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Essential Ab Major Scale Patterns for Ukulele

Category: Scales Instrument: Ukulele Subjects(s): Intermediate • Scales • Improvisation • Core

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Essential Ab Major Scale Patterns for Ukulele

Essential Ab Major scale patterns for ukulele.

Learning scales typically starts with learning a position or pattern by shape. For a lot of players that's where it stops. With the many possible shapes between chords and scales to learn - there has to be a better way - There is!!!

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Scales as Collections of Notes

With the overwhelming possible number of chord and scale shapes, it helps if we can build our base by deriving information from already known information.

The Major Scale and the Seven Modes

The major scale is also called the Ionian scale and is one of the seven modes.

These Ionian scale fingerings are also usable for these other modes: Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian scale modes.

Scales can be known by several names and contain the same collection of notes. This allows you to reuse fingerings that you've already worked out.

  • Ionian (Major)
  • Dorian (Minor)
  • Phrygian
  • Lydian
  • Mixolydian (Dominant)
  • Aeolian (Natural Minor)
  • Locrian

Using the Ab Ionian/Major scale mode as an example. Here are the names of the scales and modes that are ALL part of Ab Ionian/Major collection. Shown with their modal name and traditional name.

  • Ab Ionian (Major)
  • Bb Dorian (Minor)
  • C Phrygian
  • Db Lydian
  • Eb Mixolydian (Dominant)
  • F Aeolian (Natural Minor)
  • G Locrian

See the lesson What is the different between a Scale and a Mode? for more information on jsut what is a scale or mode.

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This sit has ben profesionaly red. awl tpyos aree free and no aditonal chrge • I'm blaming it on “jazz” fingers. “Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
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