Major scale in ALL 12 keys on Ukulele

Did you know that all 12 major scales can be played on ukulele using just ONE neck shape?

Well now you do! But first, let's recap the major scale formula and how to play the major scale one ONE string.

Part 1 - major scale in all 12 keys on ONE string (0:54)

As a recap, here's how to play the major on scale on ONE string using the major scale formula; T - T - S - T - T - S (T= tone, S - Semi-tone).

When moving shapes around the fretboard, it really helps to think of the notes as intervals, rather than the note names.

If we move all of these up by one fret, we get the C sharp major scale! This can keep going to also play the D major, D sharp major etc.

However, there's a limit to how fast we can play on one string. We can play much faster if we play these same notes vertically using a scale shape, rather than horizontally on the same string. Here's how to do that!

Part 2 - major scale in all 12 keys using ONE SHAPE (1:54)

The diagram below show the same notes as above but played in one position on the neck.

When we choose a different starting note, the shape remains the same (AND each note SOUNDS the same relative to the first note of the scale), but in this case, we're playing the C sharp major scale.

We can repeat the process for all 12 keys by moving up a fret at a time. To do this, you'll need to be aware of the names of all 12 notes in western music, which we do by memorising the note circle.