How to Play 5 - Note Blues on the Ukulele
Let’s learn to play the blues!
Blues for the Ukulele
Welcome back, uke stars! 🌟 Have you ever felt like playing the blues? Well today we’re getting into something that sounds way cooler than it is complicated: the 5 note blues.
Grab your ukulele, loosen up those fingers, and let’s learn how to sound like blues legends BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Eric Clapton. It’s simple. It’s soulful. And yeah - it’s super fun.
What are the 5 Note Blues?
First things first: what the heck are ‘5 note blues’?
It’s shorthand for the pentatonic blues scale - a five-note scale (yep, just five!) that’s been used by blues musicians, rockers, jazz cats, and now… you, future uke-blues master. This little scale is the backbone of classic blues riffs and improvisation, and guess what? It sounds AMAZING on a ukulele.
The Magic Five Notes (aka The A Minor Pentatonic)
Let’s start with the A minor pentatonic scale, because it’s one of the easiest and bluesiest to play on your uke. Here's your scale, tabbed out and ready to roll:
A |---------------------------0--3--|
E |---------------------0--3--------|
C |-------------0--2----------------|
G |-------0--2----------------------|
🎵 Notes: A – C – D – E – G
Look at that! Five notes, four strings, and a whole lotta groove.
A Simple Blues Pattern
Have a bit of fun playing along to this blues backing track - it’s a simple pattern that is truly one of those shortcuts you’re always looking for - awesome and easy.
Play your magic five notes in any order and you won’t believe how good you can sound!
The chords that you will hear are A7, D7 and E7.
How to Play it (and Not Sound Like a Robot)
Here’s the trick: don't just run the scale up and down like you're practicing for a theory test. Play it with attitude. Mix up the rhythm. Skip around with the notes, bend a string (gently, we’re still on a uke here), or adding a little vibrato.
👉 Try hammer-ons and pull-offs on those 0–2 and 0–3 spots. That’s blues magic right there.
Jam Time! Easy Blues Riff to Try
Want a cool riff that makes you sound like you’ve been playing on Beale Street?
Try this:
A |------------------0--3--0-------------|
E |-------------0--3--------3--0--------|
C |--------0--2------------------2--0---|
G |--0--2-------------------------------|
Play it slow. Then fast. Then with sunglasses on 😎
Want to Go Deeper? Try the Blues Box!
If you’re ready to improvise, here's a fun shape called the blues box. It’s a group of frets you can noodle around in forever and always sound good. For the A blues scale, try jamming between frets 5 and 8 on the A and E strings.
It looks like this:
A |--5--8--|
E |--5--8--|
No matter what combo you play, (open A and E strings too!) it’ll sound bluesy.
Add the backing track in again, and boom💥you're basically the uke version of B.B. King.
Top Tip:
Bend the strings upwards to get a good blues sound. Try moving your fingers quickly around the fret board with different combinations of notes to stop it from getting too repetitive.
Happy With These Riffs?
Now try playing along to some real cool blues songs from the experts!
‘Walking After Midnight’ by Patsy Cline - a great place to start!
‘32-20 Blues’ by Robert Johnson - with lots of repetition, so good for practising.
‘Stavin’ Chain’ by Lil Johnson - another great bluesy masterpiece!
Enjoy! 😍🎶
… And Finally
Practise for a little while, it sounds better if you speed up and it won’t be long before you can impress your friends with a cool and bluesy solo.
Blues it up, strum it loud, and keep it unanimous.
Until next time, keep your strings happy and your rhythms groovy!
Happy strumming 😊
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