Notes on the fretboard

[Cymro#1]

Whilst consider myself to be a fair ish guitar player who'se been playing for longer than I care to divulge, I still find it difficult to remember the notes picked out randomly on the neck. I know that 12 fret = octave so 11th fret on E string would be Eb etc.. but I get confused in other areas of the neck. Does anybody have a way of remembering the notes, or is it , as I fear, a matter of mind over matter and memorising them like the times tables!!

[vcnyls]

I bet you know more than you think. For example, do you know the E shape and A shape bar chords? Because if you do, then on the E and A strings, you know the notes up and down the neck. And if you know them on the low E, then you know them on the high E as well! Now you just need to memorize them on the D, G and B strings. See, I just cut your work in half (hopefully)!

[paulskirocks]

Well, I have the two E strings and the A string memorized... From any point on low E and A strings, two frets up and two strings down is an octave... That's all I really need to know...

[scolfax]

Last month I had a lesson with a really great guitarist, looking for help with my improvisation. It took him almost no time to zero in on my lack of fretboard knowledge.

 

So I spent a week focusing on it, and I'm a million times better at it than I used to be. I play Fretboard Warrior a lot, and can name any note in a second now. I still have a ways to go, but all I'm saying is, I thought it was a lot more difficult than it was to get to this point.

 

I'm sure everyone has their own approach, but what worked for me was focusing on where all of the BC/EF's were. Also writing down the complete fretboard on a blank sheet of paper a lot, sometimes starting with the BC/EF's, GAB's, or D's.

[DaveAronow]

I have taught FIVE different people, complete beginners, some of them children, to memorize the ENTIRE fretboard and evrey note on it in less than an hour.

 

It is easy.

 

Here is how to do it.

 

Either print out a bunch of copies a fret board, or draw a fretboard and make a bunch of copies of that.

 

Take the first picture of the fretboard, and write down all the notes on it that you DO know. Check your work, and then notice and try to memorize the notes just next to the ones you did know. Only memorize a few of them. Dont try for too many, there is plenty of time and the whole excercize will literally take you less than a half hour.

 

Go to a NEW blank drawing and fill in all the notes you can remember. This time, hopefully, you will have added a few more notes to your knowlege.

 

Repeat this process as many times as it takes, each time with a brand new blank picture of a fretboard with no hints on it, until you have memorized the entire fretboard.

 

Seriously. If you do this excercize, and you HAVENT memorized the entire freetboard in less than a half hour, then you probably have an I.Q. of less than 80, and I would recomend wearing a helmet to keep from injuring yourself.

 

This excercize is NOT playing music. It is BORING. Many people NEVER learn the fretboard even after years of playing because they never even try. They just pick up their guitars and play without eever realizing that some of the things that will help them become great players have nothing to do with actually playing, or how ridiculously easy some of those things are. They just concentrate on physically playing. Well, here is one of those stupidly easy excercizes that will take you a half hour investment of your time to learn, and will pay you back, enhancing your playing for a lifetime.

 

This excercize is stupidly easy6, and it works 100% of the time in every case I have seen.

 

Come back in an hour and either post a testimonial of your success, or post a cool picture of your new helmet.

[billybilly]

I chore I went through myself.

Choose a different note every day. Hell, start with A. Pick it on every string starting top to bottom and bottom to top. Do it as your warm up for 5 minutes a day. The next day, do A#. In no time you will know all the notes of the fretboard. It's useful too.

That's how I did it anyway.

[guitarman3001]

been playing for 20+ years and still haven't bothered to memorize the fretboard. Shame on me.

 

I'll try DA's exercise and see how it goes.

[Cymro#1]

Thank you some great tips there. I'll be back tomorrow.... it's 9.15 pm here in uk....so I'll start tomorrow.

[t1r2u3s4t]

http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Fretboard-Workbook-Barrett-Tagliarino/dp/0634049011

[Brewski]

remember chords - and remember them all over the neck - the notes are just parts of the chords.

keep in mind minor, major and the notes are all there.

my favorite is the 13th notes - the hendrix chord!! play that everywhere and life is easy

[schiz]

Just chiming in to thank our OP!

 

I been trying to do this myself.

[warriorpoet]

 

I have taught FIVE different people, complete beginners, some of them children, to memorize the ENTIRE fretboard and evrey note on it in less than an hour. It is easy. Here is how to do it. Either print out a bunch of copies a fret board, or draw a fretboard and make a bunch of copies of that. Take the first picture of the fretboard, and write down all the notes on it that you DO know. Check your work, and then notice and try to memorize the notes just next to the ones you did know. Only memorize a few of them. Dont try for too many, there is plenty of time and the whole excercize will literally take you less than a half hour. Go to a NEW blank drawing and fill in all the notes you can remember. This time, hopefully, you will have added a few more notes to your knowlege. Repeat this process as many times as it takes, each time with a brand new blank picture of a fretboard with no hints on it, until you have memorized the entire fretboard. Seriously. If you do this excercize, and you HAVENT memorized the entire freetboard in less than a half hour, then you probably have an I.Q. of less than 80, and I would recomend wearing a helmet to keep from injuring yourself. This excercize is NOT playing music. It is BORING. Many people NEVER learn the fretboard even after years of playing because they never even try. They just pick up their guitars and play without eever realizing that some of the things that will help them become great players have nothing to do with actually playing, or how ridiculously easy some of those things are. They just concentrate on physically playing. Well, here is one of those stupidly easy excercizes that will take you a half hour investment of your time to learn, and will pay you back, enhancing your playing for a lifetime. This excercize is stupidly easy6, and it works 100% of the time in every case I have seen. Come back in an hour and either post a testimonial of your success, or post a cool picture of your new helmet.

 

Music is NEVER about memorization!!!

 

Next you'll be asking use to memorize key signatures, notes in dorian and alternative chord voicings (4 for each chord + extensions)!!!!

 

If you're truly evil (and given your post above I suspect you are) you might eventually demand counterpuntal exercises.

 

Obviously you are some sort of sadist.