Play Without a Pick?
We will cover strumming more in detail in our other posts but as a quick start here, learn the water-gun shape. To find this shape, make a water gun with your hand, take that shape and move it downward so your nail can strum the strings. Your upstroke will be made by your pointer finger on the way back up. Strumming with a pick requires your arm and wrist to move your hand up and down so that the pick held between your thumb and pointer finger glides across the string. You don’t need to do that and will move forward faster by learning to strum or “pick” the strings with the nail on top of your pointer finger. Take care not to strum on the side of your pointer finger, using only the nail to avoid making your finger raw.
Your nail is very strong and you will not have to worry about blisters. Most beginners want a pick because they start by strumming with their thumbs. The meat on the bottom side of your thumb will blister and will not give you a nice clear sound.
Go ahead and try strumming with a mixture of the pointer finger, thumb, and pick as you learn your first chords, but know that you will progress faster by consistently working on using the “water-gun” shape. Once you start learning uke specific strums (after all, you got a uke not a guitar right?), you will not be able to use a pick and have to relearn your strumming. Triplets, Chunks, and the fun tricks of the Uke require a hand to be free of a pick.