This document discusses using pentatonic scales on the ukulele. It notes that the ukulele has just four strings, making it easy to learn. It explains that pentatonic scales use five tones and sound good, even when played randomly. Common songs that use pentatonic scales are listed. The open strings on the ukulele form a pentatonic scale, so accidentally hitting them usually sounds fine. Finger patterns for the C major and minor pentatonic scales are shown. The document emphasizes learning the finger patterns rather than note names and provides examples of "little dipper" and "big dipper" finger patterns that can be moved to different keys.

1. ukulele
for geeks
secrets of the
pentatonic scales
sxsw 2010
christian crumlish
@mediajunkie

2. ukulele
for geeks
#ukuleleforgeeks
or
#uke4geeks

3. An easy instrument to learn
• Just four strings!
• Punk as hell
• Enthusiasm beats expertise
• Learn a few chords (not from me)
• Learn a few fingering patterns (yay)
• ???
• Profit!!

8. Pentatonic scales for the win
• Pentatonic means five tones
• The black keys on a piano are a
pentatonic scale
• Every combination, even random ones,
sounds good
• Pentatonic scales can be used to
accompany any song

9. Many songs use just 5 notes
• My Girl
• Under the Boardwalk*
• Suicide is Painless
• First There is a Mountain
_________

10. Open strings
• The open strings on a guitar are in a
pentatonic scale (Gmaj / Emin)
• The open strings on a uke are in an
analogous scale (Cmaj / Amin), and are
in many scales being just 4 strings
• Thus “accidentally” hitting open strings
is usually fine
• The uke is basically “in C”

11. C maj pentatonic
• CDE GA
• To make it bluesy add Eb (aka D#)
• C D (Eb) E G A

12. C min pentatonic
• C Eb F G A
• To make it bluesy add Gb (aka F#)
• C Eb F (Gb) G A

13. about that blue note...

14. Forget the note names
• It’s all about the patterns, yo
• Little dippers, all in a row
• That one weird string interval
• Find the root or key and the patterns
“just work”
• Make “big dippers” to go to big-boy
scales

15. Cowboy Scale (C maj)

16. One-string scale (C maj)

17. One-string scales (C maj)

18. One-string scales (C maj)

19. Little Dipper (C maj)

20. Little Dippers (C maj)

22. the “interface”

23. Little Dippers (C maj)

24. Little Blue Dippers (C maj)

25. Cowboy Scale (C min)

26. Blue Cowboy Scale (C min)

27. Little Dipper (C min)

28. Little Blue Dippers (C min)

29. Little Blue Dippers (C min)

30. The Key
• Dippers are movable
• Whatever key a song is in, just find the
relative dippers
• You don’t need to know the key
• Just fiddle around till it “locks in,” then
follow the pattern up and down the
fretboard

31. Big Dippers
• Five notes often not quite enough
• “Under the Boardwalk” is hexatonic
• Many songs are diatonic, etc.
• So learn how to extend the little
dippers into big dippers to make larger
sales

32. Big Dipper (C maj)

33. Big Dippers (C maj)

34. Big Dippers (C maj blues)

38. More on pentatonics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne6tB2KiZuk

39. Here, let me...
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=pentatonic+scales

40. Here, let me...
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=pentatonic+scales

41. also, I’m signing my book tomorrow at 4:20
Christian Crumlish
Yahoo! Design Pattern Library
design.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Application Platform
apps.yahoo.com
@mediajunkie
03/11/10