Getting to grips with the blues scale on ukulele is a great way to add a little improvisation to your routine. It’s nice to get a little free with your playing from time to time and just do what you like. Let’s take a look at the blues scale to get you started.
Download a free PDF of blues scales on every root for the ukulele. The scales are provided in tablature and standard notation.
Pick a key and find the Chord Family. Take the 1, 4, and 5 chords in the chord family and add 7ths to them. Play them in order or mix them up to find what sounds bluesiest for you! For cheaters, here are the easy blues chords for some common keys: Key of C - C7, F7, G7 Key of D - D7, G7, A7 Key of E - E7, A7, B7 Key of F - F7, Bb7, C7 Key. Below is the G chord, played with fingers 1, 3, 2. You can go from here to the Em chord by using your fourth finger to press: a) G string, 1st fret b) C string, 3rd fret c) A string, 3rd fret d) C string, 4th fret 11. If you strum all the strings open in a standard tune ukulele (G-C-E-A), you will play which two chords. Start with the simple strum below and repeat it using only one chord. Once that has been mastered, repeat the same strum pattern, switching between two- and three-chord patterns, playing one full measure of each chord SIMPLE UKULELE STRUM PATTERN (with one measure of corresponding beats).
The word improvisation can be a little daunting. It conjures images of virtuosos that can play the ukulele in the dark with their hands tied behind their backs (well, sort of but you get what I mean).
It doesn’t need to be that difficult though, and really, it isn’t. You only need 6 notes. That’s right, just 6 to get freestyling with a bit of blues soloing.
If you’re familiar with the minor pentatonic scale then you’re in luck (don’t worry if you’re not though). The blues scale takes the minor pentatonic scale and adds a single note. That note is the flat 5th. That makes the C blues scale look (and sound) like this:
Blues Scale in C
https://ukulelego.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cbluesscale.mp3
In the example above I’m just playing through the blues scale so you can hear the notes. If we use a little creative spacing between those notes then you get something like the below. I’m still playing the scale in a linear fashion which is quite restrictive but it does give you a flavour of what you can do with it.
https://ukulelego.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cblueslinear.mp3If we start to get a little bit more creative then you may end up with something like this…
https://ukulelego.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cbluesscaleexample.mp3Here I’m not going crazy but I am playing around with that scale a little further and jumping around a little bit.
Playing Over A Backing Track
One thing I really like to do is fire up a backing track and play around with the scale over the top. Here’s a good one to have a go with, it’s nice and slow.
Blues Scale In Other Keys
That’s all great, but we’re not always wanting to play in C. So how do we play the blues scale in another key? Simple by sliding it around your fretboard. The root note in the C blues scale above is the open C string (root note is the scale key). If we slide that whole scale up 2 frets, we now have a D blues scale.
Notice that it’s exactly the same as the C blues scale we looked at above, only it’s further up the fretboard. Have a listen to the D blues scale below.
https://ukulelego.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/dbluesscale.mp3Slide it up another 2 frets and we have an E blues scale (and so on and so on).
Once you get this pattern locked down, with a little fretboard knowledge you’ll be able to play the blues scale in any key.
Have a play around with it and experiment. Give the backing track above a try or have a friend play a 12 bar blues for you to play over the top. You can let each other have a turn at soloing over the top. It’s loads of fun.
More Ukulele Blues
If you just can’t get enough playing the blues then I’d highly recommend Al Wood’s How To Play Blues Ukulele ebook. At just $17 it’s the best blues ukulele book out there and it will definitely turn you into a better blues man (or woman).
Got questions about blues chords? Post them HERE!
Hey UUers!
Is the sunny summertime a little too happy and fun for you?? Regain that cold sadness of the forgotten winter by playing yourself some BLUES!
In this week's episode of Uke Minutes, Aldrine breaks down how to find some 'bluesy' sounding ukulele chords for any key! Here's how to do it:
1. Pick a key and find the Chord Family.
2. Take the 1, 4, and 5 chords in the chord family and add 7ths to them.
3.Play them in order or mix them up to find what sounds bluesiest for you!
For cheaters, here are the easy blues chords for some common keys:
Key of C - C7, F7, G7
Key of D - D7, G7, A7
Key of E - E7, A7, B7
Key of F - F7, Bb7, C7
Key of G - G7, C7, D7
Key of A - A7, D7, E7
Try them out and get the blues!
How To Play Ukulele Pdf
Aloha,
-UU Staff