Website for Ukulele scales and modes
Follow this link to find a very comprehensive website called that has all the scales you might ever need to know (thanks Ruth). On their front page search for any scale you might want to have, eg C Ionian (major) scale, and it will show the notes all the way up the neck. Be aware that the major scale is sometimes called the Ionian scale.
Nic Neblo: a youtube channel that contains numerous backing tracks
This youtube channel is very handy for finding to find some backing tracks for what you want to play along to.
Audio to Improvise With
Click on the link to download the backing track
Ballad of John & Yoko – audio (solo in D major)
Blue Yodel No. 6 – audio (solo in C blues)
Chocolate Jesus – audio (solo in Dm)
Crescent City Blues – audio (solo in D blues)
Four Strong Winds – audio (solo in C major)
Homecoming Queen – audio (solo in A major)
I’m On Fire – audio (solo in F major)
On Melancholy Hill – audio (solo in D major)
Sea of Heartbreak – audio (solo in G major)
Sonny Moon for Two – audio (solo in D Blues)
Spanish Harlem – audio (solo in C major)
Videos for Improvising
Please use these videos for your practice. But don’t share them with others. They are under copyright restrictions.
Diatonic Songs (stay in one key)
Song for C major pentatonic scale
Play around on your C Pentatonic, take it up the neck if you can, or even use the C major scale.
Play the C pentatonic with a bit more groove.
Song for D major pentatonic scale
A Doo Wop song (that is the chords are I vi, IV, V). Nice for using the D pentatonic.
Blues Songs
Song for C Blues scale
A moderately paced rendition of the blues, use your C blues scale.
In Can’t Buy Me Love the verses are in a 12 bar blues format so you cna use your C blues scale.
Song for D Blues scale
Crescent City Blues is a nice slow Blues song, use the D Blues scale.
In Sonny Moon for Two you can use the D minor scale or the D blues scale. Up to you. Or just practice your melody.
Songs with Secondary Dominants or minor chord substitutions
(week three: not diatonic, not the blues!)
Creep by Radiohead: a song that cycles in G B7 C Cm
Aged and Mellow
All of Me in G: a Jazz song (get the chord chart)
Five foot Two: a Jazz song (you’ll need the chord chart)
My Baby Just Cares for Me (another jazz song)
chord chart is here MyBabyJustCaresForMe
Songs in a Minor Key (week four)
Sway
The verse of Sway is in the key of E minor then the bridge swings around to the relative major (G). Try improvising on E harmonic minor in the verses and G pentatonic in the bridge.
Autumn Leaves
A song in F that changes to the relative minor (Dm) and back again in sections. Use F major and Dm minor scales in the relevant sections.
Dance Me to the End of Love
This Leonard Cohen song is perfect for improvising on E minor, check out the chord chart to see the chords. But be mindful of the D chord in the interlude. It has been borrowed from another key or scale (aeolian minor).
Dance Me to the End of Love James Hill
I Wanna Be Like You
The Verse is in the key of Am so you can improvise on this section on the A harmonic minor scale. The chorus goes to the key of C with some secondary dominants thrown in! More of a challenge for improvising there but give it a go!