Learning `Ukulele with Curt
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Six Essential Scales for `Ukulele
From these six essential scale you can get through a wide variety of traditional and contemporary music.
by Curt Sheller, Curt Sheller Publications
The six essential scales are: Blues, Major Pentatonic, Mixolydian, Dorian, Aeolian, and Ionian. From the six essential scales, you can get through a wide variety of traditional and contemporary music.
What IS a Scale?
A scale is simply a collection of pitches or notes, not really a "this is a Jazz scale", "this is a Blues" or "this is a Rock scale". It's how a scale is used that really matters not its name.
Most music starts with a scale. The melody, chords, licks and riffs all can be related back to a particular scale or scales.
The Six Essential scales ( in no particulate order ):
- Blues (Minor Pentatonic)
- Pentatonic (Major Pentatonic)
- Dorian (Minor)
- Mixolydian (Dominant)
- Aeolian (Natural Minor)
- Ionian (Major)
There are two scales that can be the memorized and other essential scales referenced from these two. These two scales are the Major and Natural Minor scales. The Major and Natural Minor scales are traditional scales and common scales in all forms of contemporary music.
This lesson explores the Major and Natural Minor scales and their derivations.
Here are the six essential scales, in open position, the key of C. Check out the video tab above to see the Ionian and Aeolian scales played on ukulele.
QuickStart Scale and Arpeggio Fingerings for Ukulele
This lesson uses the same page format as the QuickStart Scale Fingering series of books.
QuickStart Scale Fingerings for Ukulele 3 volumes.
C, G, and D tuning.
(QuickStart Scale Fingerings for Ukulele)
The QuickStart Scale Fingerings Vol 1 covers the Blues, Pentatonic, Dorian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Ionian scales.
Traditional names for these scales are: Minor Pentatonic, Major Pentatonic, Minor, Dominant, Natural Minor and Major.
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QuickStart Scale Fingerings for Ukulele, Volume I, C Tuning
Learn to create exciting solos in a variety of contemporary styles!
Scales are used to improvise, create melodies and riffs. With a broad knowledge of the essential scales that are used in contemporary music and a mastery of the ukulele’s fingerboard and fingering principles you’re well on your way.
Six essential scales for C tuned ukuleles. Blues, Pentatonic, Dorian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Ionian scales are covered in all keys.
QuickStartScale Fingerings for Tenor and Baritone Ukulele, Volume I, G Tuning
Six essential scales for G tuned ukuleles. Blues, Pentatonic, Dorian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Ionian scales are covered in all keys with fingerings.
The QuickStart series of scale fingering books are available in a variety of tunings.
Tunings: G with low or high D - (DGBE or dGBE).
Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard - C Tuning
Finally, learn the names of the notes of the fingerboard. Learning the notes of your instrument allows you the flexibility of not having to remember so many shapes. There are simply way too many chords, scale and notes patterns, and shapes to remember. It all comes down the notes.
Beyond knowing the names of the open strings, most players find it hard to learn the whole fingerboard. You need to know the names of the notes like it's second nature - just being able to figure them out is too slow.
Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard - D Tuning
If your goal is to finally learn the names of the notes on the ukulele fingerboard. Then Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard - D Tuning is your answer. Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard - D Tuning, has a step by step approach to finally mastering the ukulele fingerboard.
Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard - G Tuning
If your goal is to finally learn the names of the notes on the ukulele fingerboard. Then Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard - G Tuning is your answer. Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard - G Tuning, has a step by step approach to finally mastering the ukulele fingerboard.
Six Secrets of Ukulele Fingering
Learn the six fingering principles to navigating the ukulele fingerboard.
Fingering is one of the most universal topics. Whether your style is Rock, Blues, Country, Jazz or Classical, these principles will improve your technique, your solos, even your sight reading.
Think of fingering as a series of pathways. When you learn to connect these pathways, there are benefits not only to technique but also to creativity. All fingering on the ukulele can be reduced to 6 principles of motion. Each principle has physical and musical characteristics that you can use to improve your playing.
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Just browsing over both books, they look fantastic! I'm a guitarist and uke player for over 25 years and was thinking about writing a ukulele book but you've already written what I think are the best, most comprehensive and thorough books I've ever seen for the instrument. I just might end up buying every book you've written and I'll be giving my highest recommendation for your books to my friends and students. Thank you so much for taking the time to write such great books! — Peter Rhee
Aloha, Curt, All I can say is WOW! What you have accomplished is simply incredible! All the best — Glen Hirabayashi, The Aloha Boys
Folks, if you haven't stopped by Curt's site, do so right now! ..And get his books, they are fantastic. This guy knows his stuff and is able to pass it along too. — Alan Johnson Proprietor, The 4th Peg
I can highly recommend Curt's Uke books — I have four of them and they are excellent. — fatveg — Portland
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