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Hi,
I’m 67, and trying to learn the notes on the Fretboard . I’ve tried several approaches, and i can figure them out pretty quickly. It blows my mind how quickly Brian can go, well here’s the note right here.
Please share tips on how to really learn the Fretboard.
If your struggling too, but found something that nis helping, please share it. Surely I’m not the only one who struggles with this.Thanks!
Don -
Hi Donald, when I was trying to learn the notes I found I was doing ok, but there were areas of the fretboard that were blank for me. I had the 6th and 5th strings down well, and then the 1st string, but there were still these areas that escaped my recall.
What helped me the most was learning the octave pattern across the whole fretboard.
For instance, take a G note, 6th string, 3rd fret as a starting point. From there, find all the G notes going up the neck. This forms a pattern that is consistent for EVERY note, just shifted depending on where you start. Working with this pattern for a while really filled in those blank spots for me. I was not only able to name the notes, but also see them in the context of the CAGED chord shapes and associated scales.I tried to lift an image from the internet, but can’t seem to get it into this message.
Just search for “guitar octave pattern” and you’ll find it. -
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Michael,
Got it! Those are all F# s, but the pattern can be moved to sny note, and the pattern stay the same, so finding the motes comes quickly..
On the low E, I use a 2 strings down and 2 frets up.. If your on the 5th fret, low E is A. 2 strings down is the D string, but 2 frets up to the 7th fret is another A. Works on the 5th and 3rd together too. The pattern change when you go to the 4th and 2nd strings. Now yo have to go 3 frets up, so 4th string 5 fret is G. 2 strings to the 2nd string, up 3 frets is also a G.
I will play with the pattern you’ve shared, and see if I can improve on what I know. I too gave a good handle on the E, A and high E strings. So really, it’s just the D,G,and B strings that I struggle with.
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Hi Donald,
As for the B string if you have a handle on the E,A and high E strings just think of the 1, 4. 5 progressions. (CFG, ADE, GCD etc.) They are horizontally across the 6,5 and 2 strings as you do the upside L shape on the 6th and 5th strings down the fretboard . (see attached). You could use the musical alphabet from these anchor points. Another one is on the 7th fret which spells the word BEAD which gives 2 anchor points on the 4th and 3rd string from the 7th fret. Also Brian has a video on this very subject, attached is the link to the video.
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Donald,
A nice mid string anchor is the idea that the 7th fret is the same note, an octave higher, than the open thicker string above. Adjust one fret higher for the B string.
One exercise is to locate notes on a given string by following the Circle of 4ths:
B, E ,A, D, G, C, F, Bb, Eb,Ab,Db, Gb
That prevents you from linking a new note to one you’ve located nearby.
I think that learning major and minor triads and locating the roots within each voicing will also kill two birds with one stone.
John -
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John,
I’ve been working on major and minor triads for several months. Learning the shapes is easy. Trying to remember which strung and finger for the root note and being able to move it to a different note escapes me. When they’re on the 1st, it’s easy. It’s slowly sinking in as I learn the Fretboard better. But, if you don’t know the fretboard and what notes make up a chord, then it’s a more complicated task.I will get there. Thanks for the input!
Don -
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Laurel,
Is that video a EP??? Or a ML??? I’ve searched for it on the AM website and I’m not finding it.
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Hi Donald! I’m 68 I have been doing this for two years and I am doing fairly well on the fret board. Something that helped me a lot was writing down on paper each major scale using the W-W-H-W-W-W-H formula. I worked this out on strings and lately have been doing some scales across the fret board up and down mostly E, A and G for now. I’ve been doing chords in the middle of the fret board with melodies so I’m getting to happy places often.
I inadvertently did exactly what what Michael suggests with octives and playing scales in different octives. -
Thanks Rick! I wrote down several 145 progressions today and plan in practicing them on the BGand D strings. I also didntye bead circle of 4ths on the B today, then practiced the triads where the triad name is in the B string. It seems to be coming together. Tho tommoyis another day and some days i feel a little like Drew Barrymore in 50 first dates LOL
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Hi Donald,
One additional thing to consider is using a phone app. I used Justin Guitar “Guitar Note Trainer” which is free and makes the task a bit more fun. The benefit of this is you don’t need a guitar in your hands and you can fit in fretboard learning whenever you have a few spare minutes. I used to have a five minute train commute and learnt notes rather than stare mindlessly out of a window.I would hasten to add though that this would be in addition to the ideas above not instead of. As I’m sure you already appreciate, knowing the notes is only part of the game. Knowing where they are in relation to scales, chords/triads and the root of the key you’re playing in is arguably the more important part.
Eg should my fingers alight on the 9th fret of the G string, I want to know it’s an E but I also want to know it’s the major 3rd if I’m in C, that it’s part of the CAGED E shape for C and where the nearest C is etc etc.With apps, You could even go further and use an ear training app (say Earpeggio) to learn to hear the intervals.
Cheers
Andy -
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I’m focusing on this now too. Sounds like I’m using your strategy related to triads. I’m focusing on the three inversions on the top three strings and focusing on the root notes. Use the circle of fourths to cycle through every note.
Example: D shaped triad.
C= ring finger on root at 1st fret
F = ring finger on root at 6th fret
Bb = ring finger on 11th fret
Etc.Because it’s the circle of fourths, you can hear what sounds correct pretty easily. I’m focusing on one shape at a time and trying to repeat the exercise in the morning and the evening every day. Takes very little time and I’m definitely getting faster. Will move onto other inversions annd eventually other string sets after maybe two weeks.
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Kevin,
BEAd.. really helped me. I spent about 30 minutes yesterday just on the B string. Today I worked on the G. I already knew the E strings. So I thought why not a 145 progression in one location. I ran through 7 different chord progressions. They all used the same pattern. So then I did it with Triads. I’m getting there. Today more practice on the G string and the triads that use the as the root.
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Donald,
A nice mid string anchor is the idea that the 7th fret is the same note, an octave higher, than the open thicker string above. Adjust one fret higher for the B string.
One exercise is to locate notes on a given string by following the Circle of 4ths:
B, E ,A, D, G, C, F, Bb, Eb,Ab,Db, Gb
That prevents you from linking a new note to one you’ve located nearby.
I think that learning major and minor triads and locating the roots within each voicing will also kill two birds with one stone.
JohnI like this one also, I think its better than just going ABCDEFG etc, the randomness is better IMO.
Jim
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Lots of good advice here so mine is not really needed but I can one tip that may help. The B,G and D strings are the notes you will learn last so what I do sometimes is find a triad that has a root note on that string and just play a few simple different major chord progessions. For instance if you play a D chord the root note is on the B string so play a chord progession using the D shape and you will start to learn the notes on the B string because that will be the root for your chords. This way works best for me because you are putting the notes on a string to use instead of just memorizing a location in your head.
The most important tip though that someone gave me about this is that it’s not a quick overnight thing. Spend a few minutes a day on it and after a lot of time eventually those notes will be second nature. If you try to learn it overnight or in a short period there will be much frustration!
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Cobalt,
Thanks! Good advice! I have been using the D pattern and playing the triads with the root on the B string. It is helping. I believe there are 2 major and 2 minor triads with the root note on the B string. I’ve also been playing with Chord progression. The main jote on the hi E, but the 45 chords are on the B string..
The B steung is starting to click. By playing the chord progressions, it forces me to practice finding the notes in ine area instead of moving up the neck, so that also reenforces the recall of note locations.
Thanks again everyone!
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