What's a good way to get that high-G strings into action when finger picking?

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clear

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I'm mainly a strummer on the uke. However, I've been finger picking Christmas songs on my uke lately. The book I'm using is an easy piano book with only standard notations. I don't have issues playing the songs on the uke; my problem is that all my ukes are tuned re-entrant, so I have this high-G string that I never use.

I feel like I'm wasting 25% of the uke (i.e. 1 string of 4) by never playing it and making my life more difficult than necessary (i.e. possibly more hand position changes). I don't mind a less-consistent tone in this case via using more strings; I'd like to play the whole instrument.

I think if I finger pick from standard notation for a while, I'll probably having my mind wired and start to incorporate that high-G; I'm hoping for tips on shortcuts because these are Christmas songs and I need them just for this month. It'll be very nice to use the entire uke. The songs aren't complicated; I'm picking only individual notes.

For those of you who plays from standard notation, do you incorporate the high-G string?
If so, do you have any tips for me?

Thanks!
 
clear said:
I'm mainly a strummer on the uke. However, I've been finger picking Christmas songs on my uke lately. The book I'm using is an easy piano book with only standard notations. I don't have issues playing the songs on the uke; my problem is that all my ukes are tuned re-entrant, so I have this high-G string that I never use.

I feel like I'm wasting 25% of the uke (i.e. 1 string of 4) by never playing it and making my life more difficult than necessary (i.e. possibly more hand position changes). I don't mind a less-consistent tone in this case via using more strings; I'd like to play the whole instrument.

I think if I finger pick from standard notation for a while, I'll probably having my mind wired and start to incorporate that high-G; I'm hoping for tips on shortcuts because these are Christmas songs and I need them just for this month. It'll be very nice to use the entire uke. The songs aren't complicated; I'm picking only individual notes.

For those of you who plays from standard notation, do you incorporate the high-G string?
If so, do you have any tips for me?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I only use tabs and not standard notation. But if you look at the tabs (or standard notation sheet music), often chords are used to fill the sound but with the highest note being the melody string, especially on the first beat of the measure. So a "C" chord in the music might be played as 0003 for a C note, or 000x for a G note. The g string is strummed as part of the chord.

So Joy to the World can be played as 0003 xxx2 xxx0 003x 201x 000x 02xx 00xx for the first line
 
Wilfried Welti has a free ebook with (German) Christmas music, all arranged for high G. He has both standard notation and tabs in his books, so you'll quickly recognise the tunes if the German titles are unfamiliar. (He has a book of English Christmas music too, and I'd bet that the ones that have a YouTube link are included in the German version.)

Here's the book:
http://ukulelehunt.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/weihnachtenukulele1.pdf

Wilfried's website and books:
https://www.ukulele-arts.com/tabs-and-e-books/?lang=en

Since it's December already, I'd go through the free ebook and change the fingering to suit you. Whilst you're at it, you'll working on that skill to tackle standard notation and translate it to the reentrant fretboard. You can then make up your mind if you'd rather just arrange for linear uke and restring accordingly.
 
Thanks for the info guys.

I'm experimenting by forcing myself to play G note on the G-string; everything else above that goes on the A-string. Not really sure if it's helping as I can play the G note on the E-string pretty easily. I'm beginning to think that the payoff might not be that great to incorporate the G-string into my playing unless it's for some special circumstances.

The German e-book looks very nice; it's not some scans but a cleanly-generated PDF. Too bad for me that it's all in German. I might type up some public domain Christmas ukulele music.
 
clear said:
I'm mainly a strummer on the uke. However, I've been finger picking Christmas songs on my uke lately. The book I'm using is an easy piano book with only standard notations. I don't have issues playing the songs on the uke; my problem is that all my ukes are tuned re-entrant, so I have this high-G string that I never use.

I feel like I'm wasting 25% of the uke (i.e. 1 string of 4) by never playing it and making my life more difficult than necessary (i.e. possibly more hand position changes). I don't mind a less-consistent tone in this case via using more strings; I'd like to play the whole instrument.

I think if I finger pick from standard notation for a while, I'll probably having my mind wired and start to incorporate that high-G; I'm hoping for tips on shortcuts because these are Christmas songs and I need them just for this month. It'll be very nice to use the entire uke. The songs aren't complicated; I'm picking only individual notes.

For those of you who plays from standard notation, do you incorporate the high-G string?
If so, do you have any tips for me?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
On a long term basis, playing music arranged in Campanella style would help your brain and fingers adapt to the idea of using the open G string, rather than the 3rd fret of the E string. However, if you want to focus primarily on Christmas music (where time is of the essence), try the following: Before playing through a song, first sight read through the music and find all of the G notes in the notation. For each one, identify the two notes that occur directly before and after the G note. In each instance, think about where your fingers will be prior to the G, and where you will be going after the G. Then decide whether it might be more efficient/easier to use the open G string as you transition through those three notes. In every instance where using the open G string makes more sense, circle that G note with a pencil on the music notation. That way, every time you play through the song, the circled G notes will remind you to pluck the open G string, instead of using the 3rd fret of the E string. Good luck!
 
clear said:
Thanks for the info guys.

I'm experimenting by forcing myself to play G note on the G-string; everything else above that goes on the A-string. Not really sure if it's helping as I can play the G note on the E-string pretty easily. I'm beginning to think that the payoff might not be that great to incorporate the G-string into my playing unless it's for some special circumstances.
Click to expand...

If you can continue to try that technique, to just get you used to the concept, then you can start seeing what you can turn into "Campanella" style. Sometimes you can play on the E or A string for the G+ notes, sometimes on the G string, especially if it's something that alternates nicely (e.g. G and C or something on the C string or G and something on the E string). If you play around with it a bit, just to experiment, see what you can come up with that might allow that ringing that's the foundation of Campanella style.

Also, there are fingerstyle modes that incorporate arpeggiation specifically utilizing that high G in the chord shapes that make an interesting sound, different with the treble playing "out of order" as it were.

But it does require some thinking and change of experience. If it's not your thing to keep at it, then that's fine. If it's something that intrigues you, then I think it's worth the extra effort to play around with.
 
For me it would he confusing trying to play melody notes on the 4th string.

For fingerpicking I often do:
-Simple arpeggios, also using 4th string
-Chord/melody inspired arrangements, where on e.g. the count 1 and 3 I strum or pinch a chord with the melody note on top, thus including the 4th string in the chord. Melody notes on other beats just played as single notes, in contrast to the chord melody mentioned by others here.
-Attempt clawhammer technique, where I use it for drone notes.
 
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If you are committed to finger picking with high g I suggest listening to a lot of troy Fernandez and learn 3rds and 6. The higher octave 4th string complements triplets and harmonies that can’t be matched however you loose range and flexibility.
I strongly recommend that you stay away from high g if you want to play Christmas music especially if you’re playing solo.
I like where your heads at and if you have anymore questions message me.
Happy holidays!
 
Thanks again! I think I'm good with just ignoring the high-G for now. Maybe later, if I play more finger picking on the uke, I might get a low-G which gives me more range too.
 
clear said:
Thanks again! I think I'm good with just ignoring the high-G for now. Maybe later, if I play more finger picking on the uke, I might get a low-G which gives me more range too.
Click to expand...
It’s definitely a safe bet to stick with low g. there are more resources readily available and you can also copy guitar tabs. It’s pretty much the same and the pros do it all the time.
 
Check out Matt Dahlbergs "Ghost Strumming" tutorial with the High G.
 
SurferJay said:
Check out Matt Dahlbergs "Ghost Strumming" tutorial with the High G.
Click to expand...
He makes a good point of using the 4th sting as a drone.
But it won’t help you with your technique at all.
Learn kimo hussys triplet strum technique.
the smoother you play the faster you play. Don’t waste your time with unnecessary moves.
 
I don’t know if this applies as much to Christmas music, but just fooling around I’ve often found folk melodies use a lot of chordal arpeggios. Maybe it’s because I use an Fadd9 shape as a bar chord cheat for an Fmaj or F7 depending, but the beginning of You Are My Sunshine can be played something like x2xx xx3x 2xxx xxx2 xxx2 xxx2 2xxx xxx2 xx3x xx3x, all of which can be played with the left hand as a Gadd9 bar chord, and can be strummed at most points without to much inconsistency.

Or take Jingle Bells, something like 2232 xxx2 xxx2, 2232 xxx2 xxx2, 2232 xxx5 xx3x 2xxx 2232 might start it off holding my cheat bar Gadd9. So that might be another way of finding uses in the top string for melodies.
 
@Mfturner makes a good point as to the OP: With the goal of finding some key in which I can accomplish something reasonably akin to singing, I've recently transposed all "want to learn" tunes to the key of F. For "Christmas Island", it's impossible NOT to incorporate the high G string for the "away" in the into, and for "spend" and "Christ-" (1st syllable of "Christmas") in the chorus. The high G not only works but is essential for every F and F7 transition to Bb in the tune.

Meanwhile I'm a tad stumped on making a great happy-soprano half-beat-each strum of G-Bb-C7 for "presents in a canoe". I'd appreciate a link to any past UU instrumental-only soprano solo of this tune, regardless of key.
 
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Pretty much all of the tabs on ukulelehunt.com are written for high G. I know you want things in standard notation, but some of these might give you some ideas of how to use that high G.

Christmas Time Is Here (Tab)

Ukulele Tabs, Tips, Chords and News Online. The Number One Ukulele Website.
ukulelehunt.com ukulelehunt.com
 
UkeSlacker said:
He makes a good point of using the 4th sting as a drone.
But it won’t help you with your technique at all.
Learn kimo hussys triplet strum technique.
the smoother you play the faster you play. Don’t waste your time with unnecessary moves.
Click to expand...

In his video Matt mentions his inspiration for learning the technique was Jake Shimabukuro’s version of “When my guitar gently weeps”



Now if Jake hadn’t wasted his time with unnecessary moves he could of been a bit smoother 😍
 
John King was a master of Campanella style, and on a soprano much less. I think there are songbooks out there, but I have never looked into that technique. I play fingerstyle exclusively and the high (re-entrant) g string is is either used in a chord shape or open as a drone.



John
 
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