Advanced Ukulele Strumming and Fingerpicking [Ultimate Guide]

In my previous blog posts, you’ve learned some basic ukulele strumming and fingerpicking techniques.

If you’ve learned and practiced those basic techniques then you should go further and learn some advanced ukulele strumming and fingerpicking techniques that I’m going to share with you in this blog post.

In this post, I will introduce you to some advanced ukulele strumming patterns and fingerpicking techniques that you can add to your playing and gain a big exposure to your audience.

These all techniques are used by pro ukulele players and obviously, there is a big role of these techniques behind thier success.

Well, these techniques and a bit complex for a beginner so I recommend first learning the basics.

You can read these 2 articles on the basics. Such as,

• Ultimate Guide to Ukulele Fingerpicking Techniques For Beginners
• Ukulele Strumming Patterns For Beginners

Okay, let’s start this advanced guide to ukulele fingerpicking techniques and strumming patterns.

First off,

How Advanced Ukulele Strumming Patterns Differ From Basic Strumming?

As we know, basic strumming patterns are the foundation of your ukulele playing. Basic patterns such as simple up-and-down strokes are good to start for a beginner.

But, once you have your hands with your ukulele by practicing the basics, you need something extra to learn and further improve your skills on the ukulele.

That’s where advanced strumming patterns come into play. You can create more intricate rhythms and syncopation with advanced strumming.

Advanced ukulele strumming patterns involve muted strums, accents, and off-beat rhythms that give you a unique playing style and improve your ukulele sound.

In advanced strumming patterns, you practice more complex chord progressions such as 7th, diminished etc rather than sticking with the basic chords like major and minor. These chords make your playing really exotic and dissonant.

Advanced strumming patterns may involve fingerpicking, string skipping, or tapping techniques that require a high skill level on the ukulele.

That’s why I told you above to first practice the basics and then go to the advanced patterns.

BUT, if you want to include a new level of creativity and expression in your performances you need to learn advanced ukulele strumming techniques.

Well, don’t worry, after learning this guide, and regular practice you can achieve the best in a few months.

So, let’s dive into the world of advanced ukulele strumming patterns.

Let’s start with,

Some Advanced Ukulele Strumming Patterns

First off,

Flamenco Strum

In Flamenco strumming pattern there is a fast triplet rhythm and a combination of strums and slaps used.

To play Flamenco strumming pattern you’ve to start with a downstroke then an upstroke and then a slap with your index finger.

When you repeat this strumming pattern for a triplet rhythm it will form the legendary Flamenco strumming pattern.

Chuck Strum

Chuk strum is another popular ukulele strumming pattern.

In this, you have mute to the strings with your left hand while strumming with your right hand which will create a percussive sound.

To play this strumming pattern, strum down the strings while muting them with your left hand, and then strum up releasing the strings.

When you repeat this pattern it will create a beautiful rhythmic effect to complement the song.

Island Strum

It is a common ukulele strumming pattern used by several professional players. This pattern involves a syncopated rhythm.

To play this strumming pattern you have to start with an open downstroke and then a muted upstroke, and then an upstroke. When you repeat this pattern it will create a syncopated rhythm.

Fingerstyle Strum

In this pattern, you have to use your fingers to pluck the strings which will create a more intricate sound.

To play this one you’ve to use your thumb to play the bass notes and your other fingers to play the higher notes.

You can experiment with different fingerpicking patterns and try to create your own style.

Triplet Strum

triplet strum is another popular strumming pattern. When you play 3 strums in quick succession it will create a fast and complex rhythm.

Strum down, up, and then down again quickly to create the triplet rhythm. You need some knowledge of triplet rhythm to understand this strumming pattern.

Some other advanced ukulele patterns are,

• d-du-udu
• d-d-dudu
• d-du-ud-
• d-dududu
• duxu
• d-du
• duDUduDU
• –du–d-

How to Build Speed and Perfection in Ukulele Strumming?

Ukulele strumming requires speed and perfection which comes with practice and patience.

With consistent practice, you will develop the skills you need to play fast and complex rhythms.

Let me show you some tips to improve your speed and perfection in ukulele strumming patterns.

• Regular practice: Practice makes perfect. So practice regularly with a set routine. Stick with your routine and soon you will be on your way to success.
• Always use a metronome: A Metronome is a very important tool to make yourself accurate in timing. So, always use a metronome while practicing.
• Focus on accuracy not speed: Beginners do this mistake oftentimes. They try to play fast rather than bring accuracy to their playing. Don’t run behind the speed but try to make yourself accurate in the timings and techniques.
• Use different strumming techniques: When you use different strumming techniques, you will get accuracy easily. Also, you will never feel bored while practicing.
• Play ukulele with songs: Playing with the songs is a great addition to your practice routine because you will be familiar with some serious music.
• Accept challenges: Try to play complex strumming patterns or faster songs that will push you to improve your skills.

Ukulele Strumming Variations

You can add some variations to your strumming patterns to get more out of it.

Such as, you can use Palm muting, Upstrokes, Adding accents to certain beats, Rhythmic Muting which involves muting the strings on certain beats to create a rhythmic effect etc to add some variations to your playing.

You can also add Harmonics by lightly touching the string at specific points to create a bell-like sound that actually sounds great within the performance.

Also, there are countless strumming patterns available to add variations to your strumming.

Strumming patterns such as Shuffle Strum, Reggae Strum, Folk Strum etc are really amazing patterns that you can practice and add to your playing.

Practice them regularly and you will be on your way to becoming an advanced ukulele player.

Advanced Ukulele Fingerpicking Techniques

In my blog post about basic ukulele fingerpicking we have learned Travis Picking, Clawhammer, Arpeggios, Tremolo and Pinch Strumming techniques.

Now let’s go beyond these.

First off,

Harmonics

I have given some light on harmonics above. Well, actually harmonics are produced when you lightly touch the string at certain points along the string length while plucking it.

This will produce a bell-like sound called harmonic sound.

You can play harmonics on 12th, 7th, or 5th fret and pluck the string with your thumb or a finger. Each fret position creates a different harmonic.

Thumb Roll

In this fingerpicking technique, you use your thumb to play 3 or 4 notes in succession. oftentimes in adjacent strings.

You can try to play a downstroke with your thumb on the 1st string and then an upstroke with your index finger on 2nd string and then play another downstroke with your thumb on 3rd string.

Double Stops

Double stops let you play 2 notes at the same time. You can play double stops to place your thumb and index finger on 2 adjacent strings and pluck them simultaneously.

Chord Melody

Another popular fingerpicking technique is Chord Melody. In this, you play the melody of a song while playing the accompanying chords. I personally like this fingerpicking technique.

You can try to pick the melody notes with your index or middle finger and use your thumb and other fingers to play accompanying chords.

Percussive Techniques

There are several percussive fingerpicking techniques for ukulele available to practice.

To do this you can tap the body of the ukulele or other techniques to create percussive sounds.

You can try to tap the body of ukulele with your fingers and pick or strum simultaneously the strings to create a rhythmic accompaniment.

Some Common Fingerpicking Patterns and Fingerstyle Techniques

Some of the common ukulele fingerpicking techniques are,

• Travis Picking Pattern: You have to use your thumb to alternate between the bass string while other fingers to play higher strings.
• Arpeggio Pattern: In this pattern, you have to play each note in a chord individually in a specific order.
• Clawhammer Fingerpicking: In this, you have to use your index finger to strike strings. Then a downstroke with your thumb. This will create a rhythmic pattern that’s why it’s called the Arpeggio pattern.
• Pinch Strumming: In this technique, you have to play the strings with your thumb and index finger simultaneously while playing a downstroke with your middle finger and pinch the strings with your thumb and index.

Other common ukulele fingerpicking techniques are Four Fingers, Linear Picking and Two Strings Together.

How to Practice Fingerpicking into Your Ukulele Playing?

Fingerpicking is one of the essential parts of ukulele playing. You have to practice it on a daily basis.

To practice this properly you can follow these tips.

1. Start your practice with a simple pattern and once you have your hands on it, you can shift to advanced patterns.
2. Break down the pattern into small sections and practice them separately. After getting habituated should combine them to form the whole pattern.
3. You can also combine two or more fingerpicking patterns to give a different look to your playing.
4. Regular practice is the key to success. So don’t skip your practice sessions.
5. I always suggest my readers use metronomes in their practice sessions. This will keep you and improve your timing.
6. Dynamics is very important for a professional ukulele player. When you add different dynamics to the parts of your playing such as playing softer or louder notes, it will add emotions to your playing.
7. Practicing with recorded songs will help you to understand the song in a better way. This way you can evaluate your playing with the song.

How to Combine Strumming and Fingerpicking Together in Your Ukulele Playing?

When you have your hands on both strumming and fingerpicking, you should combine them to give your ukulele playing a professional touch.

You can follow these tips to practice both together.

• First off, choose a song that you want to play on your ukulele. Keep in mind that the song should incorporate both strumming and fingerpicking.
• Break down the song into smaller parts and practice each part with either strumming or fingerpicking one at a time.
• Try to identify strumming and fingerpicking used in the sections of the song. You should evaluate which sections suit best for fingerpicking and which ones for strumming.
• Fingerpicking and strumming need you to practice smooth transitioning between them. You have to practice transitioning so that when you shift from fingerpicking to strumming and vice versa it would be smooth.
• Add dynamics to your playing. It will add expression and interest to your song. It will also help when you are transitioning from one technique to another.
• You should also use some flourishes such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, or slides. This will add variety to your playing.
• Last but not least, use a metronome to keep yourself in rhythm especially when transitioning from one technique to the other.

Remember, the only thing you have to practice to get them together is transitioning smoothly. If you master this you can easily combine strumming and fingerpicking together.

Conclusion

So, here were some of the advanced fingerpicking and strumming techniques for you.

You can practice them according to the tips I have given above and with time and patience you will be on your way to becoming a good ukulele player.

BUT, always start with simple ones. That’s why I have shared 2 article links at the first of this guide where you can find some simple techniques to start with your ukulele.

Let me know your progress and ask any questions in the comment box. I will be happy to answer all your questions.

Happy ukulele playing.

Read also,

• 10 Killer Tips to Improve Your Ukulele Skills
• Can a Mandolin Be Tuned Like a Ukulele?
• I’m Yours Ukulele Chords and Tabs
• Why Is Strumming in Ukulele So Hard