picking pattern
Picking patterns are used when the ukulele is used as an accompaniment instrument. In this case, the notes of the chord underlying each bar (mostly) are played (plucked) individually in regular patterns. A bar is usually subdivided into eighth notes (that is, the 4/4 bar plays 8 notes, the 3/4 bar 6 notes, etc.).
The number of possible patterns is virtually unlimited. Presented below are just a few basic options. Which ones are chosen depends critically on the type (in particular the rhythm) of the music to be accompanied, as well as on the chords used.
Arpeggio
Arpeggio
For an arpeggio, all strings are plucked one after the other. The movement can be „upwards“ (from the 4th to the 1st string) or „downwards“ (from the 1st to the 4th string). 1) Arpeggios can be combined, either upwards, downwards, upwards-downwards or downwards-upwards. However, it is common for the first note of the pattern to be on the lowest played string.
Example: C Major Chord
Upwards Downwards Upwards Downwards Up and Down 2/4 3/4 4/4 2/4 3/4 4/4 6/8 4/4 6/8 4/4 4/4 xA|3---|3---3-|3---3---||---3|---3--|---3---3||---3--|---33---||3-----|3------3|-------0| xE|-0--|-0---0|-0---0--||--0-|--0---|--0---0-||--0-0-|--0--0--||-0---0|-0----0-|--0---0-| xC|--0-|--0---|--0---0-||-0--|-0---0|-0---0--||-0---0|-0----0-||--0-0-|--0--0--|-0-0-0--| xG|---0|---0--|---0---0||0---|0---0-|0---0---||0-----|0------0||---0--|---00---|0---0---|
Variation with Alternating Bass
Upwards Downwards 3/4 4/4 3/4 4/4 xA|3--3--|3---3---||--3--3|--3---3-| xE|-0--0-|-0---0--||-0--0-|-0---0--| xC|--0---|--0-----||---0--|----0---| xG|-----0|------0-||0-----|0-------|
Odd-Even/Even-Odd
Odd-Even/Even-Odd
The odd (1st and 3rd) and even (2nd and 4th) strings are plucked in turn. The patterns can be pluck upwards, downwards or in alternating sequence.
Odd-Even
Upwards Downwards Up-Down Down-Up 6/8 4/4 6/8 4/4 6/8 4/4 6/8 4/4 xA|3---3-|3---3---||-3---3|-3---3--||3----3|3----3--||-3--3-|-3--3---| xE|--0---|--0---0-||---0--|---0---0||0-0---|--0----0||---0--|---0--0-| xC|-0---0|-0---0--||0---0-|0---0---||00--0-|-0--0---||0----0|0----0--| xG|---0--|---0---0||--0---|--0---0-||0--0--|---0--0-||--0---|--0----0|
Even-Odd
Upwards Downwards Up-Down Down-Up 6/8 4/4 6/8 4/4 6/8 4/4 6/8 4/4 xA|--3---|--3---3-||---3--|---3---3||--3---|--3----3||---3--|---3--3-| xE|0---0-|0---0---||-0---0|-0---0--||0----0|0----0--||-0--0-|-0--0---| xC|---0--|---0---0||--0---|--0---0-||---0--|---0--0-||--0---|--0----0| xG|-0---0|-0---0--||0---0-|0---0---||-0--0-|-0--0---||0----0|0----0--|
Out-In/In-Out
Out-In/In-Out
The outer (11 and 4th) and inner (2nd and 3rd) strings are plucked in turn. The sequence of both the inner and outer strings can be changed, resulting in a variety of combinations.
Out-In
Out Out-In In In-Out 6/8 4/4 6/8 4/4 6/8 4/4 6/8 4/4 xA|3---3-|3---3---||3---3-|3---3---||-3---3|-3---3--||3----3|3----3--|... xE|--0---|--0---0-||---0--|---0---0||---0--|---0---0||--0---|--0---0-|... xC|---0--|---0---0||--0---|--0---0-||--0---|--0---0-||---0--|---0---0|... xG|-0---0|-0---0--||-0---0|-0---0--||0---0-|0---0---||-0--0-|-0--0---|...
In-Out
In In-Out Out Out-In 6/8 4/4 6/8 4/4 6/8 4/4 6/8 4/4 xA|--3---|--3---3-||--3---|--3---3-||---3--|---3---3||--3---|--3---3-|... xE|0---0-|0---0---||0----0|0----0--||-0---0|-0---0--||-0---0|-0---0--|... xC|-0---0|-0---0--||-0--0-|-0--0---||0---0-|0---0---||0---0-|0---0---|... xG|---0--|---0---0||---0--|---0---0||--0---|--0---0-||---0--|---0---0|...
Odd-Even/Inside-Out
Odd-Even/Inside-Out
Odd-even and inside-out techniques can also be combined. This results in many more plucking patterns, e.g.:
6/8 4/4 6/8 4/4 xA|---3-3|---3-3--|---3--|---3---3|3-----|3------3|... xE|-0----|-0-----0|-0---0|-0---0--|--0-0-|--0-0---|... xC|0---0-|0---0---|0-----|0-----0-|---0--|---0-0--|... xG|--0---|--0---0-|--0-0-|--0-0---|-0---0|-0----0-|...
Rhythmic Variations
Rhythmic Variations
These patterns can still be varied by doubling individual note values, e.g.:
3/4 4/4 ("Folkpick")
xA|3--3--|3----3--|...
xE|----0-|---0--0-|...
xC|--0---|--0-----|...
xG|-----0|----0---|...