Understanding the Fretboard
Posted on August 2, 2007
Filed Under Fretboard |
Many years ago I was playing with a band at Christian Coffee House in a Northeast Ohio resort town, just a seagull’s swoop from Lake Erie. Late in the evening, a fellow who had been imbibing freely at one of the many local watering holes wandered in. He stared at our bass player for over 45 minutes, mesmerized as Steve’s fingers flew flawlessly up and down the neck of his Fender Precision Bass. When we finished the entranced listener immediate came up to Steve and said, “Man, you know your notes!” He spent the next half hour regaling the rest of the band with slight variations on “Man, that guy really knows his notes!”
That observation is probably one of the best compliments a musician can receive. A significant part of playing the guitar well is “knowing your notes” which means understanding the fretboard. Accomplishing this will take some time and effort but the musical rewards are well worth it. Even as you read this there are several lifetimes of great music waiting to be discovered on your very own fretboard! When first learning to play the guitar the focus should be on basic chord forms and scales. This starting point becomes even more important as you grow in the understanding of the fretboard. Our goal as guitarists is to understand how to use those chord forms and scales anywhere on the neck. In this article we’ll look at two different views of the fretboard and provide a few tips for memorizing the names of the notes. This is a big step toward unlocking the hidden treasures of the fretboard. But first, a little background:
Western music is based on a system of 12 distinct tones. If you begin with an open (unfretted) string on the guitar and play each note, one fret at a time up to the 11th fret, you will have played all 12 tones. This is referred to as a chromatic scale. When talking about the distance between any two notes the correct term to use is interval. The interval (musical distance) from one fret to the next, up or down a string, is a half step. An interval of two frets, up or down a string is a full step. The study of intervals is fascinating and key to understanding chords. After playing all the notes of the chromatic scale the next note, played on the 12th fret, will sound like the starting note. The interval between the open string and the 12th fret is an octave. When the string is fretted at the 12th fret the length of the string by reduced by half. This doubles the frequency (vibrations per second) and produces a tone that sounds like the beginning tone, only higher.
Memorizing the Notes of the Fretboard
First things first: Learn the names of the open strings. The thinnest string, which sounds the highest, is the high E string. The thickest, lowest sounding string is also an E string, logically called the low E string. Strings are also identified by number. The thickest string is called the 6th string and the thinnest string is called the first. Below are the names and numbers of the open strings. This is the first thing to memorize:
String Number: 6 5 4 3 2 1
String Name: E A D G B E
Musical tones are named after letters of the alphabet. (Side Note: Technically speaking, tones are the sounds made by a vibrating musical instrument. Notes - notation - are written representations of those tones.) There are seven notes that are called natural notes. These are A, B, C, D, E, F and G. There is a full step (two frets) between all of these tones except B to C and E to F. These two sets of notes are next-door neighbors, a half step (one fret) apart.The notes in the frets between the full step notes are called enharmonic notes. Enharmonic means that these notes can have different names depending on the key. In other words, the note located in the fret between G and A could be called G#(sharp) or A flat. The pound sign is the symbol for sharp “#”. This is easy to remember because it looks sharp. If you sat on it, you would immediately jump up, but don’t jump higher than one fret! The symbol for flat (which my computer keyboard won’t make) looks like a spear plunged into a volleyball. Of course, the punctured ball went down, but not entirely, only by one fret.
A Long View of the Neck
If you started on the open (unfretted) A string the sequence of notes going up the neck is:A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G# at the 12th fret the sequence begins again. So that’s it… there are all the notes…what more do you need? have a great time playing the guitar! Ah, but this is just the beginning. All those notes are on every string in the same sequential order. However the order begins at a different point with the other stings. On the E strings the sequence begins with E and goes E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#. On the D string the sequence begins with D (D, D#, E, F, F#, etc.). On the G string it begins with G and on the B string the sequence begins with B. To sum up this concept: every note of the chromatic scale can be found on every string. If you understand how the sequence works, you will know where to find it.
Compared to a Piano
Compared to a piano a guitar is a lot easier to move! On a piano the sequence of notes is also a lot easier to see. The white keys are the natural notes (A, B, C, D, E, F and G). The black keys are the enharmonics (sharps and flats). When you locate an A on the keyboard the next white key to the right is always a B. The white key to the left is always a G. This sequence repeats as you go up or down the keyboard. The black key between A and B is an A# or B flat depending on the key.
A Sidelong Glance
Another way to look at the guitar is across the neck. There are two chromatic octaves, plus a few notes, between the open strings and the 4th fret. That means within a space of five frets - you have to count the open position as a fret for this to make sense - you have every note in the chromatic scaletwice! A person of less ambition and drive than you, dear reader, could spend their whole musical career in the confines of these five frets. The great news is that there are two chromatic octaves is each and every set of five frets!
So What Does This Mean to You?
This is where the “patterns and forms” concept begins to come alive. All the chord forms and scale patterns that are used in the first 5 frets, can be used anywhere on the neck. Some forms work better than others. The E chord form is pretty versatile. It can be used handily at the 6th and 8th frets with wonderfully “guitaristic” results. If you modify that chord form a little by moving you index finger down a fret and using fingers 3 and 4 for the other to notes (this is an E minor form) you will find several more locations on the neck that will resound with that wonderful jangle. Move these forms up and down the neck while leaving the E strings and the B string open. Find out where these forms sound good. Now do the same kind of noodling with the A and A minor forms and when you tire of that begin experimenting with the D and D minor forms. All of this can provide hours of entertainment but you won’t have any idea what chords you are playing until you memorize the names of the notes on the fretboard.
Taking Your Medicine
If you want to learn to speak the language of guitar you are going to have to “take your medicine” that is memorize the names of the notes up and down each string. The good news is you don’t have to take all the medicine at once! Learn the names of the notes in chords that you already play. Once you’ve learned the names of the strings begin working on the names of the notes in the first three frets. When you are ready to begin playing barre chords, it’s time to begin memorizing the names of the notes up the neck. This isn’t exactly fun but with a little effort you will begin to see patterns that will open up the fretboard to your creativity. You already have a bit of and understanding of “the sequence”. Here are a few other ideas that will make the process less painful.
Start with the natural notes - Begin with the 6th string and see where the natural notes occur. It won’t be long until you understand why those little dots are inlayed into the face and side of the neck!
One string at a time - Actually with the E-strings you get two for one - memorize the notes on the sixth string and the notes on the first string are exactly the same. Once you’ve done that you’ve completed a third of the memorization process. Hey, that wasn’t so bad! These notes are the roots for the barred E form.
Two strings over, two frets up - Notes that are an octave apart have the same name. Remember that repeating sequence? Once you learn the names of the notes on the low E string you will find that nearest octave occurs two strings over and two frets up, on the D string. This same is true for the relationship between the A and G strings. Once you memorize the names of the notes on the A string it’s, two frets over and two frets up, and you’ve master the G string.
Other octave references - Only one string left! It’s easy to learn the names of the notes on the B string by applying what you already know about the A and D strings. If you are confident of the names of the notes on the A string use that as your reference. The 2nd fret of the A string is a B. This is an octave lower than the open B string. The 3rd fret of the A string is C this corresponds to the 1st fret of the B string. The same sequence of notes continues as you go up the neck. When using the A string as a reference, you will find the octave 3 strings over and 2 frets down. When you use the D string as a reference the rule is 2 strings over and 3 frets up.
More Helpful Reference Points
5th freto The 5th fret of the 6th string is an A, the same as the open 5th string (A). o The 5th fret of the 5th string is a D, the same as the open 4th string (D) o The 5th fret of the 4th string is a G, the same as you open 3rd string (G) o The 4th fret of the 3rd string is an B, the same as you open 2nd string (B) o The 5th fret of over 2nd string is an E, the same as you open 1st string (E).
7th Freto The 7th fret of the A string is an E, an octave higher than the 6th string. o The 7th fret of the D string is an A, an octave higher than the 5th string. o The 7th fret of the G string is a D, an octave higher than the 4th string. o The 8th fret of the B string is a G, an octave higher than the 3rd string. o The 7th fret of the high E string is a B, an octave higher than the 5th string.
A Final Word About Memorizing
Don’t try to memorize everything at once. You can make a lot of great music without know the names of the notes. However, if you are serious about understanding the beauty and complexity of the guitar, it is important to make a commitment to “knowing your notes.” It takes some time. It’s worth the effort.
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One Response to “Understanding the Fretboard”
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I really enjoy your website and “blog”! One recommendation I would have would a request of visuals. I learn best with a combination of audio/visual and it is difficult for me to imagine exactly what is written. Although I like the thoroughness, it is a lot of information and I think pix would help.
Thank you for taking the time to put this together! I’ll be back again and again!
Dana Soriano