This page contains a collection of tabs showing all of the major scales on the ukulele. These are commonly accepted standard fingerings for each scale.
Tabs are great for showing uke scales from bottom to top in one location. In a number of ways this is more practical than a fretboard diagram layout. Dot diagrams just show all of the possible locations of notes in a given scale, but not any practical ways to play them.
Scale tones are shown above their respective notes for the first ascension of the scale. You can use this as a reference for what notes are in each key as well as for the names of the notes you are playing.
Each scale has two versions, a basic one and an octave variation that can be used if you need to play higher or lower. Some positions require a low-G string to play in order, but the notes are the same if you have a high-g string so you’ll just jump from high to low when you switch to the C-string.
To see all of these scales in Guitar Pro PDF format, go here.
Please note that these are only a few of the possible ways to navigate scales on the fretboard. As you advanced, you should try to figure out as many options as possible so that you truly can play the notes you need anywhere.
C Major Scale
This is the most common open-position major scale box shape. Use the “one finger per fret” rule to make this the easiest to play.
Notes in the key of C: C D E F G A B C.
C D E F G A B C A |-----------------0--2--3--2--0----------------------| E |--------0--1--3-----------------3--1--0-------------| C |--0--2-----------------------------------2--0-------| G |----------------------------------------------------|
Alternative position:
A |--3--5--7--8--10-12-14-15---|--14-12-10-8--7--5--3-------| E |----------------------------|----------------------------| C |----------------------------|----------------------------| G |----------------------------|----------------------------|
C#/Db Major Scale
Exactly the same as C major, but shifted up one fret. Now the notes that were open are played on the first fret. It’s like you added one fret to every note. As long as everything moves the same amount, the relationships between the scale tones are preserved and you can move something around your ukulele at will.
Notes in the key of C#: C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C#.
Notes in the key of Db: Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db.
Scales with either/or names like C#/Db, D#/Eb, F#/Gb, G#/Ab, and A#/Bb are called enharmonic keys. They use the same pitches and fret locations, but can be identified two different ways with two different sets of note names.
C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C# or... Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db A |-----------------1--3--4----|--3--1----------------------| E |--------1--2--4-------------|--------4--2--1-------------| C |--1--3----------------------|-----------------3--1-------| G |----------------------------|----------------------------|
Alternative position:
A |--4--6--8--9--11-13-15-16---|--15-13-11-9--8--6--4-------| E |----------------------------|----------------------------| C |----------------------------|----------------------------| G |----------------------------|----------------------------|
D Major Scale
Any time a note become playable on the next string, you can shift it over. Instead of playing up a string you can play across the strings. As you look through the next few scales, pay attention to how the notes jump between strings.
D E F# G A B C# D A |--------------0--2--4--5----|--4--2--0-------------------| E |-----0--2--3----------------|-----------3--2--0----------| C |--2-------------------------|--------------------2-------| G |----------------------------|----------------------------|
Alternative position:
A |--5--7--9--10-12-14-16-17---|--16-14-12-10-9--7--5-------| E |----------------------------|----------------------------| C |----------------------------|----------------------------| G |----------------------------|----------------------------|
D#/Eb Major Scale
Of the enharmonic scales that are both sharp AND flat, one way of naming it is usually much more common and practical. For instance, look at how much more convoluted D# is than Eb. Because of this, it’s much more common to see Eb being used, even though the notes are exactly the same.
D# E# Fx G# A# B# Cx D# or... Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb A |--------------1--3--5--6----|--5--3--1-------------------| E |-----1--3--4----------------|-----------4--3--1----------| C |--3-------------------------|--------------------3-------| G |----------------------------|----------------------------|
Alternative position:
A |--6--8--10-11-13-15-17-18---|--17-15-13-11-10-8--6-------| E |----------------------------|----------------------------| C |----------------------------|----------------------------| G |----------------------------|----------------------------|
E Major Scale
As these scales move higher and higher, even large ukuleles might run out of frets. This is another reason to learn to play scales everywhere, not just from bottom to top in one location.
E F# G# A B C# D# E A |-----------0--2--4--6--7----|--6--4--2--0----------------| E |--0--2--4-------------------|--------------4--2--0-------| C |----------------------------|----------------------------| G |----------------------------|----------------------------|
Alternative position:
A |--7--9--11-12-14-16-18-19---|--18-16-14-12-11-9--7-------| E |----------------------------|----------------------------| C |----------------------------|----------------------------| G |----------------------------|----------------------------|
F Major Scale
F G A Bb C D E F A |--------0--1--3--5--7--8----|--7--5--3--1--0-------------| E |--1--3----------------------|-----------------3--1-------| C |----------------------------|----------------------------| G |----------------------------|----------------------------|
Alternative position:
A |--8--10-12-13-15-17-19-20---|--19-17-15-13-12-10-8-------| E |----------------------------|----------------------------| C |----------------------------|----------------------------| G |----------------------------|----------------------------|
F#/Gb Major Scale
F# G# A# B C# D# E# F# or... Gb Ab Bb C Db Eb F Gb A |--------1--2--4--6--8--9----|--8--6--4--2--1-------------| E |--2--4----------------------|-----------------4--2-------| C |----------------------------|----------------------------| G |----------------------------|----------------------------|
Alternative position:
A |--9--11-13-14-16-18-20-21---|--20-18-16-14-13-11-9-------| E |----------------------------|----------------------------| C |----------------------------|----------------------------| G |----------------------------|----------------------------|
G Major Scale
This is the first scale that can be started from a low-G if you have one. If you don’t, you can still play the second variation, but the pitches will jump an octave when you switch from the G- to C-strings.
G A B C D E F# G A |-----0--2--3--5--7--9--10---|--9--7--5--3--2--0----------| E |--3-------------------------|--------------------3-------| C |----------------------------|----------------------------| G |----------------------------|----------------------------|
Alternative position with low-G:
A |----------------------------|----------------------------| E |-----------------0--2--3----|--2--0----------------------| C |-----------0--2-------------|--------2--0----------------| G |--0--2--4-------------------|--------------4--2--0-------|
G#/Ab Major Scale
G# A# B# C# D# E# Fx G# or... Ab Bb C Db Eb F Gb Ab A |-----1--3--4--6--8--10-11---|--10-8--6--4--3--1----------| E |--4-------------------------|--------------------4-------| C |----------------------------|----------------------------| G |----------------------------|----------------------------|
Alternative position with low-G:
A |----------------------------|----------------------------| E |-----------------1--3--4----|--3--1----------------------| C |--------0--1--3-------------|--------3--1--0-------------| G |--1--3----------------------|-----------------3--1-------|
A Major Scale
The remaining three scales can be played on a single string and are great studies in shifting positions. Play up until you run out of fingers, then shift your hand up so that you start the next note on your lowest finger.
A B C# D E F# G# A A |--0--2--4--5--7--9--11-12---|--11-9--7--5--4--2--0-------| E |----------------------------|----------------------------| C |----------------------------|----------------------------| G |----------------------------|----------------------------|
Alternative position with low-G:
A |-----------------------0----|----------------------------| E |--------------0--2--4-------|--4--2--0-------------------| C |--------1--2----------------|-----------2--1-------------| G |--2--4----------------------|-----------------4--2-------|
A#/Bb Major Scale
A# B# Cx D# E# Fx Gx A# or... Bb C D Eb F G A Bb A |--1--3--5--6--8--10-12-13---|--12-10-8--6--5--3--1-------| E |----------------------------|----------------------------| C |----------------------------|----------------------------| G |----------------------------|----------------------------|
Alternative position with low-G:
A |--------------------0--1----|--0-------------------------| E |--------------1--3----------|-----3--1-------------------| C |-----0--2--3----------------|-----------3--2--0----------| G |--3-------------------------|--------------------3-------|
B Major Scale
B C# D# E F# G# A# B A |--2--4--6--7--9--11-13-14---|--13-11-9--7--6--4--2-------| E |----------------------------|----------------------------| C |----------------------------|----------------------------| G |----------------------------|----------------------------|
Alternative position with low-G:
A |--------------------1--2----|--1-------------------------| E |-----------0--2--4----------|-----4--2--0----------------| C |-----1--3-------------------|--------------3--1----------| G |--4-------------------------|--------------------4-------|