Octaves

I have a question about octaves on the fretboard. So every 12 steps you reach an octave on the same string, but how is it that a string over automatically equals an octave since you can't count that in terms of steps? Or can you?

Originally Posted by: cmaxaI have a question about octaves on the fretboard. So every 12 steps you reach an octave on the same string, but how is it that a string over automatically equals an octave since you can't count that in terms of steps? Or can you?

You can count intervals across strings. I explain this topic in depth in these GF2 tutorials on intervals & scales.

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=362
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=363

Originally Posted by: cmaxabut how is it that a string over automatically equals an octave since you can't count that in terms of steps?

:confused: Not sure what you are trying to say there. One string over is NOT an automatic octave though. That would imply that every string is the same note (E, one string over E octave, one string over another E octave, ect.)

Originally Posted by: CSchlegelYou can count intervals across strings. I explain this topic in depth in these GF2 tutorials on intervals & scales.

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=362
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=363

Thank you very much for the quick reply.

Originally Posted by: CSchlegelYou can count intervals across strings. I explain this topic in depth in these GF2 tutorials on intervals & scales.

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=362
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=363

Hi Christopher,
After watching these videos I now see how poorly phrased my question was. After watching your tutorials on intervals, I have a question just to be sure I'm understanding octaves. If, for example, I was playing a C major scale and I wanted to start with a C note on the Low E string, play all the other notes in between on any other strings I feel like, and then end on a C on the High E string, would the C on the High E string be the octave?

Conversely, if I started on the C on the High E string and worked my way back to the C on the low E string, would this then be my octave?

I do realize that from a realistic perspective it wouldn't make sense to do play the C Major scale like this. This question is just to confirm my understanding of this topic.

I appreciate your assistance with this.

It wouldn't be a direct octave. It would be the octave of the C on the 4th string, 10th fret (It is 2 octaves higher basically). The octave is the FIRST note you come to after 12 half steps.

Originally Posted by: hunter1801It wouldn't be a direct octave. It would be the octave of the C on the 4th string, 10th fret (It is 2 octaves higher basically). The octave is the FIRST note you come to after 12 half steps.

Thank you for the explanation. So are these octaves simply differentiated by their hertz measurement? I guess what I'm struggling with is that we are supposed to count out the intervals when playing on one string, but I'm not seeing how that equates when we move two strings over and then down several frets to find the direct octave. It seems like we're just directed to do that, but I don't understand why quite yet. So would the C on the high E string vibrate twice as fast as the C on the low e string?

Originally Posted by: cmaxaSo are these octaves simply differentiated by their hertz measurement?[/quote]
An octave is an interval consisting of two notes, one of which is double the vibration frequency measured in hertz. However, octaves are also differentiated by where you can find them in order to play them on the instrument.

The lowest C on the guitar 130.81Hz & the next highest C is twice that at 261.63Hz.

Originally Posted by: cmaxa I guess what I'm struggling with is that we are supposed to count out the intervals when playing on one string, but I'm not seeing how that equates when we move two strings over and then down several frets to find the direct octave. It seems like we're just directed to do that, but I don't understand why quite yet.

Because you can often play the same note in more than one place on the guitar, these notes can be found & played in multiple locations.

So, it is valuable to know that you play the C major scale like this:

E ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
B ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G ||---|-A-|---|-B-|-C-|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D ||---|-E-|-F-|---|-G-|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A ||---|---|-C-|---|-D-|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
E ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Or you can play the exact same notes but some of them in a slightly different location.

E ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
B ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G ||---|---|---|-B-|-C-|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D ||---|---|-F-|---|-G-|---|-A-|---|---|---|---|---|
A ||---|---|-C-|---|-D-|---|-E-|---|---|---|---|---|
E ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

[QUOTE=cmaxa]So would the C on the high E string vibrate twice as fast as the C on the low e string?

You've got the right idea, but not quite the right application. As you correctly note, you can play the low C on the guitar in two different places.

E ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
B ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A ||---|---|-C-|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
E ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|-C-|---|---|---|---|

Therefore if you play the C major scale starting on the low E string 8th fret, you could play the C major like this:

E ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
B ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D ||---|---|---|---|---|---|-A-|---|-B-|-C-|---|---|
A ||---|---|---|---|---|---|-E-|-F-|---|-G-|---|---|
E ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|-C-|---|-D-|---|---|

Which means the next C (the note an octave higher than your low C) is on the D string 10th fret. If you continue playing the C major scale from that C:

E ||---|---|---|---|---|---|-B-|-C-|---|---|---|---|
B ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|-G-|---|-A-|---|---|
G ||---|---|---|---|---|---|-D-|---|-E-|-F-|---|---|
D ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|-C-|---|---|
A ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
E ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Then you get to the C on the high E string 8th fret, which is two octaves higher than the low C. Make sense? :)

Here are all three Cs with octaves indicated.

E ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|-C2|---|---|---|---|
B ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|-C1|---|---|
A ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
E ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|-C-|---|---|---|---|

Lowest C = C
1 octave higher = C1
2 octaves higher = C2

The end goal of all this info is to be able to know how it is possible to manipulate the guitar in order play notes. Eventually to play music. :) Keep going forward in GF2. This will all make more sense as you get into scales.

Hi Chris,
Thank you so much for the detailed explanation. It all makes much more sense. I will take your advice and keep digging into the tutorials.