The major scale

Give it a try
Audio files
Listen to the
audio guides
and follow
along on
your ukulele
This page will lead you through the major scale, what it should
sound like and how to play one

T
he major scale is one of the most popular scale types. major scale you can see the semitones will always fall between
You might also see this referred to as the Ionian scale.
This scale produces music that has an essentially ‘happy’
the third and fourth notes, and the seventh and eighth notes.
Major scales can be used in many musical styles, including
Top tip
sound. It comprises a specific sequence of eight notes the rock and pop. This page will show you how to play a major Know the
using tones (whole notes) and semitones (half notes). The major scale. For this particular example, we’re going to be using the distance
scale will always follow this sequence; from the example of the C A major scale. One fret m
a ukulele ovement on
is
C major scale of a semit the distance
o
movemen ne and the
t
two frets between
is a tone.

Tone Tone Semitone Tone Tone Tone Semitone

0 0 0
1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
4 4 4 4 4 4

C D E F, G A B, C
01 C major, third 02 C major, 03 C major, 04 C Major, notes 05 C Major, first 06 Cmajor, final
string second note second string four and five string two notes
To begin playing the Place your middle Playing the open Your index finger on The next note to play Middle finger on fret 2
C major scale, play the finger on the second second string on the fret one of the second in the scale is an A, and of the first string gives
open third string which fret of the third string ukulele is the note E string is an F, and your to play this you need the penultimate note B,
will make the note C to create the D note of which is the third note ring finger on fret 3 is to pluck the open first and ring finger on the
with GCEA tuned ukes. this scale. in the sequence. the G. string of the uke. third fret makes C again.

Give it a try C D E F G A B C

Now it’s your turn to try 4

the major scale… 4
This example demonstrates the
C major scale. Both the tab and 0 2 3
standard notation are included. T 4
A 0 1 3
Choose the form you are most 4 0 2
comfortable with and try playing B
along to the audio.

Ukulele for Beginners 93