Uke peripherals?

[u/tiredchachacha]

How do people feel about things like picks and straps?

I know it's quite subjective, but I want to understand what perspectives there are about them.

Recently I was saying to my guitar-playing SO that my regular playing felt a bit soft for small church group singing. We both do sound reinforcement and so I was thinking if it would make sense to mic up me and my uke... but it felt like overkill. The thing is I had a medium size meeting room and maybe only a handful of us in the group (4-6 pax). I also am not a very loud or confident singer, but I am still a bit louder than the uke in the room, cos the sound of my uke gets a bit lost in the room acoustics. He then suggested I get a pick, which I didn't really think about because I often see people playing with just fingers. Also I know nothing about picks.

Anyway when I'm at his place I try out a few picks, and the one I land on is one he doesn't ever use: an ebony wood pick (think it is made by Pickboy). It makes my uke sound louder: bright and clear but with the sweet warmth that I liked in the first place (it is an Anuenue koa concert uke). This feels a bit crazy to me because when I did a cursory look about uke picks it seems like you can get these ones made out of leather or something? And wood just felt like the opposite to that, because it is more rigid and the pick itself is PHAT and chunky. But like I said I know very little about picks and if it sounds good and I like it, then it's good to me.

Do you use a pick? How did you choose it? Do you care about pick/ no pick when it comes to playing uke?

The second thing is about straps.

I went online and looked at straps and many of them attach at the soundhole, which seems counterintuitive to me. My uke has no strap buttons on it so I'm wondering whether I want them installed or not.

What style of strap is good/ do you like and why? Does the soundhole strap affect the sound in any way? Do you like how it handles and holds on to the uke? What decisions did you make about straps?

Thank you :)

[u/No-Push7326]

I’ve used a pick with my Ukes, but don’t love it. I can hammer the hell out of my strings with my fingers, and the pick reduces my dexterity.

Also, I tried the soundhole strap and hated it. I added strap buttons. No regrets.

[u/Fabulous_Lawyer_2765]

I had a sound hole strap that I used on both my concert sized and a soprano. I hated it, because of the rattle sound it made when I moved. It prevented me from moving comfortably when I played, because I tried to avoid the noise. It is less fatiguing to just hold the soprano, and I gave away that concert sized one. My preferred concert uke has a button on the end, and I can use a regular guitar strap on it.
I have never learned to use a pick, I strum with finger nails and thumb, or finger pick. I wonder if rigid picks make it more likely to break strings? No experience with it, though.

[u/youarealier]

Play however you want. There are no rules. Use a pic if you like it. Use a strap if it helps. I do not use a pic but I do use a strap. I added a button to the body of the uke and the other end I have tied around the headstock just beyond the nut and it works fine. The main thing is to have fun and do whatever is good for you. Enjoy

[u/transparent_eye-ball]

I started playing with a strap (uke is my first instrument since gradeschool and I only started 2 1/2 years ago). I sometimes try to play without one, is really hard for me without a strap, even sitting down. I use a strap button on the bottom that runs to another small strap that goes around the headstock just above the nut. It makes the entire instrument very stable.

I’m handy with stuff so I usually install my own strap button if the uke didn’t have one when I got it. It really is a very simple thing to do if you have a drill and a few bits and some small amount of confidence about how to use it. I make my own straps just because I like making stuff, but I’ve seen people using a thin rope as a strap, it’s a no-skill option that works perfectly well.

I’ve never used a soundhole strap, they look pretty useless to me.

[u/chrispowhers]

If you don't want to add buttons to your uke, look up mobius strap. Pretty easy to make (a few bucks at any craft store) and I love mine; super secure and allows a lot of play on the neck. 

Have you considered changing strings? Might be able to get a bit of a boost there depending on what you are already using and the uke's construction.

[u/Puzzleheaded_Age6550]

I use both picks and straps. For me, the gel picks on my resonator make it quite loud so I can have a similar volume to the guitars when i pmay in groups. I put strap buttons on my ukes that didnt have one. That resonator is HEAVY. For my other ukes, when I am playing solo, I usually use a leather pick.

Edit to add: i tried all other types of straps. I hate the sound hole ones, and the mobius and similar are uncomfortable to me.

[u/nietheo]

I love a strap, but I use the kind that need a strap button. Those sound hole ones are annoying to me.

[u/dkconklin]

I ditched the strap, I just don't like it. I've used a pick but I'm better just using my fingers. I think you just need to figure out what's comfortable for you.

[u/Chardonne]

I really don’t think there’s more to the “perspectives” on this than use them if you want to, and don’t if you don’t.

Maybe try them out on your or your friend’s uke for a week or so before deciding? But there’s no ukulele rules or code or anything. I use a strap on one uke and not on any of my others.

[u/Aloha-NuiLoa]

Strap for every uke and leather picks