MODULE 8
"FINGER PICKING"
Finger picking is another fantastic way to get a really fun and professional sounding ukulele. Below are a few basic patterns to help you get started on your journey into finger picking like a pro.
THE C-A-G-E FINGER PICKING PATTERN
This finger pattern is a great one to start with as it literally spells out the word, "CAGE" when plucking the strings in open position.
As you can see from the illustration below, the letters above the tab represent the strings that you are plucking. There are 8 notes to pluck in this bar which makes it an 8th note pattern so you would pluck each string on the 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + beats.
The blue letter below the tab represent which fingers you should be plucking with. It is important to try and stick to these plucking fingers for many reasons.
As you can see from the illustration below, the letters above the tab represent the strings that you are plucking. There are 8 notes to pluck in this bar which makes it an 8th note pattern so you would pluck each string on the 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + beats.
The blue letter below the tab represent which fingers you should be plucking with. It is important to try and stick to these plucking fingers for many reasons.
- The first string to pluck is the C string - and you pluck this with your THUMB (T)
- The second is the A string and you should plucj this with your MIDDLE finger (M)
- The third is the G string and again you pluck this with your THUMB (T)
- Then the fourth is the E string which you should pluck with your INDEX finger (I)
Watch the video below to see how it is done.
ADDING CHORD SHAPES
Once you get the hang of playing this finger picking pattern, try adding some chords in to hear how they sound. Practice independently with the following chord shapes:
EXERCISE: Each audio file starts off at 40 BPM with a count in bar of 4 beats followed by two bars of the 8th note cage pattern played with the illustrated chords.
EXERCISE: Each audio file starts off at 40 BPM with a count in bar of 4 beats followed by two bars of the 8th note cage pattern played with the illustrated chords.
At level 2 you will discover how to play this picking pattern shuffled or in swing style to fit in with the 12 bar blues, which you can use in hundreds of songs, including many rock n roll numbers!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
For now you have completed all aspects of your ukulele training at level 1. Click the button below for a summary and to find out how you can continue your online training.
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