This page is home to all the common versions of minor ukulele scales you might want to play shown in tablature.
Along with the tab is some context for the scale and its notes. These are the same notes that are in the key of the same name. (An A minor scale uses the same notes as the key of A minor.)
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.
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 Minor Scale
Notes in the key of C: C D Eb F G Ab Bb C.
C D Eb F G Ab Bb C A |--------------------1--3--1-------------------------| E |-----------1--3--4-----------4--3--1----------------| C |--0--2--3-----------------------------3--2--0-------| G |----------------------------------------------------|
High octave position:
A |--3--5--6--8--10-11-13-15-13-11-10-8--6--5--3-------| E |----------------------------------------------------| C |----------------------------------------------------| G |----------------------------------------------------|
C#/Db Minor Scale
Exactly the same as C minor, 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 Fb Gb Ab BbbC Db
A |-----------------0--2--4--2--0----------------------|
E |--------0--2--4-----------------4--2--0-------------|
C |--1--3-----------------------------------3--1-------|
G |----------------------------------------------------|
High octave position:
A |--4--6--7--9--11-12-14-16--|--14-12-11-9--7--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 |----------------------------|----------------------------|
High octave 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 |----------------------------|----------------------------|
High octave 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 |----------------------------|----------------------------|
High octave 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 |----------------------------|----------------------------|
High octave 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 |----------------------------|----------------------------|
High octave 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 |----------------------------|----------------------------|
Low octave 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 |----------------------------|----------------------------|
Low octave position with low-G:
A |----------------------------|----------------------------| E |-----------------1--3--4----|--3--1----------------------| C |--------0--1--3-------------|--------3--1--0-------------| G |--1--3----------------------|-----------------3--1-------|[/bleed]
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 |----------------------------|----------------------------|
Low octave 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 |----------------------------|----------------------------|
Low octave 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 |----------------------------|----------------------------|
Low octave position with low-G:
A |--------------------1--2----|--1-------------------------| E |-----------0--2--4----------|-----4--2--0----------------| C |-----1--3-------------------|--------------3--1----------| G |--4-------------------------|--------------------4-------|