Ukulele · Chapter 21 of 24
Fingerpicking
Instead of strumming a chord, pick its strings one by one. It’s the gentle, rippling sound of many Hawaiian waltzes and ballads.
In fingerpicking each finger of the picking hand looks after its own string. The simplest arrangement on the ukulele is one finger per string:
| Finger | Letter | String |
|---|---|---|
| thumb | p | 4 (G), and 3 (C) when the root is there |
| index | i | 3 (C) |
| middle | m | 2 (E) |
| ring | a | 1 (A) |
The letters come from the Spanish names classical guitarists use: pulgar, índice, medio, anular. Let the hand hover over the strings with the fingers loosely curled, each over its string. Pluck by curling the finger toward the palm; pluck with the thumb by pushing down and slightly forward.
Three patterns
Hold a C chord and try each pattern. The thumb starts every one; the fingers follow.
In the last pattern, “p” alone means the thumb plays the string that holds the chord’s root: the open G string for a G chord, and the C string (at the 2nd fret, a D) for D7.
A fingerpicked waltz
Island Waltz is a practice tune of our own built on the 3/4 pattern. Play the pattern first while the player picks the tune, then swap.
Remember
- One finger per string: p on 4, i on 3, m on 2, a on 1.
- The thumb usually starts the pattern, on the chord’s root.
- Slow and even first; speed comes later.