My speed on the Fretboard game was 6:02


Terranaut
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Terranaut
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11/13/2013 11:24 pm
What's the best way to start getting that out of pathetic land? And please don't tell me to play guitar. I thought I was kinda going that for a few decades--I obviously was using the Jose Feliciano method (if you know what I'm sayin).
# 1
SebastBerg
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SebastBerg
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11/14/2013 12:49 am
Well for my part I just named out loud every single notes on the fretboard (one string per day) for 2 weeks. So you start with lets say the low E and go...Low E fret 1 : F, fret 2 : F# ...and so on and you repeat it once or twice.
It will only take you 2 min and you do that everytime you sit down with your guitar, before starting to play.
Then for another week or 2 I named the notes at every fret going up the strings...Fret 1 high E string: F, Fret 1 B string: C...and so on. Again, this seems like hard work but whats 2 to 5 min of work for a life time of "easier playing". It's important to name them out loud...it really makes a difference.
This technique paid of for me. I can do the fretboard game under 50 seconds every single time and I'm no rocket scientist...so it will work for you too :)
# 2
Terranaut
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Terranaut
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11/14/2013 1:30 am
Originally Posted by: SebastBergWell for my part I just named out loud every single notes on the fretboard (one string per day) for 2 weeks. So you start with lets say the low E and go...Low E fret 1 : F, fret 2 : F# ...and so on and you repeat it once or twice.
It will only take you 2 min and you do that everytime you sit down with your guitar, before starting to play.
Then for another week or 2 I named the notes at every fret going up the strings...Fret 1 high E string: F, Fret 1 B string: C...and so on. Again, this seems like hard work but whats 2 to 5 min of work for a life time of "easier playing". It's important to name them out loud...it really makes a difference.
This technique paid of for me. I can do the fretboard game under 50 seconds every single time and I'm no rocket scientist...so it will work for you too :)


So you lust look at a string and a fret and know it without the process of keying off other elements and quickly deducing what it is? Or do you think that you do that subconsciously but now just enough as to seem like you're not doing it? Because that IS exactly what I am doing. I would expect to get better at it but not anywhere near competitive. Do you think your routines are what other guitarists do, or you just know what worked for you and don't know what they did? Sorry if this sounds like an interrogation *smile*. If I'm gonna pick a willing brain, I I like to come away with as much as I can before I make a nuisance of myself. Time's a wasting--I look young for my age but there were still 48 stars on the US flag when I was born and father time is chasing me. I have a knack for rhythm and picking up chords and appearing to be a competent rythm guitarist in popular music (not esoteric or of the beaten track) but before I croak I'm determined to find some bridge to purposeful playing where I actually have some confidence that my riff or transition between chords is going to yield a sound that turns me even more on that I get. I just love music but have had stumbling blocks--rhythm not being one of them because I played bass by ear but a lot of people thought I had talent but me.
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SebastBerg
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SebastBerg
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11/14/2013 1:56 am
My practice routine I picked it up somewhere but I can't remember where. I think it's actually a common exercise in the "music world". Ya I look at a fret and string and know exactly what note it is without keying off the surroundings (but thats what I used to do before I did those exersices ;)).
Although sometimes it will happen that I go: whoops whats that one already ?and look at the surroundings and go : Oh ya ! But it's happening less and less.

You get to know that 3rd sting 8th fret is a D# the same way you look out the window and know that this is a tree and this is the mailbox and this is a dog because you learned it at some point in your life.

The next step after that (the one I'm working on right now) is to be able to do the same thing but without looking...by ear. You play a note/chord, or have someone play it, and name it. That's such a great tool to have for improvising/jamming with others. But that's a bit more work then a month of practice...for me atleast
# 4
Terranaut
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Terranaut
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11/17/2013 11:03 pm
Anyone else have some insight on how to know the notes of the fretboard without the kind of elementary "find a reference and calculate" (which seems to keep me in the multi minute range? I appreciate all tips.
# 5
haghj500
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haghj500
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11/18/2013 1:49 am
When I learned them I started with the top E string found A then played and said it at the same time, so E string 5th fret. The A string is A so just play it and say it. D string 7th fret, play it say it. G string 2nd fret....ect

Then I did the same for the B string, C string... I didn't have a teacher then to tell me a better way. I choose it at the time because I liked the way it has me moving up and down the neck to find them, not just walking up strings.
# 6
Terranaut
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Terranaut
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11/19/2013 2:59 am
Originally Posted by: SebastBergWell for my part I just named out loud every single notes on the fretboard (one string per day) for 2 weeks. So you start with lets say the low E and go...Low E fret 1 : F, fret 2 : F# ...and so on and you repeat it once or twice.
It will only take you 2 min and you do that everytime you sit down with your guitar, before starting to play.
Then for another week or 2 I named the notes at every fret going up the strings...Fret 1 high E string: F, Fret 1 B string: C...and so on. Again, this seems like hard work but whats 2 to 5 min of work for a life time of "easier playing". It's important to name them out loud...it really makes a difference.
This technique paid of for me. I can do the fretboard game under 50 seconds every single time and I'm no rocket scientist...so it will work for you too :)

Hey Sebastberg, I noticed that YOU are the king of speed there. I just re-read your methodology and wonder. You said you memorized a string for two weeks. With me I would tend to probably loose that speed on the first string iif when I moved to the next for two weeks I didn't practice both. Is that what you did or was it each string one at a time for two weeks and once one is done it doesn't fade? Also, what kind of music do you play? (Shred? No offense :) )
# 7
maggior
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maggior
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11/19/2013 4:26 pm
Originally Posted by: SebastBergWell for my part I just named out loud every single notes on the fretboard (one string per day) for 2 weeks. So you start with lets say the low E and go...Low E fret 1 : F, fret 2 : F# ...and so on and you repeat it once or twice.
It will only take you 2 min and you do that everytime you sit down with your guitar, before starting to play.
Then for another week or 2 I named the notes at every fret going up the strings...Fret 1 high E string: F, Fret 1 B string: C...and so on. Again, this seems like hard work but whats 2 to 5 min of work for a life time of "easier playing". It's important to name them out loud...it really makes a difference.
This technique paid of for me. I can do the fretboard game under 50 seconds every single time and I'm no rocket scientist...so it will work for you too :)


Thanks for sharing this. I have struggled over the years to learn to read music. I know the E and A strings well only because of barre chords, though only really up to the 7th fret since I learned on a small acoustic back when I was a kid. I've improved on that by learning up to the 12th fret, after which it all repeats. I can fake my way with the D string knowing you transpose 2 frets up from the E string.

Anyway, I've heard from other musicians over the years that it's important to say out loud what note you are playing. I guess it forces your brain to make the connection between what you are doing physically and what you are seeing on the page when you say it out loud.

Your approach is very systematic...I'm going to try this. Once I know the notes on the fretboard, I can move to reading them from the staff. Half the battle will have been won :-).
# 8
SebastBerg
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SebastBerg
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11/19/2013 6:53 pm
Originally Posted by: TerranautHey Sebastberg, I noticed that YOU are the king of speed there. I just re-read your methodology and wonder. You said you memorized a string for two weeks. With me I would tend to probably loose that speed on the first string iif when I moved to the next for two weeks I didn't practice both. Is that what you did or was it each string one at a time for two weeks and once one is done it doesn't fade? Also, what kind of music do you play? (Shred? No offense :) )


Well actually I did one string per day. The next day I move to the next string. I did that for 2 weeks. At the end of the 2nd week I was getting faster and would do all the strings everytime I sat to play. Then for the next 2 weeks I would do maybe 4 or 5 frets per day (naming all the notes of fret one, then fret 2 etc).
I think this is a great way to recall what was learned the previous weeks and to push it a bit further. Playing here on the fretboard trainer is also a great way to test/push yourself ( it's actually what I do :) ) Although, dont take in account my 30ish scores :p There used to be a bug when it got out. I think they fixed it because it dosnt happen anymore. Before, when you played a lot of rounds in a row, the game would give you always the same 2 notes (kinda easy :)). But my 40ish seconds scores are legit ;)

Actually no, I dont play metal/shred :p . Although I admire those players for there technical prowess, i can't listen to more then 3 songs in a row. Too much adrenaline for my blood hahaha. I play mostly blues/blues rock (sometimes hard rock...but not a lot). The thing is, I like to improvise. It's what I like the most in music. Knowing all the notes really helps to navigate smoothly between patterns, arppegios, licks etc. In the long run it also enables you to drop the patterns a bit and play "more freely". It also helps to cut down on the thinking and leave more space for the feeling. I still have a long way to go to be able to improvise like the greats that I admire, but learning the fretboard was a very big step.
# 9

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