David Wieland

r ransom wrote:..
My affordable ukulele refuses to do this.  Probably because it is affordable.

If I want to play the medieval song in the original post, or Concerning Hobbits, I will need to find a way to compensate for the hammer on and pull off notes.  
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The clarity of sound you get from a hammer-on depends on at least three things: distance to the fretboard, speed of attack, and firmness of the "hammer" fingertip. The string length is likely a factor too, which limits the uke.

An alternative to a hammer-on is a double pluck, which works to get more volume, if you can fit it in.

r ransom wrote:So, I'm not breaking music laws by doing this?

It's ok to change music or do people get angry?

Unless you're playing a composed classical tune, feel free to personalize it. Even then, classical music is subject to some interpretation by the player. If that angered someone, it would signify an unhealthy mental condition 🤯.

Ledward Ka'apana is a Hawaiian master of both slack key guitar and ukulele. Somewhat unusually, he is a two-finger picker on both instruments. Here's an example of what he can do on uke:  

r ransom wrote:...
First pluck through of the song, I find it difficult to use my index on the A string,  i still want one finger per string as is my instinct.   Is there a musical reason why so many tutorials have primarily thumb and index playing all the strings?

You might notice that there Is some difference in finger mechanics among the various fingers. That affects strum motion more than plucking, and there's nothing wrong with favouring the ring finger on the first string, which is the classical guitar style. Some musicians favour what's called two-finger picking, thumb and index, and can play fairly complex pieces that way. Other folks just start out that way because it feels easier.

r ransom wrote:...teach hand to do from F to G. Although, I think i get worse the more I practice.

If it seems to get worse, it's a sign that you're trying to go too fast. That's a common problem and one that I occasionally face before I remember to slow down. Speed comes naturally with mastery. Crawling comes before walking and running.

r ransom wrote:...
The tab line alone (bottom line) misses the length of the notes, the numbers above the bars, is the dot on top or beside the note or both?  

If I only had that bottom line I would have to play by ear and know the song perfectly already, or I would need to read the music to know how to play.
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You're right about the tab not showing the timing, although having five notes depicted in a four beat measure is a strong clue that two of them are eighth notes. But I'm going to push back on the idea that you need to know the song perfectly to work from tab alone. Yes, you need to have at least a semblance of the tune in mind, but the sounds you make on the uke will give you helpful feedback in making adjustments.

Rather than go for fingerpicking such a piece right away, I recommend getting some chords and progressions solidly under your belt first. If straight strumming is unsatisfying, try thumb-strum, that is, pick one string with your thumb and strum the rest with your fingers. That's a time-honoured style that serves well as a base from which to get more "sophisticated". You can play around with the timing, strum direction (e.g., down, up, down-up), and emphasis. There are many ways to make good music, but they all require building on the basics.

It's also important to listen to your body, which I know well as an oldster. Learning to place your fingers with care and not more pressure than needed takes some time but yields maximum fun for minimum effort. (I think that's what Iz said was his goal.)