Do you know the notes on the fretboard?

Artie

Peaveyologist
I don't. Can you place your finger anywhere on the fretboard, and know what note you're touching? I'm thinking that I should probably learn this. I'm wondering if there's a better method than memorization. Never was good at that.
 
Re: Do you know the notes on the fretboard?

kk
play these notes consistently for 24 hours
A-Monday
B-Tuesday
C-Wednesday
D-Thursday
E-Friday
F-Saturday
G-Sunday

thats why god made 7 days in a week
 
Re: Do you know the notes on the fretboard?

I don't. I wish I did. I stopped thinking of scales as shapes and more in terms of notes now. And well... I really wish I knew the notes on the fingerboard more now.
 
Re: Do you know the notes on the fretboard?

I think if you just set out to learn the intervals for the C major scale, ie the natural notes, that will get you 99% of the way there. Then you just need to apply the sharps and flats relative to the natural notes that you know. Learn the 7 natural notes then the remaining 5 notes that require flats/sharps will fall into place.

Just begin playing up and down each string in C, then across the strings you'll get the notes down in no time.

I've been working on this recently. I know the notes very well from the nut to the 5th fret. But, from the 5th to the 10th fret has been kind of nebulus. I started playing across the strings at the 8th fret up to the 11th to the get the finger/note memory working. It's helped me a lot:

E||-F-|---|-G-|---|-A-|---|-B-|-C-|---|-D-|---|-E-|-F-|---|-G-|---|-A-|---|-B-|-C-|---|
B||-C-|---|-D-|---|-E-|-F-|---|-G-|---|-A-|---|-B-|-C-|---|-D-|---|-E-|-F-|---|-G-|---|
G||---|-A-|---|-B-|-C-|---|-D-|---|-E-|-F-|---|-G-|---|-A-|---|-B-|-C-|---|-D-|---|-E-|
D||---|-E-|-F-|---|-G-|---|-A-|---|-B-|-C-|---|-D-|---|-E-|-F-|---|-G-|---|-A-|---|-B-|
A||---|-B-|-C-|---|-D-|---|-E-|-F-|---|-G-|---|-A-|---|-B-|-C-|---|-D-|---|-E-|-F-|---|
E||-F-|---|-G-|---|-A-|---|-B-|-C-|---|-D-|---|-E-|-F-|---|-G-|---|-A-|---|-B-|-C-|---|

Frets
0||-1-|---|-3-|---|-5-|---|-7-|-8-|---|-10-|---|12|-13|---|-15|---|-17|---|-19|---|-21|

The gaps can then be easily filled in with the appropriate b or #.
 
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Re: Do you know the notes on the fretboard?

Thanks GT. That sounds like a simple way to do it.
 
Re: Do you know the notes on the fretboard?

I think if you just set out to learn the intervals for the C majors scale, ie the natural notes, that will get you 99% of the way there. Then you just need to apply the sharps and flats relative to the natural notes that you know. Learn the 7 natural notes then the remaining 5 notes that require flats/sharps will fall into place.

Just begin playing up and down each string in C, then across the strings you'll get the notes down in no time.

+1 and just learn up to the 12th fret. I takes time but it is effective. and when you play, SAY the note name you are playing.

it's very rewarding afterwards!
 
Re: Do you know the notes on the fretboard?

I do for frets 1-12 on my low E and A string (and obviously on the high E too...) i find it very handy, to be honest i just play powerchord punk rock so i don't need to know the lot, as i rarely venture from powerchords with root notes on one of these two strings anyway. I learnt from transfering alot of songs from open chords to powerchords for covers, first i only knew the ones that came up alot in the songs i was playing, but the rest just seemed to fall into place. It does get annoying when jamming with some of my mates who only dabble in guitar, and telling them to play a C powerchord takes them a good few minutes to find one. Knowing all of them would be a big advantage, but im just not that patient!
 
Re: Do you know the notes on the fretboard?

I just started playing again this year. I stopped when I was 25 and now I'm 48! So my fretboard knowledge is zip! My knowledge of theory is the only thing that has me sounding decent. Actually, I sound better than I did before I quit!

I know, from just fooling around with the keyboard, that knowing were the notes are is a great advantage. Scales, arpeggios or otherwise patterns can help, but they are incomplete. When you're playing against a chord progression there is no one scale that you can pick at any time that will have within it all of the possibilities. Having fretboard knowledge allows the player to break patterns and go after possibilities that the scales, modes don't account for. Then the player can return back to the patterns just as easily.
 
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Re: Do you know the notes on the fretboard?

??? It's easy! Unless you suffer from "music dyslexia" I picked it up in a few days and that was 3 years ago.
 
Re: Do you know the notes on the fretboard?

It's not very hard. Just know that there isn't a sharp/flat note between E and F and between B and C.
 
Re: Do you know the notes on the fretboard?

My knowledge of theory is the only thing that has me sounding decent.

I saw your answer on this same subject in another thread right after I posted. Good info in both. I think that using fingerace's idea of saying them, and GT's idea of having a chart to look at is going to help a lot. I already know quite a few just in the last few hours since I first posted this. It shouldn't take long to get it down.

I can't believe I've waited this long to try. :blackeye:
 
Re: Do you know the notes on the fretboard?

You don't need a stinkin' chart! The notes are A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. There are sharps and flats between them, except between B and C and between E and F. No sharps/flats between those. A sharp and B flat are the same note, as are C sharp and D flat, D sharp and E flat, etc. Pretty simple stuff, man.
 
Re: Do you know the notes on the fretboard?

When I say "chart", I mean a simple way to verify instantly that I have called it correctly. I want to be able to touch any fret on the board and name it. The chart just allows me to confirm what I just called out. :)
 
Re: Do you know the notes on the fretboard?

I would memorize it but since my guitars are all in different tunings it makes it kind of worthless for me, at least. Not all that hard to remember anyway except you've got to remember the EF and BC jumps.
 
Re: Do you know the notes on the fretboard?

Sometimes I can't call it out instantly but yeah I pretty much know where I'm at. Also just think about how you associate notes on the fretboard. For instant Low E and High E are the exact same notes. Everyone knows octaves as well. Octaves make it easy to find where you're at.
 
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