Learn The Guitar Fretboard

Learn The Guitar Fingerboard Thoroughly
in 16 Days
Part I
If I have to name two things that took my
guitar playing to the next level I would
say music theory and memorizing the
fingerboard.
It made me understand the big picture.
Combining music theory (understanding
scales, modes, chord structure,
improvising over chord progressions, etc,
etc.) and knowing all the notes on the
fingerboard will open up a whole new
world.
Guitar playing becomes more fun when you
know what, when en where to play it on
the fingerboard.
Part II
When you want to know where to play any
type of chord shape instantly it’s pretty
helpful if know the notes. For example:
An F major Barre chord shape (133211) can
be played on any fret. Every time the
chord shape goes up a half step (1 fret)
the name of the chord changes.
To know the name of the chord you need to
know all the notes on the low Estring.
For Example: The note on the 7th fret low
Estring is a B note, so your chord shape
becomes a B major. The only way to see
this right away is to memorize the notes.
A Bb major chord shape (x13331) can also
be played on any fret. This time you need
to know the notes on the Astring to find
out what chord you are playing. For
example: The note on the 5th fret A
string is a D note, so your chord will be
a D major.
To know the name of this Esus2 chord
shape: (xx2452) on any fret you need to
know the notes on the Dstring. Example:
The note on the 3rd fret Dstring is a F
note, so your chord becomes a Fsus2.
The same applies to scale shapes, triads,
arpeggios, licks, etc.
Commit yourself to learn the fingerboard
in 16 days and you will reap the benefits
in many ways!
Here’s how you do it:
First things first: (Basic Music Theory)
In order to learn all the notes on the
entire fingerboard you need to understand
some music theory.
In music there are 7 natural notes: A B C
D E F G.
Within these natural notes there are
sharp notes. (# = sharp)
A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G
or flat notes. (b = flat)
A Bb B C Db D Eb E F Gb G
When you raise a natural note, for
example: A by a half step (1 fret) it
becomes a sharp note: A#
When you lower a natural note, for
example B by a half step (1 fret) it
becomes a flat note: Bb
This applies to all of the natural notes
except for B & C and E & F.
There are no sharps or flats between B &
C and E & F.
In other words if you raise a B by a half
step it becomes C (and not B#). If you
lower a C by a half step it becomes a B
(and not Cb). The same applies to E & F.
Example 1: A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G# A
Example 2: A Bb B C Db D Eb E F Gb G Ab A
As you can see A# and Bb are the same
notes
as well as:
C# and Db,
D# and Eb,
F# and Gb,
G# and Ab.
So the natural notes follow the alphabet
from A to G.
After that it starts all over again: A B
C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C… etc.
Natural, sharp and flat notes: A A# B C
C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C D D# E F F#
G G# A A#… etc.
Now let’s take a look at the notes on the
fingerboard:
All the notes on the fingerboard
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13
e:|F|F#|G|G#|A|A#|B|
C|C#|D|D#|E|F|
B:|C|C#|D|D#|E|F|F#|
G|G#|A|A#|B|C|
G:|G#|A|A#|B|C|C#|D|
D#|E|F|F#|G|G#|
D:|D#|E|F|F#|G|G#|A|
A#|B|C|C#|D|D#|
A:|A#|B|C|C#|D|D#|E|
F|F#|G|G#|A|A#|
E:|F|F#|G|G#|A|A#|B|
C|C#|D|D#|E|F|
Note:
Assuming you already know the names of
the open strings, you only need to learn
frets 1 to 11. From the 12th fret upwards
the notes simply repeat. The notes on the
12th fret are the same notes as those of
the open strings (except for being an
octave higher). Example: The note on the
12th fret low Estring is an E note, the
same as the open string note. The note on
the 12th fret Astring is an A note, etc.
Frets 13 to 22 are the same notes as
those of frets 1 to 10 (except for being
an octave higher). Example: Note on the
1st fret low Estring is an F note. Note
on the 13th fret low Estring is also an
F note. 2nd fret low Estring is F#, 14th
fret low Estring is F#, etc.

Day 1
Let's start by memorizing the natural
notes on the Low Estring. By focusing on
just natural notes it is easier to learn
the fingerboard by heart.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
e:||||||||||
|| high Estring
B:||||||||||
|| Bstring
G:||||||||||
|| Gstring
D:||||||||||
|| Dstring
A:||||||||||
|| Astring
E:|F||G||A||B|C||
D|| low Estring

Day 2
Memorize the natural notes on the A
string. Repeat day 1 by recalling the
natural notes on the low Estring.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
e:||||||||||
|| high Estring
B:||||||||||
|| Bstring
G:||||||||||
|| Gstring
D:||||||||||
|| Dstring
A:||B|C||D||E|F||
G|| Astring
E:||||||||||
|| low Estring

Day 3
Memorize the natural notes on the D
string. Repeat day 1 and 2 by recalling
the natural notes on the low E and A
string.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
e:||||||||||
|| high Estring
B:||||||||||
|| Bstring
G:||||||||||
|| Gstring
D:||E|F||G||A||B|
C|| Dstring
A:||||||||||
|| Astring
E:||||||||||
|| low Estring

Day 4
Memorize the natural notes on the G
string. Repeat the previous days by
recalling the natural notes on the low E,
A and Dstring.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
e:||||||||||
|| high Estring
B:||||||||||
|| Bstring
G:||A||B|C||D||E|
F|| Gstring
D:||||||||||
|| Dstring
A:||||||||||
|| Astring
E:||||||||||
|| low Estring

Day 5
Memorize the natural notes on the B
string. Repeat the previous days by
recalling the natural notes on the low E,
A, D and Gstring.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
e:||||||||||
|| high Estring
B:|C||D||E|F||G||
A|| Bstring
G:||||||||||
|| Gstring
D:||||||||||
|| Dstring
A:||||||||||
|| Astring
E:||||||||||
|| low Estring

Day 6
The notes on the high Estring are the
same as those on the Low Estring so you
don't need to memorize them, just recall.
Repeat the previous days.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
e:|F||G||A||B|C||
D|| high Estring
B:||||||||||
|| Bstring
G:||||||||||
|| Gstring
D:||||||||||
|| Dstring
A:||||||||||
|| Astring
E:||||||||||
|| low Estring

Day 7
Another great way is to recognize
octaves:
Play a random note on the low E or A
string, then move up 2 half steps (2
frets), move up 2 strings and you'll find
an octave. (See example #1 note "F" blue
and note "B" red)
Play a random note on the D or G
frets), move up 2 strings and you'll find
an octave. (See example #1 note "E" black
and note "A" green)
Play a random note on the high E or B
frets), move down 3 strings and you'll
find an octave. (See example #2 note "F"
brown and note "E" red)
Play a random note on the Gstring,
then move up 3 half steps (3 frets), move
down 3 strings and you'll find an octave.
(See example #2 note "D" blue)
After practicing and memorizing the
octaves also repeat the previous days 1
to 6.
Example #1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
e:|||||
A||||||| high Estring
B:|||||
E||||||| Bstring
G:||A||
B|||||||| Gstring
D:||E|
F||||||||| D
string
A:||
B||||||||||
Astring
E:|
F||||||||||
| low Estring

Example #2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
e:|
F||||||||||
|high Estring
B:|||||
E||||||| Bstring
G:|||||||
D||||| Gstring
D:|||
F||||||||| D
string
A:|||||||
E||||| Astring
E:||||||||||
D|| low Estring

Day 8
All the notes on the 5th fret are natural
notes. Memorize these. Repeat the
previous days 1 to 7.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
e:|||||
B:|||||
E||||||| Bstring
G:|||||
C||||||| Gstring
D:|||||
G||||||| Dstring
A:|||||
D||||||| Astring
E:|||||
A||||||| low Estring

Day 9
All the notes on the 10th fret are
natural notes. Memorize these. Repeat the
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 ;
e:||||||||||
D|| high Estring
B:||||||||||
A|| Bstring
G:||||||||||
F|| Gstring
D:||||||||||
C|| Dstring
A:||||||||||
G|| Astring
E:||||||||||
D|| low Estring

Day 10
Memorize all the A notes on the
fingerboard. Play the A note on every
string (from low Estring to high E
string) and speak the note and fret out
loud. For example: A 5, A Open (string),
A 7, A 2, A 10, A 5. Repeat the previous
days 1 to 9.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
e:|||||
B:||||||||||
A|| Bstring
G:||
A||||||||||
Gstring
D:|||||||
A||||| Dstring
A:||||||||||
|| Astring
E:|||||
A||||||| low Estring

Day 11
Memorize all the B notes on the
fingerboard. Play the B note on every
loud. For example: B 7, B 2, B 9, B 4, B
Open (string), B 7. Repeat the previous
days 1 to 10.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
e:|||||||
B||||| high Estring
B:||||||||||
|| Bstring
G:||||
B|||||||| Gstring
D:|||||||||
B||| Dstring
A:||
B||||||||||
Astring
E:|||||||
B||||| low Estring

Day 12
Memorize all the C notes on the
fingerboard. Play the C note on every
loud. For example: C 8, C 3, C 10, C 5, C
1, C 8. Repeat the previous days 1 to 11.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
e:||||||||
C|||| high Estring
B:|
C||||||||||
| Bstring
G:|||||
C||||||| Gstring
D:||||||||||
C|| Dstring
A:|||
C||||||||| A
string
E:||||||||
C|||| low Estring

Day 13
Memorize all the D notes on the
fingerboard. Play the D note on every
loud. For example: D 10, D 5, D Open
(string), D 7, D 3, D 10. Repeat the
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
e:||||||||||
D|| high Estring
B:|||
D||||||||| B
string
G:|||||||
D||||| Gstring
D:||||||||||
|| Dstring
A:|||||
D||||||| Astring
E:||||||||||
D|| low Estring

Day 14
Memorize all the E notes on the
fingerboard. Play the E note on every
loud. For example: E Open (string), E 7,
E 2, E 9, E 5, E Open (string). Repeat
the previous days 1 to 13.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
e:||||||||||
|| high Estring
B:|||||
E||||||| Bstring
G:|||||||||
E||| Gstring
D:||
E||||||||||
Dstring
A:|||||||
E||||| Astring
E:||||||||||
|| low Estring

Day 15
Memorize all the F notes on the
fingerboard. Play the F note on every
loud. For example: F 1, F 8, F 3, F 10, F
6, F 1. Repeat the previous days 1 to 14.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
e:|
F||||||||||
| high Estring
B:||||||
F|||||| Bstring
G:||||||||||
F|| Gstring
D:|||
F||||||||| D
string
A:||||||||
F|||| Astring
E:|
F||||||||||
| low Estring

Day 16
Memorize all the G notes on the
fingerboard. Play the G note on every
loud. For example: G 3, G 10, G 5, G Open
(string), G 8, G 3. Repeat the previous
days 1 to 15.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
e:|||
G||||||||| high
Estring
B:||||||||
G|||| Bstring
G:||||||||||
|| Gstring
D:|||||
G||||||| Dstring
A:||||||||||
G|| Astring
E:|||
G||||||||| low
Estring

Tips:
Now you know the notes, apply it to your
playing as much as you can to maintain
your memory. See and speak out the note
names of chords (as I mentioned in the
beginning of this post), blues scales,
intervals, triads and licks.

Learn The Guitar Fretboard

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Learn The Guitar Fingerboard Thoroughly

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