Fingerboard Harmony Lesson 1

Organizing the fingerboard

I have said a number of times that guitarists are very shape oriented musicians. I am not saying that is a bad
thing. It is only a bad thing if you don’t know what is under your fingers when you are improvising.

One of the most fundamental element of organizing the fingerboard is to break the fingerboard down into 5
patterns based on octave shapes.

Pattern 1 - places the octaves on strings 5 and 2.

Pattern 2 - places the octaves on strings 5 and 3.

Pattern 3 - places the octaves on strings 6 and 3 and 1.

Pattern 4 - places the octaves on strings 6 and 4 and 1.

Pattern 5 - places the octaves on strings 4 and 2.

Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Pattern 3 Pattern 4 Pattern 5 Pattern 1

Octave Shape Octave Shape Octave Shape Octave Shape Octave Shape Octave Shape
13
5 8 10
3 3

Frets

1 C
2 C w C
3 w w
C w w
w
Strings
4 C
5 C C
6 C
3 5 8 10 13
Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Pattern 3 Pattern 4 Pattern 5 Pattern 1

Exercise: Look at the fretboard diagrams and notice that they are showing two different ways of seeing these
octave shapes. The top fingerboard diagram shows each octave shape by itself. The lower fingerboard diagram
shows the octave shapes as they relate to each other. Notice that each shape connects to the next shape with at
least one of the notes.

Try learning these octave patterns in all keys. Practice this for a few minutes every day until it is part of your
playing. Some of the keys are already worked out for you on page 2 of this lesson.

Once this lesson has been completed, move to the Theory lesson #2.

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 Fingerboard Harmony Lesson #1

F Major Octave Shapes

F F
F w
w w w w F F
F
F
w
F F
3 5 8 10 13
Pattern 4 Pattern 5 Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Pattern 3 Pattern 4
Bb Major Octave Shapes
Bb
Bb w
w
Bb w w w Bb

Bb
Bb
w Bb
Bb
3 5 8 10 13
Pattern 2 Pattern 3 Pattern 4 Pattern 5 Pattern 1 Pattern 2
Eb Major Octave Shapes
Eb Eb
w Eb
w w w Eb w Eb
Eb
Eb
w
Eb
3 5 8 10 13
Pattern 5 Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Pattern 3 Pattern 4 Pattern 5
Ab Major Octave Shapes
Ab Ab
Ab w
Ab w w w w Ab
Ab
Ab
w
Ab Ab
3 5 8 10 13
Pattern 3 Pattern 4 Pattern 5 Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Pattern 3
Db Major Octave Shapes
Db
Db
w Db
w w Db
w w
Db
Db
w Db
Db
3 5 8 10 13
Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Pattern 3 Pattern 4 Pattern 5 Pattern 1

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© 2010 David Oakes - All Rights Reseved