Scales

First post here so firstly a hi to everyone.

I've only very recently started out on the uke and got myself a cheapish Lanikai to get me going - LU11 or something like that i think i think it was.

I've got the hang of a few chords now and started to learn a few songs using them.

What im wondering is are there any scales worth learning at this early stage that will prove worthwhile in the long run?

I remember a while back when my mate was learning guitar he was constantly playing these scales and said even though they were fairly boring and repetative to learn they would benefit him massively once mastered.

Me being new to any type of musical instrument im not sure if these same scales/principals really apply to the uke.

Any help/links appreciated - and sorry if this question is answered somewhere obvious elsewhere

If your goal is playing an improvised solo, I'd start with the minor and major pentatonic scales.

If your goal is gaining a deeper understanding of music, I'd start with the major scale. This will help you with knowing what key a song is in, how chords relate to that key, how the notes in chords are built, how modes work, etc.

Better yet, learn both.

JJ

I've heard the name 'pentatonic' but am struggling to find a ukulele specific version of these.

Does anyone have a link to a uke version in tab form?

From what i remember when my mate was learning, even though you could mix the notes up, there was a certain order to play the notes in to get you going...or am i getting confused with something else here?

I don't currently know enough to know if what im asking is specific to guitars...i just remember it helped him no end in learning where each string was and where each fret was and i wouldnt mind learning a few picking songs next.

The nice thing about guitars and ukuleles is that they have the same intervals between the strings. The ukulele is like a guitar with a capo on the fifth fret. Any scale pattern for the top three strings of a guitar will work on the ukulele. (Top four strings, if the uke has a low G string.)

Here's the C minor pentatonic scale:


Move it up two frets for the D minor pentatonic:


The same patterns work on the guitar, but since it's tuned lower, they are the G and A minor pentatonic, not C and D.

There are several helpful posts over at Ukulele Hunt.

This thread should get you started.

Great question to ask, I barely understood much about scales to know if they were important or not! I'll be practising with this info now, thanks guys!

Learning scales it great. You learn the fretboard. If you know standard notation you'll learn the notes. It's a terrific way to practice where your fingers go -- intonation I think it's called. Listen while you are playing the scales. It'll also help you learn how to slide around the fretboard, etc, etc.

As you can tell, I think scale work is good. Boring, but good. Listen to the posters above. They speak the truth.

Welcome to UU. have fun with your ukulele!

Thanks for the replies, got a bit to get me going now

These scales will keep you busy: http://ukulelestrummers.com/Scales.html#Scales. You'll notice that the pattern is the same, if you only play the first two measure per scale, as you move up the fretboard. Easier to memorize. The three notes per string method is more than my little brain can comprehend (since each pattern is different).