Could someone please explain......


dburch
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dburch
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05/26/2009 4:59 am
Hi,

could someone please explain how the notes on the fret board work? Is there some sort of sense to the way they are laid out? I can see that the notes seem to start at zero fret and work down from there, then the same on the next string, but it just isnt clicking for me. Is there a common sense reason for the way they are laid out?

Thanks in advance.

Dan
# 1
hunter1801
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hunter1801
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05/26/2009 5:12 am
Are you talking about actual notes like A B C D....or tabs, like 0 1 2 3
# 2
ChristopherSchlegel
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ChristopherSchlegel
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05/26/2009 2:21 pm
Originally Posted by: dburchcould someone please explain how the notes on the fret board work?

One of the most confusing things about the guitar is that you can play the same note in more than one place.

All of this is thoroughly explained in Chapter 4 of the Guitar Fundamentals 1 Course. Start here for a complete overview from the beginning:

Guitar Fundamentals 1
http://www.guitartricks.com/course.php?input=1

Guitar Fundamentals 2
http://www.guitartricks.com/course.php?input=2

Welcome to the site. Happy learning and playing.
Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor

Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 3
dburch
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dburch
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05/26/2009 7:37 pm
Thank you for pointing this out. I am currently enjoying guitar fundamentals part 1 chapter 3. So, all I really have to do is be patient and go on to the next chapter. :-)

PS. the course is very well laid out. I cant stop watching. My son is even getting into it.

Thanks much Christopher.
# 4
ChristopherSchlegel
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ChristopherSchlegel
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05/26/2009 9:08 pm
Originally Posted by: dburchI am currently enjoying guitar fundamentals part 1 chapter 3. So, all I really have to do is be patient and go on to the next chapter. :-)

LOL! Exactly. :)

I can appreciate your impatience. Learning guitar is fun! Further, it was certainly a valid request. Knowing note location is crucial.

Thanks for the positive feedback. Enjoy the lessons with your son.
Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor

Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 5
KFS1972
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KFS1972
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05/27/2009 2:28 am
I hope I am not stepping outside my bounds with this but:

This is a screen shot of an excel file that I put together in an effort to help me get a grip on the fretboard layout. I feel like the colors help alot. There may be a similar graphic in one of the lessons but I don't remember seeing it.

I put a little cheat-sheet for chord building on there too. You can download with confidence - you will love it or you get your money back. :-)
# 6
dburch
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dburch
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05/27/2009 3:49 am
Originally Posted by: KFS1972I hope I am not stepping outside my bounds with this but:

You can download with confidence - you will love it or you get your money back. :-)


This is fine as far as I'm concerned. Although I dont understand what you mean by "you will love it or you get your money back. :-)". Is there a link that I need to download and pay for it?
# 7
KFS1972
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KFS1972
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05/27/2009 4:02 am
Originally Posted by: dburchThis is fine as far as I'm concerned. Although I dont understand what you mean by "you will love it or you get your money back. :-)". Is there a link that I need to download and pay for it?


That was just a joke. Apparently not a good one.
# 8
Mick J
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Mick J
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05/27/2009 9:33 pm
I understood that it was a joke but it then became a lot funnier : - D

I started playing WITH a guitar about 600 years ago and just came through it with the basics. Then, recently, my son got into it and it re-kindled my interest. I took up lessons with a tutor and to be honest I felt as if I wasnā€™t getting too much out of the lessons.
I signed up on this site about a month ago and have spent hours sifting through the mass of information available here. I believe that if you can apply yourself, this is the place to teach you anything you want to know. I have just had a real ā€œsmack me in the faceā€ moment with the CAGED system, something that I always failed to fully comprehend. All of a sudden the fretboard has opened up for me and the patterns all make sense. I never realised that you could start with any open chord and move up the fretboard following a simple formula and pick out the notes all the way up in a logical pattern. I think if you get to grips with that it will teach you all the positions of all the notes on the fretboard quicker than anything.
Iā€™m going to move on to the inversions next because it seems that will further increase familiarity with the notes on the neck.

Iā€™m loving the guitar at the moment but still hating those bleddy scale drills!
# 9
dburch
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dburch
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05/28/2009 7:58 pm
Originally Posted by: KFS1972That was just a joke. Apparently not a good one.



Well, I downloaded it anyway. Looks pretty handy. Thanks.
# 10
Dazoo
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Dazoo
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05/28/2009 10:49 pm
Very nice KFS! Handy to have around even nicer laminated for quick and spill proof access! Thanks!

Cheers,

Andy
It's better to regret something that you have done than something you haven't.
# 11
KFS1972
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KFS1972
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05/29/2009 2:15 am
Since you guys like it, here is a 24fret version in MS-excel. It makes a pretty wide document for printing and screen capturing.

I think the act of creating it was as beneficial to me as having it. This is the result of me being in front of a computer all day at work,,,, some days are slow.
# 12
JeffS65
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JeffS65
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05/29/2009 2:29 am
Originally Posted by: dburchHi,

could someone please explain how the notes on the fret board work? Is there some sort of sense to the way they are laid out? I can see that the notes seem to start at zero fret and work down from there, then the same on the next string, but it just isnt clicking for me. Is there a common sense reason for the way they are laid out?

Thanks in advance.

Dan


If you don't try to over think it, it comes more naturally. Learn the chords, learn the notes on each string.

If there is any one thing you would want to know is this:

These are the order of notes on the fretboard:
A > A sharp > B > C > C sharp > D > D sharp > E > F > F sharp > G > G sharp

Remember that this is the order that the notes go in on all strings.

So, each string on the fretboard represents a key/pitch/note. So the biggest string (the '6' string) in standard guitar tuning is tuned to the key of 'E' or otherwise known as the 'Low E'.

So, that starting point for what note your hitting with the 'open' (untouched) Low E string is 'E'. Your note order goes up from there as follows:

E > F > F sharp > G > G sharp > A > A sharp > B > C > C sharp > D > D sharp

This brings you to the twelfth fret. This is the octive. At the twelfth fret, you start that 'E, F, F sharp' all over again.

You follow the same process with the '5th string' but that one is tuned to 'A' so it goes as follows:

A > A sharp > B > C > C sharp > D > D sharp > E > F > F sharp > G > G sharp

This same type of pattern follows for all strings as follows. The tuning of each string is:

6=E > 5=A > 4=D > 3=G > 2=B > 1=E

The illustration someone posted was a good visual.

With this layout of the strings, you build your chords. If you know what note is where on each string, being albe to make chords and stuff easier. Don't worry about figuring out if how you hold chords makes some sense, they are just a collection of notes that sounds good together when struck.

As you go through lessons, it will make sense as you go but you want to just know where things are at right now and time with learning will make the other stuff come together.
# 13

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