How to learn the fretboard...

brooom

Ok, after many years of realisation on just how important this is... I really want to start doing it. The problem is I don't quite know how to start. Do you just memorise the notes everywhere on the fretboard? Is there a non "brute-force way" of doing this?

Danny1969

If you start learning where every A, C and E is on every string then the other notes are in the gaps. Need an F, it's right by the E, need a B it's right by the A etc

Use the dots on the neck as landmarks to help you memorize positions of notes 

chotu495

I have been doing a similar thing recently.

So we know where the EADGBE are on open strings.

On the 3rd fret, GCFxDG, so for me, thats “Gibson caught Fender (x) Drinking Gin”

On the 5th fret, it is ADGCEA, or because i’m stupid, “All Day, Guys Cant Eat Avacado”.

On the 7th fret, it gets spells BEADxB

On the 9th, xxBExx

The 10th is DGCFAD, or obviously, “Drinking Gin Cant Fix All Days”.

B & C always live together (half step apart, so one fret, not two), as do E & F....blame that on the piano...

The above has helped me with using moveable shapes, particularly with the root note on the low E and the A. 

I’m also trying to learn other voicings for chords, so that i’m not so much at the campfire end of the neck all the time. 

Every day is a schoolday.

Lestratcaster

I learnt to play a lot of punk in my teens and would always relate to the 3rd/5th/7th/9th fret root notes on the lowest 2 strings to start off. I knew with an octave the D and G strings would be the same just 2 frets higher. That got me started at least.

Roland

Danny1969 said:

If you start learning where every A, C and E is on every string then the other notes are in the gaps. Need an F, it's right by the E, need a B it's right by the A etc

Use the dots on the neck as landmarks to help you memorize positions of notes 

I’ve always liked this approach. It’s similar to navigating around town by knowing where the pubs are. Gradually you memorise the names of all the intervening notes.

DulcetJones

Another octave approach is that the octave of any note you play on the 5th or 6th strings is 2 strings down, 2 frets higher.   

brooom

Roland said:

Danny1969 said:

If you start learning where every A, C and E is on every string then the other notes are in the gaps. Need an F, it's right by the E, need a B it's right by the A etc

Use the dots on the neck as landmarks to help you memorize positions of notes 

I’ve always liked this approach. It’s similar to navigating around town by knowing where the pubs are. Gradually you memorise the names of all the intervening notes.

Having tried all the others that have been mentioned, so far this is the only method that seems to be the way to go. I'm going to start with two notes (E and C for example) and try to practice that for a full week. Then do the same for A and D, for another week, adding the previous E and C to the bag, and so on. Hopefully that'll help, let's see.

GuyBoden

An organised system like CAGED or 3 notes per string (3NPS) might help.

Learn these in your mostly used keys in the areas of the fretboard you use most.

Romain

Danny1969 said:

If you start learning where every A, C and E is on every string then the other notes are in the gaps. Need an F, it's right by the E, need a B it's right by the A etc

Use the dots on the neck as landmarks to help you memorize positions of notes 

I consider this also the best way and I found that doing a lot of melody improvisation i.e. improvising whilst being conscious go the chords changes and targeting notes (triads) helps a lot.

hollywoodrox

This is really really good.

https://www.fachords.com/tools/fretboard-trainer/

Circle of 4ths up and down the strings  BEADGCFBbEbAbDbGbCbFb

as above I got used to the 2 lower strings from power and barre chords, octaves means you’re always using another position as a reference.

that fretboard trainer is actually quite good you get to know where a note is by rote 
it works really well too

dtr

My natural rut for timewasty noodling is the pentatonic scale (E minor, G major) that just builds on the GAB and DE on alternating strings.  Once that pattern becomes so burned into your brain you can't escape it, its obvious where the C and F are, and you shift it all up and down the neck just to relieve the tedium.  Viola! You know all the notes!

stratcat

The way I learnt it and the way I teach all my students is....
Most guitarists know the note names of the sixth sting and the fifth string due to playing power chords and barre chords.
Then doing the diagonal/octave thing gets you the names on the fourth and third strings (easy). I found the second string the hardest to remember because the pattern isn't so obvious, but D for dot (3rd fret) gets you going. There's also a backwards diagonal pattern (D on the fifth string fifth fret= D 2nd string 3rd fret etc).
Anyway, I used to play games, find a note on the 6th, then find the same note name on the fifth, then fourth etc. Once you know where all the notes are it starts to get easier to recognise intervals.
Hope that makes sense.

guitarmangler

To annoy my students, as much anything, I use the iOS game GuitarFretter on an iPad. 

octatonic

Patiently.

IsambardKentucky

I think the two note approach is useful. But throw in a metronome and it works wonders. Pick two notes, say C and G. Set a metronome to a steady pace and on every beep find each C located on the fretboard, without repeating one until you've played them all. then after 5 mins do it with a G. And change the 2 notes up each day. Do it for 6 days 10 mins every morning then repeat the whole lot. In a couple of weeks it’ll be second nature. When you get comfortable bump up the speed a couple of notches.

Once you know the fretboard well, reading music notation is a lot less daunting.

hollywoodrox

IsambardKentucky said:

I think the two note approach is useful. But throw in a metronome and it works wonders. Pick two notes, say C and G. Set a metronome to a steady pace and on every beep find each C located on the fretboard, without repeating one until you've played them all. then after 5 mins do it with a G. And change the 2 notes up each day. Do it for 6 days 10 mins every morning then repeat. In a couple of weeks it’ll be second nature. Once you know the fretboard,  reading music notation is a lot less daunting. 

That’s a good one , better than relying on octaves as that means you are doubling your task

brooom

that's a nice memory exercise, thanks

captainbeeffart

Also learn the pentatonic modes for major and minor. Then learn the major modes. That seems to of helped me be able to play anywhere on the neck. After that then the harmonic minor modes. good luck

chrisoldroyd

I have tried all different ways but never got far. I can sit and play every E, D, A, etc etc all over the neck but soon as I am under pressure my mind goes blank. I have just started looking at it in clusters using this guys free tutorial, happy to try anything at this point ha.

https://www.guitar-skill-builder.com/guitar-fretboard.html

duotone

Danny1969 said:

If you start learning where every A, C and E is on every string then the other notes are in the gaps. Need an F, it's right by the E, need a B it's right by the A etc

Use the dots on the neck as landmarks to help you memorize positions of notes 

I’ve been using this method, practising it most days and finding it very helpful. Am trying to combine it with the pitch/notation shown on the music stave too, so I won’t be stuck when trying to learn new songs. Cheers @Danny1969 ;