Tools
Ukulele Fretboard
Explore our virtual fretboard to see and hear all notes, and keys.
How the ukulele fretboard works
This chart follows tab order: A on top, then E, C, and G. That is string 1 down to string 4. Open notes sit at the nut. Each fret is one semitone higher, so the 12th fret is the same note as the open string, one octave up. In standard tuning those opens are G, C, E, and A.
Tap any note to hear it. The dots at frets 5, 7, 10, and 12 are position markers. If you play low G or baritone, change the tuning above the neck and the letters move with you.
Keys and scales on ukulele
A key is the home note a song keeps coming back to. A major scale is the seven notes that belong to that key. C major is C, D, E, F, G, A, and B — no sharps or flats — which is why it is a friendly first map.
Tap a key above the fretboard to hide every note that is not in that major scale. What remains is the palette for melodies in that key, and for the chords that sit in it. In C, the shapes you already know — C, F, G, and Am — are built from those seven notes.
You do not need every scale type to start. Learn where C, F, and G live on the neck, then use a chord progression in that key. The map is there so the notes stop feeling random.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you read a ukulele fretboard?
Open notes sit at the nut. Each fret is one semitone higher than the last. This chart is tab order: string 1 (A) on top, string 4 (G) at the bottom. In standard tuning the opens are G, C, E, and A.
- How many frets does a ukulele have?
Soprano often has 12 to 15, concert and tenor a few more, and baritone often around 19. The first 12 frets cover every note name once per string. This explorer shows those 12.
- What notes are on a ukulele fretboard?
In standard tuning the open strings are G, C, E, and A. Each fret is the next chromatic note. The 12th fret is the same note as the open string, one octave higher. Switch to low G or baritone above the neck if that is how you tune, and the letters move with you.
- What is a scale on ukulele?
A major scale is the seven notes that belong to a key. C major is C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Tap a key on this page to see only those notes. Melodies and the chords in that key are built from them.
- What is the difference between a key and a scale?
The key is the home note a song keeps returning to. The scale is the set of notes that belong to that key. In C major, C is home and C D E F G A B are the notes. Chords such as C, F, G, and Am live in that key.
- Why is the A string on top of this fretboard?
Tabs and many online charts put string 1 (A) at the top and string 4 (G) at the bottom. Chord diagrams on this site still show GCEA from top to bottom, the way you look at the ukulele in your lap. Same instrument, two views.