A Kafi Raga Ukulele Scale
Ukulele scale — fretboard diagram
A Kafi Raga Scale — Notes and Intervals
The A Kafi Raga scale is a romantic and playful Raga that mirrors the Western Dorian mode. On Ukulele, it contains the notes A, C, C#, D, E, F#, G, G#. It is welcoming and accessible, often used in folk-inspired classical music to express joy and lightheartedness. Commonly used in Indian Classical, Folk, World, Fusion. Notable players include Ali Akbar Khan, Zakir Hussain. Use over m7 chords — identical to Dorian usage. The most 'jazz-friendly' raga for fusion experimentation.
Notes: A, C, C#, D, E, F#, G, G#
Intervals: 1P, 3m, 3M, 4P, 5P, 6M, 7m, 7M
Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 5 6 b7 8
Formula: WH-H-H-W-W-H-H-H
Number of notes: 8
How to Play A Kafi Raga on Ukulele
On ukulele, find A on the open strings or work through the scale within a four-fret span. You may need to shift positions once to cover all 8 notes. Practice each position separately before linking them together.
The A Kafi Raga scale contains 3 sharps (C#, F#, G#). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine
Begin by playing the A Kafi Raga scale ascending and descending at 80 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (A-C#, C-D) to build intervallic familiarity. Spend 5 minutes daily on this pattern before increasing tempo by 10 BPM.
Experiment with simple two-chord vamps rooted on A to let the characteristic intervals of the Kafi Raga scale come through clearly.
Ukulele Tips
The compact fretboard of the ukulele makes the A Kafi Raga scale easy to visualize in a single position. Use this to your advantage by memorizing the scale shape relative to chord shapes you already know.
The A Kafi Raga scale contains 8 notes (A, C, C#, D, E, F#, G, G#). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for A Kafi Raga
The A Kafi Raga scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 8-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.
Explore A Kafi Raga Further
- Harmonize the A Kafi Raga scale — triads & 7th chords
- Browse chord progressions
- A Kafi Raga on Guitar
- A Kafi Raga on Bass
- A Kafi Raga on Piano