Published:
2018-09-19
Updated:
2026-04-27
Learning Ukulele with Curt
QuickStart Scale and Arpeggio Fingerings for Ukulele, Getting Beyond Shapes
Over the years, people have come up with various fingering systems, patterns, and even gadgets to make learning the ukulele easier. Most systems are shape and pattern based and geared to the beginning student and do not require any knowledge of the ukulele fingerboard beyond what a fret is and the location of strings.
Author(s): Curt Sheller Publisher: Curt Sheller Publications Code: UL6SUF-Beyond-Shapes
Main Category: Fingering Main Instrument: Ukulele
Subjects: Chords
2026-04-27
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Over the years, people have come up with various fingering systems, patterns, and even gadgets to make learning the ukulele easier. Most systems are shape and pattern based and geared to the beginning student and do not require any knowledge of the ukulele fingerboard beyond what a fret is and the location of strings.
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Common Fingering Systems
One thing most fingering systems have in common is that they are shape and pattern- based. A connect the dots approach and does not require any knowledge of the actual names of the notes you are playing. These approaches don't provide any method or way to connect the various shapes. These approaches are fingerings, starting on the same finger each time. And most importantly, by being set fingerings, they produce one sound.
The initial set of basic chords are typically dictated to the beginner or learned from a book as chord shapes using chord grids. They show the fingerboard shape, the fingers to use, and what strings to play. This approach carries over to learning scales. But what are the notes? The notes could have come from Mars as far as most are concerned. This shape-based put finger x here approach also carries over to TAB, showing what string and fret to play.
Beyond a basic set of scales and chords, there are too many shapes to memorize. Knowledge of the fingerboard is needed to progress beyond basic ukulele shapes. The sooner the shapes are linked to their actual notes and the sound they produce, the better. A shape should come after the notes and sound. It is the notes that create the shape, not the other way around.
The ukulele has a unique capability to play the same note on different strings using any one of your fingers, giving tremendous flexibility and headaches at the same time. The duplicate note ability of the ukulele at the extreme provides you multiple choices for a note.