Many people play the guitar at different skill levels, but don’t take the time to knows the guitar fretboard well. To really learn to play the guitar, you need to know the notes on each string at each fret well. Many method books lack systematic instruction on this subject. You’ll be a better player if you avoid this common shortcoming.
There are many approaches you can use to learn to play the guitar fretboard. By using the following approach, you will master the knowledge of the notes on each fret and learn to play the guitar better.
LEARN THE MUSICAL ALPHABET
To get to know the fingerboard well, the first thing to keep in mind is that the first seven letters of the English alphabet are the only ones used to name the notes (ABCDEFG). These seven letters form the “musical alphabet”. Notes named with these letters always appear in the same alphabetical order on each string.
In this first step, you won’t be playing anything on the guitar. Even so, to learn to play the guitar, you must prepare yourself to learn the fretboard by reciting the musical alphabet over and over again.
Practice saying these seven letters in order starting with each letter as the first letter: ABCDEFG; BCDEFG IN; CDEFG AB; DEFG abc; GFE ABCD; F.G. A B C D E; and GRAM ABCDEF. Note that you say the alphabet normally until you reach G; then you have to go back to A. Do this until you get really good at it.
Then learn to do it the other way around: AG fed BC; BAGS fed against; against BAGS fed; DC BAGS FAITH; E.D.C. BAGS F; fed against BAGS; and GRAM fed CBA. Note that the words “bag” and “fed” appear frequently when saying the alphabet in reverse order. Taking the time to practice saying these letters forwards and backwards will help you learn the guitar well.
LEARN THE NOTES ABOVE AND BELOW EACH STRING
After you’ve learned how to say the alphabet right forwards and backwards, it’s time to learn the notes up and down each string. To do so, you must learn the silly saying that teaches you the name of the note to every string played open. In order from the sixth string to the first string, learn, “Elephants and donkeys grow big ears. — EADGB E.” Because it’s true and silly, it’s easy to remember!
The next step as you learn to play the guitar is to keep in mind that you always skip a fret when going from one letter to the next on a string, except between B and C or E and F. Think about each string on the guitar. like a long line of cars on a train and that each car of letters always has an empty car between it and the next letter, except between B and C and between E and F. For example, on the sixth string (E), you would play and say the following notes on these frets: E (0); F(1); hop; G(3); hop; AT 5); hop; B(7); C(8); hop; D(10); hop; and E(12).
Check it as you say and play the notes up and down on each string making sure to end on the same note at the twelfth fret and with the string open.
LEARN THE NOTES AT EACH FRET ACROSS THE STRINGS
Once you’re good at pronouncing the notes on any string up and down, learn the notes on each fret to get to know the fretboard even better. Remember, you will only learn to play the guitar fully as you should if you know the fretboard well. To do it, use silly sayings to remember the notes across the strings first at two key frets.
For him fifth chargethe saying is, “Any dog goes crazy eating ants — ADGCE A.” In the tenth freightis, “don’t give fudge and donuts to cats — DGCFA D.” Now, you know the notes on the open frets and on the fifth, tenth, and twelfth frets.
To learn the remaining frets, you’ll need to remember that not all strings will have lettered notes on them at a given fret. Such strings will be annotated with “()” instead of a letter in this article. In order, the rest of the frets can be learned as follows:
About him first freightthe notes are F () () () C F. Learn, “First, the frog catches flies.and think of a frog’s long tongue moving from the sixth string over strings five, four and three to catch a fly on strings two and one.
About him second charge, the notes are () BEA () (). Think of Opie Griffith on the Andy Griffith Show and spelling out her aunt’s name, “Bea,” on strings five, four, and three: “Second, Opie’s Aunt Bea..”
For him third fretthe notes are GCF () D G. Learn,”Three green cows fight silly giraffes.”
Frets four and six are easy because there is only one note on each. A lone “B” is on the third string in the fourth fretso learn, “fourth, B in third.”
In it sixth freight there’s a lone “F” on the second string. Learning, “sixth, F in second.”
About him seventh chargethe notes are BEAD() B.Learn,”Seven bears eat and devour bats.”
Tea eighth charge has the notes CF () () GC. Think,”Eight cool fish grow claws.”
Tea ninth freight has the notes () () BE () (). Learning, “Ninth, be in the middle.”
Tea eleventh freight has no letters in that.
Review these silly sayings often and practice moving up and down each string and fret until you learn to play the guitar as you should with a good understanding of the fretboard.
Copyright Rajesh Gandhi 2011. All rights reserved.
