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.