Looking for Low G up/down the neck scale exercises

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raduray

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I'm a beginner and have found lots of references to play scales in single octaves starting at different positions on the neck, but I'm looking for techniques and exercises that span a couple octaves across several positions.

I realize there are many permutations, but looking for the most common ones, if there are such things.
 
I play these in my own practice sessions (albeit usually on a high G uke). I haven't found many resources on them, so I've developed a method of my own. While it was developed for high G, it works in low G.

I start by finding all the octaves for the note I wish to start on. Since you play low G, I'll use a G Ionian as an example. The octaves for G are 0X3X, X7X10, and 12XX10. Since extended ukulele scales fall heavily on the A string unless you change position, I would try to position myself so that I finish the 1st octave on one of the inside strings in low G tuning (in high G, I'm willing to use the G string as well). In this case, that means either XX3X or X7XX. I then attempt to ensure that my starting place on each string occurs at a higher than on the next lowest string. For G Ionian, I could start at each string at 0235, 0257, or 0457.

For example, for a 2-octave G Ionian scale, I might play:
0xxx 2xxx 4xxx 5xxx x2xx x4xx x6xx xx3x xx5x xx7x xx8x xxx5 xxx7 xxx9 xxx10
But I could also play it like this:
0xxx 2xxx 4xxx 5xxx x2xx x4xx x6xx x7xx xx5x xx7x xx8x xx10x xxx7 xxx9 xxx10
Or like this:
0xxx 2xxx 4xxx 5xxx 7xxx x4xx x6xx x7xx xx5 xx7x xx8x xx10x xxx7 xxx9 xxx10

I practice each ascending and descending, but I tend to prefer less fret spread in starting positions when ascending and greater fret spread when descending. Out of those three choices, I'd probably use the first for ascending lines, the last for descending lines, and the middle one for mixing and matching. YMMV.

A word of caution: with the vibrating length changing so much across each string, keeping your right hand in the sweet spot while playing scales like these takes a bit of practice, and playing scales like this will accentuate any intonation issues present in your ukulele. I'm pretty sure a Collings will handle it with aplomb.

When you get them right, they're big and flashy and look harder than they are, and they provide a great escape from the ukulele's usual range restrictions.

Don't ask me about 3 octave scales, though. The harmonics would be frightful!
 
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bacchettadavid said:
What a fantastic thread, Johnson. Thanks for the link!
Click to expand...

You are very welcome. I have another link to other scales too. Majors, minors, blues, movables, etc. (these are for high g, but you seem competent enough to figure out the low g notes)

And for anyone else who is unsure how to make the scale extend to the low g here is a simple way to think about it.
Notes repeat in a scale. So, if you see a note on a scale on the A,E or C strings. You can play that note on the low g string and it will work in the scale.
http://liveukulele.com/tabs/scales/
 
Booli said:
there's also this site:

https://ukebuddy.com/ukulele-scales
Click to expand...

Thanks. ukulelehelper.com is very similar and is the one I use. The problem is that it doesn't tell me how to finger the two octave progression. Bacchettadavid's response above does address my question, though I've asked him to follow up with the fingering he uses for his examples.
 
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johnson430 said:
You are very welcome. I have another link to other scales too. Majors, minors, blues, movables, etc. (these are for high g, but you seem competent enough to figure out the low g notes)

And for anyone else who is unsure how to make the scale extend to the low g here is a simple way to think about it.
Notes repeat in a scale. So, if you see a note on a scale on the A,E or C strings. You can play that note on the low g string and it will work in the scale.
http://liveukulele.com/tabs/scales/
Click to expand...

That's hyppyguy's site. Lots of good stuff there. Excellent resource.
 
As far as fingerings go...YYMV. I know many guitarists ignore recommended fingerings and prefer to find their own.

When ascending, I try to use my first finger for the starting position of each string then follow up with the other fingers. This is not always possible or the best choice. With the other fingers, I try to use one finger per fret space to minimize hand spread and tension, but this isn't always possible either. My middle finger and pinky can both span 2 fret spaces with ease, so I try to place 2 fret jumps on these two fingers instead of on my less flexible ring finger. Here are my fingerings for the first example (an ascending 2-octave scale):

0----1----2---4-----1----3---4-----2----3---4----4-----1----2---3-----4
0xxx 2xxx 4xxx 5xxx x2xx x4xx x6xx xx3x xx5x xx7x xx8x xxx5 xxx7 xxx9 xxx10

Notice that I have to make exceptions to my "rules" twice. The first time is when I go from the 1st finger on the C string to the 3rd finger on the C string. This is because it allows me to keep my second finger over the third fret (starting position for that string was the second fret), which makes the switch to the E string more fluid. I also do a 1-fret jump with my pinky on the E string the jump is short and my pinky can pivot without changing the position of my first finger.

For descending lines, my fingering priorities change a little bit. The general principles still apply, except backwards since my fingers are actuated in reverse order.

Here are the fingerings for my third example (a descending 2-octave scale):

----4----3----1---4----3----2---1---3----2----1---4---3----2---1----0
xxx10 xxx9 xxx7 xx10x xx8x xx7x xx5x x7xx x6xx x4xx 7xxx 5xxx 4xxx 2xxx 0xxx

There are several variations on those fingerings and scale shapes that are equally functional. For example, in the second fingering example, you could streamline the E string fingerings as 421 if you played the A at the 9th fret on the C string. This would make the C string fingering 4321 instead of 421. Either option works well.

These become easier with practice. Experiment with some major and minor scales of your own. Once you're comfortable with those, expand into the wider intervallic gaps of the blues and pentatonic scales.

Keep in mind: 2-octave scales appear to be easier on the guitar (if you play that), and the musical usefulness of 2-octave scales is limited. Much of my repertoire on other instruments has been jazz and classical or art song ballads, many of which have room for (or require) a wide-ranging solo. Beyond that repertoire (and maybe the occasional bluegrass or rock solo), I'm not certain there is a strong place for 2-octave scalar passage work.
 
Last edited:
bacchettadavid said:
As far as fingerings go...YYMV. I know many guitarists ignore recommended fingerings and prefer to find their own.

When ascending, I try to use my first finger for the starting position of each string then follow up with the other fingers. This is not always possible or the best choice. With the other fingers, I try to use one finger per fret space to minimize hand spread and tension, but this isn't always possible either. My middle finger and pinky can both span 2 fret spaces with ease, so I try to place 2 fret jumps on these two fingers instead of on my less flexible ring finger. Here are my fingerings for the first example (an ascending 2-octave scale):

0----1----2---4-----1----3---4-----2----3---4----4-----1----2---3-----4
0xxx 2xxx 4xxx 5xxx x2xx x4xx x6xx xx3x xx5x xx7x xx8x xxx5 xxx7 xxx9 xxx10

Notice that I have to make exceptions to my "rules" twice. The first time is when I go from the 1st finger on the C string to the 3rd finger on the C string. This is because it allows me to keep my second finger over the third fret (starting position for that string was the second fret), which makes the switch to the E string more fluid. I also do a 1-fret jump with my pinky on the E string the jump is short and my pinky can pivot without changing the position of my first finger.

For descending lines, my fingering priorities change a little bit. The general principles still apply, except backwards since my fingers are actuated in reverse order.

Here are the fingerings for my third example (a descending 2-octave scale):

----4----3----1---4----3----2---1---3----2----1---4---3----2---1----0
xxx10 xxx9 xxx7 xx10x xx8x xx7x xx5x x7xx x6xx x4xx 7xxx 5xxx 4xxx 2xxx 0xxx

There are several variations on those fingerings and scale shapes that are equally functional. For example, in the second fingering example, you could streamline the E string fingerings as 421 if you played the A at the 9th fret on the C string. This would make the C string fingering 4321 instead of 421. Either option works well.

These become easier with practice. Experiment with some major and minor scales of your own. Once you're comfortable with those, expand into the wider intervallic gaps of the blues and pentatonic scales.

Keep in mind: 2-octave scales appear to be easier on the guitar (if you play that), and the musical usefulness of 2-octave scales is limited. Much of my repertoire on other instruments has been jazz and classical or art song ballads, many of which have room for (or require) a wide-ranging solo. Beyond that repertoire (and maybe the occasional bluegrass or rock solo), I'm not certain there is a strong place for 2-octave scalar passage work.
Click to expand...

Thank you. You've given me a lot to think about.

I built an Excel model that helps me to experiment with various finger placements. Below is the fingering you provided for the first example. Red are root notes and yellow are notes in the scale.

G Major v2.jpg
 

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You're very welcome. I'm still streamlining this stuff myself.

As I improve, I find myself preferring similar scalar movements for both ascending and descending scales unless I'm playing chord-melody solos, but that certainly wasn't true when I was starting out, so I gave you some descending versions as well. You'll need both in time anyways when you want to combine them with chord shapes.

I would say do a few in Excel to figure the basics out, then figure out the rest uke in hand. There's no substitute for woodshedding when it comes to stuff like this; practice will hone the fingerings you use and lead to habitual reliance on the same patterns, wasting time spent in Excel coming up with unused patterns.
 
Bill1 said:
You have the opportunity to train five picking fingers, all of the fingers in your strumming hand. Don't waste the opportunity. But perhaps your little finger will only be needed in emergencies.
Training variations:
four vertical strings = one string for each finger, adding in the little finger enough to keep it awake.
four horizontal frets = one fret for each finger, adding in the little finger enough to keep it awake
four (or five) notes in a run in a scale = one note for each finger
four (or five notes) in a scale, but thirds or fifths = one note for each finger
anchor the index finger and use the others to play the scale.
all notes in a scale, a single line melody is an arrangement of notes in a scale = play the tune using all fingers sequentially, ignore how it sounds for the exercise
horizontal scale along one string
vertical scale over several strings

You are mostly going to use 4 fingers to pick the notes. That gives 16 combinations. Spend some excel time writing out the 16 combinations, then back to the fretboard and work through them. I think there are going to be one or two that are not physically possible.

The above are mechanical exercises like a runner doing weight training.

Now look at the scale musically. The first mode or major scale is the Ionian mode. The third is Phrygian, the fifth is Myxolodian, the seventh is Locrian. These are the notes that can used to make chords in the scale. Learn to pick these modes. Arpeggiate the first, third, fifth and seventh modes in sequence to arpeggiate the diatonic chord sequence. Pick a (simple to start with) tune, and use the melody as the first mode and arpeggiate in the 3rd, 5th and 7th for each note.
Look at other musical things of interest and move them into your picking activities, using all available fingers in various patterns.
When you want a break from playing and want to use excel, use ABC notation to do some composition, so instead of producing another fretboard map, create some melodies which make your fingers go to all the notes in the scales on the fretboard, and which can be made to sound pleasing. Add a lyric if it pops into your brain. If you can assign an audible note to a letter in excel, you might get it play back the tune. So you are not just using excel for mechanical stuff, you add some value and get it to help think about and create music.
Click to expand...

Thanks! That will keep me busy for the next few months ;)
 
Bill1, thanks for turning this into an actual workout! I was already practicing the scales in different intervals and modes and building improvised melodies with them, but I just ran through some of the right hand picking exercises you recommended and learned that my right hand balance could use quite a bit of work.
 
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