Lesson 14: Picking with thumb and fingers

Week 14 of 24

Goal: You pick chords string by string and accompany a calm song.

Review

Play the lantern song in rocking time.

Step by step

  1. When picking, each finger has its string: thumb G and C strings, index E string, middle A string.
  2. First pattern, in three: thumb (C string) – index – middle, once per bar: “one, two, three”. Over and over, nice and even.
  3. Your left hand frets the chord as usual. Only your right hand does something new.
  4. Practise the pattern with C first, then G7. Picking sounds soft and pretty – perfect for calm songs. More: Ukulele fingerpicking.

Time to make music: your piece

“Kein schöner Land” and “Clementine” with C and G7 – picked this time instead of strummed. Feel free to slow the backing down.

Kein schöner Land in dieser Zeit

Oh My Darling, Clementine

Homework for next time

Five days, about ten minutes each:

  • No chord: thumb – index – middle, two minutes.
  • The pattern with C, then with G7.
  • “Kein schöner Land” picked.
  • Fun: pick a goodnight song for someone.

Done when …

  • each finger finds its string without looking
  • you accompany a song by picking

If you get stuck

  • Your fingers get tangled? Rest your thumb on the C string and your fingers on their strings – that’s your starting position.
  • Too quiet? Pull the string slightly up into your palm, not away from the ukulele.
For teachers: lesson plan
  1. ≈ 10 min Warm-up: finger game – the teacher calls “Thumb!”, “Index!”, “Middle!”, everyone plucks the matching string.
  2. ≈ 15 min Practice: the pattern slowly together, then one group picks, the other strums – sounds like an orchestra.
  3. ≈ 20 min Song together: “Kein schöner Land” – sing calmly, the picking group accompanies.

Differentiation: those who are confident play the piece with down-up or help a partner; those who need more time strum only on beat one of each bar.

For the board: openstring.de/ukulele/en/lesson/14/

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