Uke Scales - Three Notes Per String Method

Thank you for posting these, and an even bigger thanks for the "how to" vids. As someone with no music theory at all, this is a huge help. I have added 20 minutes of working on these scales to my daily practice. It is starting to help me learn the notes on the fretboard as well as really understand whats happening when I make a chord.

Good work, thank you.
 
this is brilliant! thankyou

Thank you for posting these, and an even bigger thanks for the "how to" vids. As someone with no music theory at all, this is a huge help. I have added 20 minutes of working on these scales to my daily practice. It is starting to help me learn the notes on the fretboard as well as really understand whats happening when I make a chord.

Good work, thank you.

Wow, I just realized my thread got stickied! Sa-weet.

Badgerwolf/Rogue_Wave...sorry for not responding earlier, but you're welcome.
 
Sorry for the noobie question: On the Major Scale (Ionian) in C Major (1st Pos) - According to the "Playing Notes" - you should start on the open "C" and end on the "C" 1st String 3rd Fret (Correct?). But what is the black dot on the 1st string 5th fret (D note) and the black dots on the 4th string for (Open G, A, B)????
Sorry for the elementary question but I have no musical education and am a little confused as to how to play the scale according to the diagram (I did watch the tutorial but am still a little confused.) Thanks for any help in advance!
 
oh why do I sooo love the UU? because of beautiful people such as you and the FINE tutorials and info freely givin' !!!! thanks for the info....the ukulele is more addictive than heroin!! maybe even nicotine!! :>}
cccc'cain't wait to practice!!! thanks again.
 
oh why do I sooo love the UU? because of beautiful people such as you and the FINE tutorials and info freely givin' !!!! thanks for the info....the ukulele is more addictive than heroin!! maybe even nicotine!! :>}
cccc'cain't wait to practice!!! thanks again.

You're welcome. Sadly, I need to practice these myself. lol
 
I just found this thread but I can not wait to get home to look at the How to Vid's. I only know the standard
1 3
1 2 4
1 3 4
scales. I am very anxious to see the 3 not scales. Thanks. From what I read here, you obviously did a great job. Thanks for the hard work.
 
I just found this thread but I can not wait to get home to look at the How to Vid's. I only know the standard
1 3
1 2 4
1 3 4
scales. I am very anxious to see the 3 not scales. Thanks. From what I read here, you obviously did a great job. Thanks for the hard work.

You're welcome. I really want to do some more tutorial videos...but it's hard finding the time.
 
an old thread but i just wanted to add my two cents worth.

i find it interesting that you explain the patten whole whole half etc, i always learnt it as tone tone semitone tone tone tone semitone. same thing different words. i know that in the US music notation has different names to europe and traditional music language, like quarter note, being a crotchet, as a music educator i find the half not quarter note to be a really good way to teach the idea of note duration, children seem to get confused when you start saying crotchets minims and semibreves, but when you split it into fractions like whole note half note quarter note etc, it is easier for them to understand as they are already learning that stuff in numeracy at school.

scales are a really important to learning an instrument, for a number of reasons, it helps you understand the relationship between keys, also your udnerstanding of harmony and a whole heap of other things, like the modes that were discussed earlier. modes are really interesting, on a technical side they give the player skill in moving around their instrument. when i studied piano i had to learn all major harmonic minor, melodic minor, chromatic scales, and natural minor too, also had to do scales in thirdsand sixths, arpeggios, contrary motion. scales are a very important part to learning an instrument, they are like excercises. that being said i rarely practice scales these days on any of the instruments i play but what i know about them helps me with any instrument i pick up. but mostly it helps with knowing your relationships between scales, like 1 4 and 5 are primary chords, and then you have all the other secondary chords, all that harmony musical theory is really valuable to know, but you need to know yoru scales first to be able to apply all the harmony stuff, like A minor is the relative minor key of C. they are relatives as they share the same key signature which is no sharps or flats, g major has 1 sharp f# and its relative minor key is e Minor as it only has 1 sharp f# but technical it has two because the 7th note is always raised in a harmonic minor scale - (following the pattern tone semitone tone tone semitone tone and a half semitone. e F# g a b c d# e )

and then there are the special chords, the diminished, augmented, Neapolitan sixth and augmented 6th, all that fun stuff, that takes heaps to get your head around. but great for song writing and transpositions, etc

anyway probarly rambled enough about music theory. thanks for the charts btw.
 
also would like to add that the melodic minor scale has the raised 6th and 7th notes on the ascending but on the descending they are played as naturals. which is the same as the natural minor scale
 
an old thread but i just wanted to add my two cents worth.

i find it interesting that you explain the patten whole whole half etc, i always learnt it as tone tone semitone tone tone tone semitone. same thing different words. i know that in the US music notation has different names to europe and traditional music language, like quarter note, being a crotchet, as a music educator i find the half not quarter note to be a really good way to teach the idea of note duration, children seem to get confused when you start saying crotchets minims and semibreves, but when you split it into fractions like whole note half note quarter note etc, it is easier for them to understand as they are already learning that stuff in numeracy at school.

scales are a really important to learning an instrument, for a number of reasons, it helps you understand the relationship between keys, also your udnerstanding of harmony and a whole heap of other things, like the modes that were discussed earlier. modes are really interesting, on a technical side they give the player skill in moving around their instrument. when i studied piano i had to learn all major harmonic minor, melodic minor, chromatic scales, and natural minor too, also had to do scales in thirdsand sixths, arpeggios, contrary motion. scales are a very important part to learning an instrument, they are like excercises. that being said i rarely practice scales these days on any of the instruments i play but what i know about them helps me with any instrument i pick up. but mostly it helps with knowing your relationships between scales, like 1 4 and 5 are primary chords, and then you have all the other secondary chords, all that harmony musical theory is really valuable to know, but you need to know yoru scales first to be able to apply all the harmony stuff, like A minor is the relative minor key of C. they are relatives as they share the same key signature which is no sharps or flats, g major has 1 sharp f# and its relative minor key is e Minor as it only has 1 sharp f# but technical it has two because the 7th note is always raised in a harmonic minor scale - (following the pattern tone semitone tone tone semitone tone and a half semitone. e F# g a b c d# e )

and then there are the special chords, the diminished, augmented, Neapolitan sixth and augmented 6th, all that fun stuff, that takes heaps to get your head around. but great for song writing and transpositions, etc

anyway probarly rambled enough about music theory. thanks for the charts btw.

Thanks V for the info. I hope my charts help out.
 
Wow... I get it. super excited about going home and trying it out. Great tutorials! Thanks!
 
Ok well I am home now and am stumped. How do I know where to start and stop? Can you number these? Even if it is rough, I can do a clean version. I was thinking of re doing these larger for those with less than excellent eye sight.
 
For 1st position (C Major), what fingers do you use on the left hand?
For 2nd, etc. position, what fingers do you use on the left hand?
 
For 1st position (C Major), what fingers do you use on the left hand?
For 2nd, etc. position, what fingers do you use on the left hand?

It depends what pattern it is, but I try to use the same system. Look at pattern #3 on the C Major scales. From the top string (G string) it would be: index finger, middle finger, pinky finger. The next string down (C string) it would be the same fingers. On the next string down (E string) I use: index finger, ring finger, pinky finger. And finally the A string I use the same pattern. Use the reverse order in going back down the scale.

In cases like pattern #4 where you have whole step patterns, I use: index finger, ring finger, and pinky finger.

For scales like the pentatonic #3 I use: index finger, ring finger (on G string), index finger, pinky finger (on C string), index finger, pinky finger (on E string), and index finger, ring finger (on A string).

When you are picking, make sure you pick in a Down-Up pattern. Don't just pick Down, or Up. I've seen a lot of self taught players make this mistake. You will increase your picking speed by picking Down then Up. It may take some getting use to, but in the long run you will get it.

If you are playing without a pick I would suggest looking up the rules for Classical style picking. Or maybe someone on here would give you advice in that system of picking.
 
Ok well I am home now and am stumped. How do I know where to start and stop? Can you number these? Even if it is rough, I can do a clean version. I was thinking of re doing these larger for those with less than excellent eye sight.

Hi, sorry I missed this post. I'm currently working on redoing these in Adobe Illustrator. I have the patterns done, I'm just working on the text portion.
 
AcousticMonster, I have question or two which have puzzled me for some time. I think I have thought it through, but obviously not enough. Your video is perfect example of my difficulty. You use a chord progression of C,F,G and Dm. Playing the C maojor scale over all these chords sounds fine. What I don't get is why the B flat in F and Dm, and the G sharp in the G chord don't clash with the C major scale. I've been practicing progressions and changing to the scale of the chords key. Is that a mistake? What is the difference in the two approaches?
 
AcousticMonster, I have question or two which have puzzled me for some time. I think I have thought it through, but obviously not enough. Your video is perfect example of my difficulty. You use a chord progression of C,F,G and Dm. Playing the C maojor scale over all these chords sounds fine. What I don't get is why the B flat in F and Dm, and the G sharp in the G chord don't clash with the C major scale. I've been practicing progressions and changing to the scale of the chords key. Is that a mistake? What is the difference in the two approaches?

Please see my PM response.

The most basic explanation is that every note within the the C scale can be found within one of the chords itself. To be more specific, the root note of the chord. The root note is the starting point of the chord, and defines its name.

Here is a link that shows the chords in detail: http://www.cyberfret.com/theory/chord-construction/basic/index.php
 
Thanks for your help AM. I guess what was confusing me was that when playing a C scale over these chords the relevant scales that the chords themselves are built on are not important above the fifth. That kind of threw me for a loop. I did some hunting around on the internet and found that bebop musicians would switch to the the scale of the chord's root. Not that I am going to become a bebop player in this lifetime. Aloha.
 
Thanks for your help AM. I guess what was confusing me was that when playing a C scale over these chords the relevant scales that the chords themselves are built on are not important above the fifth. That kind of threw me for a loop. I did some hunting around on the internet and found that bebop musicians would switch to the the scale of the chord's root. Not that I am going to become a bebop player in this lifetime. Aloha.

Wait till you start getting into "Modes". I'll let the smarty pants Jazz guys explain those to ya, lol.
 
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