Many people play the guitar with varying skill levels, but they 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. Many method books lack systematic instruction on this topic. You will be a better player if you avoid this common deficiency.
There are many approaches you can use to learn to play the guitar fretboard. By using the following approach, you will master knowing the notes at each fret and learn to play the guitar better.
LEARN THE MUSIC ALPHABET
To get to know the fretboard 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 will not play anything on the guitar. Still, to learn to play the guitar, you must prepare 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 HAS; CDEFG AB; DEFG ABC; GFE ABCD; GF A B C D E; Y GRAM ABCDEF. Notice that you say the alphabet normally until you get to 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 CB; TROUSERS FED against; against TROUSERS FED; DC TROUSERS FAITH; EDC TROUSERS F; FED against TROUSERS; Y GRAM FED CBA. Note that the words “bag” and “fed” appear frequently when the alphabet is said in reverse order. Taking the time to practice saying these lyrics forwards and backwards will help you learn the guitar well.
LEARN THE TOP AND BOTTOM NOTES OF EACH STRING
After you have learned how to say the alphabet correctly forwards and backwards, it is time to learn the notes above and below 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 row of cars on a train and that each letter car 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 at these frets: E (0); F(1); skip; G(3); skip; AT 5); skip; B(7); C(8); skip; D(10); skip; and E(12).
Check it out 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 get good at pronouncing the notes on any string up and down, learn the notes at 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 so, 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 frets five, ten, and twelve.
To learn the remaining frets, you’ll need to remember that not all strings will have notes named with letters 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 string six over strings five, four, and three to catch a fly on strings two and one.
About him second load, 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 goofy giraffes.”
Frets four and six are easy because there is only one note on each. A lone “B” is on the third string on 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 chargenotes are BEAD() B.Learn,”Seven bears eat and devour bats.”
Tea eighth charge has the notes CF()()GC. To think,”Eight cool fish grow claws.”
Tea 9th 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 going up and down each string and each 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.
