MusicianAuthority.com - Page 3 of 7 - Helping Musicians Grow

Do you need a pick to play ukulele?

June 29, 2019April 12, 2019 by Eddie

This is a common question for beginners and it is a very important one too! The overall sound we produce with our instrument depends on our right hand technique. And amongst other things, our right hand technique depends on whether or not we use the pick.

Do you need a pick to play ukulele? Traditionally, the ukulele is played with the combination of fingers and fingernails. But while you don’t need one, you absolutely may use one! The pick can be useful at times and it is your instrument after all! Let’s explore a little further.

Historically, the first ukulele players did not play with a pick. The traditional technique is to use a combination of fingers and fingernails to pluck individual strings as well as to strum. The traditional Hawaiian rhythms, for example, were always strummed using the thumb or the index finger or a combination of both.

As we’ve mentioned in other articles here, this kind of technique (fingerpicking) allows for specific movements, positions and gestures of the right hand that are not possible otherwise. It also produces a specific sound that would also be different with the pick. These are the main features of what we know as the normal technique and sound of the ukulele.

So if you are a stickler for tradition, you will not need a pick. Continue developing your left hand strength and your right hand’s fingerpicking dexterity and you’re good to go! But if there are issues that make you wonder whether you need a pick or not, read on because you’re probably not wrong.

25 Easy Guitar Songs That Are Beginner-Friendly

January 11, 2020March 24, 2019 by Eddie

If you are looking to get some ideas on which easy guitar songs to learn, then look no further. In this list you will find songs that are perfect to get under your fingers since these are popular and quite catchy on the guitar. Let’s get started!

25 Easy Guitar Songs for Beginners

1. Wonderwall – Oasis

Supposedly written for Meg Matthews, Noel Gallagher’s then-girlfriend, “Wonderwall” was the fourth single off the album What’s The Story?. However in 2001, (after the couple’s divorce) Matthews retracted his earlier statements and said the lyrics were not about Meg after all: “[the song was] about an imaginary friend who’s gonna come and save you from yourself.”

12 Basic Guitar Chords for Beginners

June 18, 2019March 20, 2019 by Eddie

It’s not often, in fact it’s only happened a handful of times in my experience, where someone asks you a question, which suddenly throws you into a maze of options.

This was the case with a new guitar student I have. One day, we had just been learning a few basic chords on guitar and she turned to me and said, “How many chords are there? Like I mean, how many chords in total are there that I have to learn?”

She was so excited to hear the answer and already I could see her brain was formulating a plan. I could almost hear her thoughts saying, “If there were 300 chords and I learnt 10 a week, then it would take me 30 weeks to learn all the chords.”

I wanted to give her an answer there and then, but I couldn’t. After all these years, I’ve never thought to actually count all the chords, but just accepted that there are so many that I never seem to run out of options. But how could I say that? This definitely didn’t seem to be the best answer to give.

So I began the journey of crafting out a different way to look at chords, a way that is quite exciting and perhaps really great to work with if you’re just beginning, love guitar and looking ahead to see how much you can learn. This is a start to that journey, as I will talk about the 12 Most Basic Guitar Chords for Beginners.

How to Change Ukulele Chords Quickly

December 27, 2019March 19, 2019 by Eddie

If you are looking forward to learning some songs on your ukulele, you might have asked this question at some point. I know I have. With a little practice and research, I got it down to a process that will help you.

How to change ukulele chords quickly? You can develop the skill of changing ukulele chords quickly by consistently practicing changing between the chords very slowly, starting with two chords at a time, and doing so repeatedly. As you do this often, chord changes become more seamless since your muscle memory will recall it for you when you try to change between chords.

Practice the Changes on Common Chords First

You probably don’t think of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” and Beyonce’s “If I were a boy” as similar songs. Yet, the truth is, those 2 songs and hundreds more are created with the same 4 chords.

A great example of these 4 chords can be heard in a song played by “The Axis of Awesome“. In their medley, The Axis of Awesome uses the same 4 chords to play the most popular pop songs. You can hear how songs you’ve loved your whole life are simple to play.

It only takes knowing a few chords to play songs by Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Adele, Taylor Swift and more! The four strings on the ukulele make learning chords easier than on most instruments.

How to Strum a Ukulele: Strumming Patterns 101

June 29, 2019December 15, 2018 by Eddie

If you’ve wondered how to strum a ukulele without hurting your fingers then this article is for you. The more time you spend playing the uke, you will likely come to the point where you finger starts hurting. Let’s dig into that today.

How to strum a ukulele without hurting your fingers? You can avoid hurting your fingers while playing the ukulele by naturally developing calluses over time. As you play ukulele more you will start to develop calluses which builds resistance on your fingers and decreases sensitivity. These calluses will eventually prevent your fingers from hurting since it will have a thicker layer of skin to protect it.

Now is the right time to play more ukulele, getting better at it, and protecting your fingers along the way. It’s now a raging trend with the younger generation, particularly on YouTube.

What Is the Difference Between Ukulele and Guitar?

June 30, 2019November 28, 2018 by Eddie

The ukulele is the guitar’s younger brother and like all siblings, they are similar in some ways and different in others. There are several things to take note of if you’re wondering about buying a new instrument or switching to one from the other.

What is the difference between ukulele and guitar? Compared to the guitar, the ukulele is smaller, has fewer strings and produces a lighter, brighter sound. But in other ways such as tuning and right hand technique, the guitar and the ukulele can actually be quite similar.

Let’s compare the two instruments and see what the results really mean for you.