How to learn the fretboard

Robert**** · April 30th, 2009, 10:03 PM

A couple of my students are having problems learning the fretboard. I have covered CAGED and other methods and tips, but they seem stuck. I need to figure out how I can get them to have enough patience and discipline to just sit down and work slowly on it until they can figure out how to find the notes on the fretboard.

Most of my students have gotten the idea well about learning shapes on 1 and 2 strings at the time, and then building on that, learning intervals and arpeggios and so on. However, these 2 guys have a hard time progressing.

Any suggestions?

**bigG** · May 1st, 2009, 05:04 AM

Robert, if you can't motivate 'em, I don't know who can! Near as I can tell, they just don't want it bad enough...

Maybe threaten to whack their peepee's w a ruler?

Robert**** · May 4th, 2009, 08:13 PM

I am going to start a memorization practice routine every week with my students until they get it. Let's see if we can learn one note all over the neck per month or per 2 weeks. Then it will take 6 or 12 months to learn all notes everywhere on the neck.

**aeolian** · May 5th, 2009, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by Robert

A couple of my students are having problems learning the fretboard. I have covered CAGED and other methods and tips, but they seem stuck. I need to figure out how I can get them to have enough patience and discipline to just sit down and work slowly on it until they can figure out how to find the notes on the fretboard.

Most of my students have gotten the idea well about learning shapes on 1 and 2 strings at the time, and then building on that, learning intervals and arpeggios and so on. However, these 2 guys have a hard time progressing.

Any suggestions?

Since I'm not much of a player I don't understand what you are asking them to learn. Are you saying you want them to know where a C on the 5th string, or a G on the 4th string are?

Robert**** · May 5th, 2009, 09:40 AM

I want them to learn where every note is, anywhere on the neck.

**aeolian** · May 5th, 2009, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by Robert

I want them to learn where every note is, anywhere on the neck.

I have not memorized that without having to do a bit of counting for some notes. A few things that have helped me are:

The 1st string and the 6th string are the same note 2 octaves apart, so knowing notes on the 1st string is the same as knowing notes on the 6th string.

At the 7th fret the notes on the 6th string through to 3rd string are BEAD. I memorize the word 'bead', and since the 1st and 6th strings are the same I now know 5 out of 6 notes at the 7th fret. The note on the 2nd string happens to be F#, which I have to remember separately. Now I have essentially divided the first 12 frets into 2 halves: from the nut to the 6th fret and from the 7th fret to the 12. So now if I have to figure out the position of a note on any string I don't have do as much counting to find it.

The third thing is to know the octave position relations between strings, e.g. between strings 6th and 4th. Since B is at the 7th fret on the 6th string, I know B (one octave up) is at the 9th fret on the 4th string. That helps too.

I'm not a guitar teacher, but these are things that help me know where notes are. I understand the ultimate is to know where a note is without any counting, but I'm not at that level of memorization.

**sumitomo** · May 5th, 2009, 10:34 AM

I have trouble with this also,and I have tried that fret board wizard,but I cheat on that cause I'll just count from the nut or the 12th fret and to me that's not knowing.So I will be glad to hear all these suggestions also.Sumi

marnold*** · May 5th, 2009, 10:55 AM

How new are these students to guitar? If they are brand new, learning all the notes on the fretboard is going to be an exercise in frustration.

hubberjub*** · May 5th, 2009, 11:57 AM

Didn't someone post a link to an online fretboard test a few months ago? It might have been Mark Wein. I thought that was pretty interesting.

Robert**** · May 5th, 2009, 01:47 PM

Marnold, I am not expecting them to learn this in a week or two. It takes a long time, but by spending a little with this at every lesson, over a number of months, I am convinced they will get it.

**Carlström** · May 6th, 2009, 12:06 AM

well ok i might be abit odd but i havn't learnt all notes as such, but i know them all.

that doesnt make any sense at all right?

yeah thought so, here's how i think:
I know the octave and where all notes are in that. so i always know the next note etc.
I got some "quick" access points on the fretboard that I instantly know the note off (open strings, 5th fret, 12th on all the strings and then it varies from string to string a couple more). So I kinda think of C like "3 away from A" for example.

Sounds like seriously slow way but i know the things instant but this is how i learnt to keep track of them so it's not like i actually think about it anymore but when i was learning i did.

kinda shows that i didn't take lessons but learnt this instrument on my own lol

**Skyblues** · July 12th, 2009, 09:30 AM

When I was learning the notes on the guitar neck, I found this small program invaluable ...

http://www.tonart.com/idg20/

It has a Fretboard Module you can customize that quizzes you on the guitar neck. It has a few other features but the fretboard module is all I ever used it for.

Great forum, by the way.
Jim

tunghaichuan*** · July 12th, 2009, 01:21 PM

This book looks like a winner:

http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Fretboa...7426370&sr=8-1

I've got a copy and plan on working through it as soon as I get some other things under control.

tung

**ZMAN** · July 13th, 2009, 06:37 AM

Thanks Tung I just ordered it from Amazon Canada. I need to know the fret board more intimately, and I think this will help. Good reveiws for sure.

tunghaichuan*** · July 13th, 2009, 06:54 AM

I've had that book for a couple of years now, but have been too lazy to dig in and work with it. It is probably the librarian in me, but I hate to mark in books, even books that are supposed to be marked in.

tung

Originally Posted by ZMAN

Thanks Tung I just ordered it from Amazon Canada. I need to know the fret board more intimately, and I think this will help. Good reveiws for sure.

**sumitomo** · July 13th, 2009, 07:27 AM

All that has been mentioned is great,but putting in the time and payin' your dues is always needed no matter what method you use! Sumi

**ibanezjunkie** · July 13th, 2009, 11:10 AM

i havent even learnt it properly yet..

here goes...low E

E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#.

am i right? its been a while.

**sumitomo** · July 13th, 2009, 12:36 PM

Very good IBjunkie now with your eyes closed.Sumi

**kiteman** · July 13th, 2009, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by sumitomo

Very good IBjunkie now with your eyes closed.Sumi

and your hands tied behind your back.

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