Learning the notes on the fretboard

[Robert]

Here's a good exercise: grab your guitar, decide on a note, let's say Eb for example. Now, as quickly as you can, try and find that note on each string, including the octave (above or below). Do that a few times and take a break. Then come back to it, and do the same thing again. Pick a new note and repeat the process.

The point is for the process of finding any note to become automatic, so you don't have to think, in order to find the notes. It takes time to get this all down, but it's well worth it. Be patient, and try to learn only a few notes all over the fretboard the first few weeks. Get these down "deep inside", so finding the note on any string is instant. Go back to the previous notes you learned often, to make sure you really got them "down".

I'm not a big fan of the CAGED system personally, but I know a lot of guitarists have found it useful.

If CAGED helps to learn the notes as well, by all means use it. Both these techniques are just that, techniques for learning. They are just vehicles for getting you to where you want to be.

 

[Spudman]

Then when you figure that out do the same thing with the 3rd and the 5th of the root note.

 

[Lev]

came across this today - similar idea

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Mark has some lessons on this based in CAGED stuff on his site. For me, that helps me learn where the notes are, so I can do Robert's exercise above better. As a former piano player, it is hard for me to not have the notes laid out there in black and white. It is a mental shift to go so much by ear.

 

[sumitomo]

I always want to learn more and working 12 to 16 hrs a day its hard for me to play everyday and looking at a book,dvd ect is tough for me.I have learned some blues over the years and if ya asked me what I am playing I couldnt tell ya.No real time for lessons so I bought one one the fretlights and It has helped me alot to see it on the fretboard makes learning faster for me and if I want to see say a B note I can light up all the B notes.When my wife hears me play something different(other than blues) she says when did you learn that I told her just now with in this last hour,she didnt believe me until I showed her.For me its cool its a road map Im learning way faster with less frustration.Sumi

 

[Robert]

Here's the same idea I talked about initially on a website -

http://www.musictheory.net/trainers/html/id81_en.html

Very cool! Try and see how many you get right out of 25 tries!

 

[thearabianmage]

Whether you are fan of being caged or not, there is an old samurai saying that is just as relevant to guitar as it is to swordsmanship - or anything for that matter.

Enter through form. Exit from form.

What this means is this: learn what you have to. Get a 5,000 page theory book, and memorize every word. Then throw it all away. Learn the rules (enter through form) and throw the rules away (exit from form).

 

[marnold]

What this means is this: learn what you have to. Get a 5,000 page theory book, and memorize every word. Then throw it all away. Learn the rules (enter through form) and throw the rules away (exit from form).

Reminds me of an old print ad featuring Billy Sheehan for GIT (I think). The tag line was "You have to know the rules . . . so you can break them."

 

[Robert]

Guys, try that website and let me know what you think. It's a good way to practice finding the notes (if you don't have a guitar handy).

 

[thearabianmage]

Reminds me of an old print ad featuring Billy Sheehan for GIT (I think). The tag line was "You have to know the rules . . . so you can break them."

If you don't mind me saying, all of the best seem to follow this through some wording or another. Salvador Dali, Bruce Lee, Steve Vai. . . It's a phrase that has been used in Japan for over 500 years. . . I think there's a reason it's lasted so long.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Out of 53 I got 50 correct. I made my mistakes early, then got the hang of it. Nice tool! I am going to keep working with it from time to time. I still struggle with just knowing which note it is. I still have to "count it out" a bit.

 

[Robert]

Trying doing it faster and faster, once you feel comfortable.

Still, it's not the same thing as the real guitar of course. I am much faster on a real guitar compared to the virtual one.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Yeah, I think timed drills, using my guitar, and using the computer test as well, would be good. It would be cool if it had a timer feature.

 

[Hilmer]

Another site

I've been using this site on and off. I think it's pretty useful once you get used to it. Personally I flip the fretboard over, but that's just a matter of taste I guess.

http://www.fretzilla.net/


///Jocke

 

[cobalt]

Cool tool

 

[kiteman]

I remember I started learning my guitar like that. I started with A minor and find all the As on the fretboard. Then the 3rds which is Cs. After that the Es for the 5ths. There I'm hitting triads which are very useful. I learned what I could play in A minor and discovered the caged system then. It's a very useful tool that showed the 5 chord shapes and how they are linked. Because of that everything made sense. By learning one key and how to apply it the rest becomes easier.