How did you learn your notes

I have made myself a blank fretboard on microsoft powerpoint showing the 6 strings and 15th frets. I have copied this so I am showing 3 fretboards on an A4 sheet of paper. I then labeled each fretboard with A,B,C and have used a coloured dot to show me clearly where all the notes of A are. I have done this with the other 2 showing B and C

This has helped me a lot when finding A (There are seven A's to remember up to the 12th fret) Once I can comfortably find each note without looking at the sheet I will move onto B etc.

Have you used a different method and would you like to share with a forgetfull fortyish that could use any help possible :)


I don't know how to transfer this to the forum but will happily send it by email to any one who wants copies.

Happy learning everyone

Sounds like you are doing fine. The best way to do it is simply to keep working at memorizing until you know them all.

Have a look at my tutorials on how to better visualize the fretboard here:

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=419
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=462

Originally Posted by: CSchlegelSounds like you are doing fine. The best way to do it is simply to keep working at memorizing until you know them all.

Have a look at my tutorials on how to better visualize the fretboard here:

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=419
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=462

Thanks for that.

I'm still working my way through your fundamentals level 1 though i wont move on until i am happy with my progress.
I prefer to print off the music and write the notes on the top so I have tab, notation and the written note. Maybe this is why it is taking me so long (2 months). For some reason in my head i believe that if I know the notes on the fretboard without having to think about it, then it will make the learning process more easy to take in later on. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Originally Posted by: paddyz1Thanks for that.[/quote]
Welcome, of course. :)
[QUOTE=paddyz1]
I'm still working my way through your fundamentals level 1 though i wont move on until i am happy with my progress.

Excellent! Thanks for staying the course. Literally. :)

Sure, feel free to print off the music and write the notes on it. Whatever it takes is what it takes. Getting through any series of lessons is a going to be a very individual thing by it's nature. Don't worry about how long it takes. Worry about whether or not you are really learning the skills and ideas.

You are right about knowing the notes on the fretboard. When you get to the point of making it a second nature process, then you will be able to play and learn better and faster. I've seen some students that need to separate topics in order to learn them better (i.e., work on note memorization, then stop and work on playing notes, then stop and think about the notes as a scale, etc.). And others learn better by integrating things as soon as possible (i.e. learning the note names and locations, while playing a song and thinking about how they are parts of a scale and therefore a key, etc.).

Learning how you learn best is actually part of the process. It's part of what a good teacher does, too. And this can help you learn a lot about yourself in the process.

A lot of good advice seems really obvious. Like "work through the beginner courses in order and don't move on until you've got each lesson down". Obvious right? Saying it or agreeing with it is one thing. But actually doing it is another thing. No cutting corners, following through 100%, nose to the grindstone, etc.

This is why doing something well is virtuous: it's not automatic, it's not a given, it requires hard work and dedication. You actually have to show up and dig in. :)

As long as you are completely honest with yourself about whether or not you really know the info and have really acquired the skills, then you will be fine.

Playing through music written in standard notation is another good way to force yourself to learn the notes.

Originally Posted by: CSchlegelThis is why doing something well is virtuous: it's not automatic, it's not a given, it requires hard work and dedication. You actually have to show up and dig in. :)

That was a fantastic statement. The best part about it is that while you have to work hard and put in the effort, playing guitar is fun at the same time. Putting in the effort, enjoying it and seeing the transformational progress that occurs is a really cool and rewarding thing.

When I started playing, I was maybe lucky that I felt very natural holding and fretting notes right away but after that hurdle, ya still gotta know what to play and that was tons of practice, playing and listening. I found that while I played notes, understanding a little of how Neal Schon's notes cried, Gilmour's notes soared and SRV's notes bit didn't really make me in to them but helped me to round out the context of what I learned. Well, stuff like that still does. It's what I dig about guitar, there's always somebody or something that makes it interesting and things I can't play that keep me engaged.