The following notation and tablature shows the full range of the guitar in standard tuning. I have a lesson on reading standard notation and tablature if you want more information. This section will show you where each note on the guitar can be played.
These are common terms used to communicate how to shift your hands when playing the guitar. Guitarists can move horizontally up or down the fretboard, or vertically across the fretboard. Sometimes the number 0 or letter O is used to denote an open string, or one that is played without fretting a note.įretting a note is executed by pressing the string down behind a fret (on the headstock side of the fret). Name after G is A: … E-F-G-A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C … Fret Numberingįrets are numbered from the headstock toward the body starting with 1. The note names, or letters, repeat themselves. Notes are named using the first seven letters of the alphabet, however there are more than seven pitches, or notes, produced on the guitar. This tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E) is called standard tuning. The tuning is given from the 6th string to the 1st string: E-A-D-G-B-E. Strings are numbered from the thinnest string (1st string) to the thickest (6th string). In this section, I’m going to give you the information that you need. Ironically, there are seven natural note names (A, B, C, D, E, F, G). Most people can memorize around 7 items in one sitting without too much extra effort. Do not practice too many notes in one session.Do not limit yourself to the 5 th and 6 th Many guitarists learn these two strings and derive the rest of the notes.Instant Recall requires mental and physical recall! Frets 13+ are closer together, so it feels different and they have a higher pitch. Do not try to take shortcuts by only learning frets 1 – 12.It is probably the most boring method and you aren’t associating the sound Do not try to visually memorize the image of the notes atop the fretboard.Here is a list of inefficient or boring ways of learning the fretboard. I recommend practicing the fretboard for 10-20 minute per day until you know it. Your brain transfers your short term memory into long term memory when you sleep. Practice to Rememberĭid you ever cram for an exam and forget what you learned? When you try to cram to learn the fretboard, you will forget it. Later, I will give you exercises that associate what you see, hear, and feel to maximize your efficiency. All these items can be associated with each other to form multi-dimensional exercises. When you play a note, you think of the note you want. The human brain remembers by using associations. This is not only more interesting, it is more effective. On top of that they try to take shortcuts that don’t work! The best way to learn the fretboard is by incorporating multiple ways of remembering the note. Most guitarists find the task boring because they learn it the wrong way. Learning the fretboard is not hard, but it takes practice. Without instant recall, you cannot keep up! How to Learn the Fretboard You need to recall notes in fractions of a second! This is why knowing how to find any note does not work.
Many songs have a tempo of 120bpm, which is 2 seconds per measure. Most guitarists claim to know the fretboard because they can find any note.
It is a mental speed, which allows you to decide, find, and play faster. Instant recall allows you to find and play any note as fast as possible. When you learn the fretboard, you play faster because you can instantly recall a note.
Shredding takes a lot of practice, but it is a different type of speed. Usually, I think of shredders finger tapping their way to insane flurries of notes. Usually, when people talk about speed, they talk about the physical aspects of learning the guitar. You should learn the fretboard for one simple reason. This lesson will tell you why some people teach it the wrong way (inefficiently and boring). Did you know that a 22-fret guitar contains 138 notes? It is a huge task that challenges both beginner and experienced guitarists. Learning the fretboard is a challenge that this lesson will help you tackle efficiently.