The ukulele is a beautiful instrument that has been gaining popularity in recent years. It’s easy to learn and fun to play, making it the perfect instrument for beginners and seasoned pros alike.
This blog post will break down everything you need to know about playing bluegrass on your uke that bring the best sound. If you are curious about how to play bluegrass ukulele, do not hesitate to give us a check!
How To Play Bluegrass Ukulele – Strumming Basis
The question we are going to reveal the answer today is: “Can you play bluegrass music with a blue ukulele?” Well, to know that, we must learn the strumming basis of ukulele first!
One of the most common rhythm patterns in bluegrass and country music is Boom-Chicka. It’s easy to play, which makes it perfect for beginners just learning how strumming goes.
The most important thing to remember when playing a thumb-style bass is that you will be plucking with your index finger and dampening the strings using heel or forefoot.
The “boom” corresponds with how much pressure you put on each note, so it’s best not to play too hard at first because this could hurt if done wrong.
The Boom-Chicka is a great pattern for playing songs in 4/4 time. This means that you’ll have two beats per bar, which works well with any song written to use three beat patterns.
For some new patterns, it’s important to start slow and steady. The same goes with this particular strumming pattern: we recommend grabbing your metronome so that you can practice slowly at first before getting faster as time permits.
It is important to spend time hammering down the basics before adding speed. This will help you avoid any mistakes in your timing and make sure that everything sounds good when played fast.
One of the most renowned players to combine bluegrass and ukulele, Peter Rowan, said that he could play faster on his instrument than any guitar player with a pic.
“Bluegrass is a very fast style of music, and I love playing it. When My Aloha came out six years ago with its acoustic soundscapes for guitarists who wanted something different from the electric genre that had taken hold at the time – when did you make your next bluegrassy album?
Try using thumb picks in addition to flat picks on ukuleles. They’ll allow you faster note movement than any guitarist could achieve otherwise.”
3 Easy Bluegrass Ukulele Songs
To give an overview of how the sounds when it’s played, here are some songs to get you started:
Billy Boy
Billy Boy seems to be a delightful little melody that we frequently teach newbies to play, and it’s easy enough for anyone who knows how to strum their guitar. You can learn this song by following the simple rhythm pattern on your own.
Cripple Creek
This bluegrass classic is often performed on the clawhammer uke, but this version can be transposed well. It includes some pickings, and most of it plays with just boom-chicka to keep things simple.
Wagon Wheel
This song is the perfect way to wind down after a long day of work or school. You’ll be able to sing along with ease, and it will make you feel good about yourself.
One of the most well-known strumming patterns is bluegrass, but we love to add this for a little extra flavour on the chorus. The chords are usually good enough, so don’t worry about learning them as standard practice anyway.
How To Play Bluegrass Ukulele – Billy Boy Song?
The chords for Billy Boy are the first part of learning the song. The next stage is to double-check that you’ve mastered basic strumming rhythm.
Strumming through into the song’s chord pattern without singing is the final phase. Be mindful of starting slow and counting aloud before speeding it up once you can play at a slower tempo or count faster than what’s being played on guitar.
Conclusion
The bluegrass ukulele is so much fun to play, and the best part about it is that anyone can do it! You don’t need any prior knowledge; you have to be willing.
After reading this post, we hope you can learn how to play bluegrass ukulele. Good luck to you and we will see you in the next ukulele-related post!
