Memorising the fretboard

[ZMaggie]

Hi!

Anyone got some tips for memorising the whole fretboard soon as possible?

:rolleyes:

[ren]

2 options I've used. No idea how much time you've got.

The first is to make cards with the fret number on one side, and the notes of that fret on each string on the other side... then learn a fret at a time. After a few days of repetition you'll have them all.

The second is to learn all the notes on the 5th (A) & 6th (E) strings, and then use the octaves to find the notes on the other strings. 2 strings higher and 2 frets higher, it's the same note but an octave up... remember you need to compensate for the tuning of the G string though, so you'd go up 3 frets.

EG:

12th fret of the high E string = E
9th fret of the G string = E
7th fret of the A string = E

or

12th fret of the B string = B
9th fret of the D string = B
7th fret of the low E string = B

You probably only need to learn 50% - learn the whole notes, and the sharps/flats fall into place anyway... My only other advice is that if this is for a test, probably only a very small number of the marks are given for this knowledge, so you may be better using your time elsewhere - play percentages.

Good Luck.... :)

**EDIT**

Forgot about the fretboard warrior game - download here (http://www.francoisbrisson.com/fretboardwarrior/fretboardwarrior.html) - some of the guys I've taught found it useful...

[strat-man]

Like ren said :)

I'm using the octave method myself, that way i learn all the A's in one go, all the B's in one go, ya get the picture.

[R. Shackleferd]

Yep, I used that second method of learning the E and A strings 1st (expanding and linking the fret markers as guideposts), and I especially agree about not concentrating on the sharps/flats.

As far as learning quickly, I'd guess after some proficiency has been gained to drill with cards or that trainer linked above. I'm guessing it's really similar, but there's this online trainer too. (http://www.musictheory.net/trainers/html/id81_en.html)
And the website that was helpful with theory for me, has this lesson which pretty much covers what we said, but has some other good tips too: zentao.com (http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/notes.html)

[Bar Chord Nick]

I was taught to use the octave tool as mentioned above. I still struggle with it and go by ear for the most part because I have to stop and think to figure out each note.

[ZMaggie]

Thanks for all your help everyone.

I actually have a basic idea of chords.

But have not picked up my guitar for a few years.

Until last week hearing nice folk and guitar music from myspace and a jazz singer on Oprah...mmm inspiring!

I shall try the flash cards tip.

I'm thinking of contact paper stickers to start with.

I hope it comes off the wood.
:)

[wahwah666]

I teach it like a maths thing; four main numbers to remember...12, 7, 5 and 2. Then learn the 12 notes on the bottom E string and for now, do away with either the flats or the sharps; it's hard enough learning one than trying to remember two!

So therefore the notes from open to 12th fret are:

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

(13 notes here because we repeated the E)

Make the very early distinction regarding the E-F and B-C that there's no sharp (or flat) between these notes. If you look at a piano you'll see that there are no black notes between them. Come up with a short sentence like 'Every Friday Buy Coke' or whatever to get that EFBC thing in your head.

Then look at the 5th fret on the E...you tune the A string to this right? That's because it too is an A. So you've made the discovery that you are only maybe 5 frets away from the same note on the next string down. This is where the number 5 is important. The 6th fret on the bottom E is A#...so is the 1st fret on the A string...there's your 5 note gap.

So you can start from the bottom E and when you get to the A on the 5th fret, start to count from the 1st fret on the A. If you count up 7 frets, you'll again come to an E...because 12 in a row is the same as 5 and 7 ain't it?!

Now do the same on the A string...5th fret is a D. You know this because you tune the D string to get the same note. Start on the 1st fret of this string and the 2nd fret is E...because 5 + 5 + 2 also = 12!!! Now you're starting to see all the E's. So open 6th string, 12 fret 6th string, 7th fret A string, 2nd fret D string...see how it's going?

As mentioned before you can also do the two strings across and two frets up but make sure you add another note and go up 3 frets when you're going THRU the B string...not just when you are ON it...you've lost a fret because of the tuning and as soon as you go thru the B you have to add that note. Very soon you'll look at the neck and see that it really is only 12's, 7's, 5's, and 2's (with the odd 3 thrown in because of the tuning). Then it ain't so scary.

Fretboard Warrior is great also to get this in your head. If you don't know the note, go down two and across two (or three when over B) until you see a note that is familiar. Also look at the coralation between the open, 5th 7th and 12th fret. They are obviously both the same (EADGBE) on the open and 12th because that's the natural octave. BUT look at the 5th fret and you get ADGBEA (4th fret on the 3rd for the B) and the 7th fret is BEADGB (8th fret on the B for the D) and you see that all the note names are the same just starting further along. Of course because of the bloody tuning of the B, you have to remember to move accordingly but, on the whole 5 out of the 6 strings are easy enough to remember and you will eventually get used to it.

I know it was long-winded but take a bit of time and you'll see it makes sense! Also www.fretboardwarrior.com for naming note games! ;)

[Weslaba]

that fretboard warrior game is a big help. Now whenever I'm fooling around on the computer, I can memorize the fretboard instead of watching junk on youtube for hours! :)

[magicninja]

I learned by drawing out the fretboard and filling in the notes(and enharmonics) of each fret. I did it often and before long I didn't need to do it anymore. You might be able to find some blank fretboard diagrams and just print them out.

[txladykat]

learning the five root shapes that repeat over and over worked for me.

Using any scale:

Pattern 1: roots on the 2nd & 5th strings, 2 frets apart
Pattern 2: roots on the 5th & 3rd strings, 2 frets apart
Pattern 3: roots on the 3rd, 1st & 6th strings, 3 frets apart
Pattern 4: roots on the 1st, 6th & 4th strings, 2 frets apart
Pattern 5: roots on the 4th & 2nd strings, 3 frets apart

Try it, you will see all patterns connect to each other and repeat up and down the fretboard.

[Ian Hand]

learning the five root shapes that repeat over and over worked for me.

Using any scale:

Pattern 1: roots on the 2nd & 5th strings, 2 frets apart
Pattern 2: roots on the 5th & 3rd strings, 2 frets apart
Pattern 3: roots on the 3rd, 1st & 6th strings, 3 frets apart
Pattern 4: roots on the 1st, 6th & 4th strings, 2 frets apart
Pattern 5: roots on the 4th & 2nd strings, 3 frets apart

Try it, you will see all patterns connect to each other and repeat up and down the fretboard.

I think this is a very good way to see octaves, however I find them easier to remember as open chord shapes:

Octaves "E-shape"(root note on the 6th string)

|-1-|---|---|
|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|
|---|---|-1-|
|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|---|

Octaves "D-shape" (root note on the 4th string)

|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|-1-|
|---|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|

Octaves "C-shape" (root note on the 5th string)

|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|---|
|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|
|---|---|-1-|
|---|---|---|

Octaves "A-shape" (root note on the 5th string)

|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|
|---|---|-1-|
|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|---|
|---|---|---|

Octaves "G-shape" (root note on the 6th string)

|---|---|---|-1-|
|---|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|-1-|

these shapes then connect together : That is the "E-shape" connects with the "D-shape", which is connected to the "C-shape", which is connected to the "A-shape", which is connected to the "G-shape" which is connected to the "E-shape", etc. which looks like this:

|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|1|
|-|-|-|-|-|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|1|-|-|-|
|-|-|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|1|-|-|-|-|-|
|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|1|

[Lee Carlson]

I learned by cutting it half. Everything above 12th fret is the same as open to 11th fret. Then I memorized the physical/visual interval shapes ie; octaves, 5ths etc.

[hunter60]

learning the five root shapes that repeat over and over worked for me.

Using any scale:

Pattern 1: roots on the 2nd & 5th strings, 2 frets apart
Pattern 2: roots on the 5th & 3rd strings, 2 frets apart
Pattern 3: roots on the 3rd, 1st & 6th strings, 3 frets apart
Pattern 4: roots on the 1st, 6th & 4th strings, 2 frets apart
Pattern 5: roots on the 4th & 2nd strings, 3 frets apart

Try it, you will see all patterns connect to each other and repeat up and down the fretboard.

I must be a complete idiot. I have no idea what you folks are talking about here. I wish I did. I am sure it would help me learn. :o

[Ian Hand]

I must be a complete idiot. I have no idea what you folks are talking about here. I wish I did. I am sure it would help me learn. :o

What part of the discussion is confusing you?

Is it the concept of Octaves in general or is it how to find them on the fretboard?

[hunter60]

What part of the discussion is confusing you?

Is it the concept of Octaves in general or is it how to find them on the fretboard?


Both. He says, head hanging in shame. :(

[ren]

Both. He says, head hanging in shame. :(

Think about a C Major scale:

C D E F G A B C - the C you've gone up to is 1 octave higher than the one you started on. Check wikipedia here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octave) for the technical stuff if you're interested.

The rest of the discussion is how to use the structure of the fretboard to find notes. E.G. Fret 5 of the E string is an 'A'. Go two strings up, and two frets up, and fret 7 of the D sting is also an 'A'.... then taking the G string tuning into account it's 3 frets up next, so fret 10 of the G string is also an 'A'. There are multiple ways to find the octaves as Ian has shown previously...

[ZMaggie]

Thanks for this tip. (Thanks also for the warrior tip. Its a great software.)

I just labelled my whole guitar side and top with notes on a staff line. I used double-sided sticky tape under A4 paper.

When I'm practising, I can check the letters easily
without tilting my guitar.

The problem was I didn't know which 'A' or B' it
was at each fret and got confused.

So far memorising the notes is cleared-up.

Because its right in front of me! :p

I think filling the blanks will also do the trick for me.

Muchas gracias. :)

[txladykat]

I must be a complete idiot. I have no idea what you folks are talking about here. I wish I did. I am sure it would help me learn. :o
It is kind of hard to picture it by typing it, I will see if I can find a way to post a picture of the patterns, that will definately help!

[txladykat]

ok, hopefully the picture shows up:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/txladykat/CPatterns.gif

Now looking at the fretboard we have located all the C notes by following the patterns described above. This pattern repeats up and down the fretboard for every note. Take a pen and draw a circle around the patterns as described. By learning the patterns you can quickly jump from any note.

Pattern 1: 2 and 5 string, two frets apart (i remember it as 25-2)
Pattern 2: 5 and 3 string, two frets apart (i remember it as 53-2)
Pattern 3: 3, 1 and 6 strings, three frets apart (316-3)
Pattern 4: 1, 6 and 4 strings, two frets apart (164-2)
Pattern 5: 4 and 6 string, three frets apart (46-3)

Notice how the ending note/string of the previous pattern begins the second pattern? i.e. Pattern 1 ends on 5th string/3rd fret and Pattern 2 begins there, n the 5th string/3rd fret. That is one complete octave, from C to C.

Circle the patterns as I have listed them above, and you will see what I mean. It is a visual. You have to see it to understand what I am talking about.

[ZMaggie]

Heres what I did to my guitar to make my life a whole lot easier. :p
Hope this helps.

Leaving out the sharps and flats clears the view too. :)

I also realised my bridge was too high,
ripped it off
filed the neck down
reglued.

Perfect to play for the first time

No wonder it was hard to press the strings down for years.