Post by Paul on Jan 11, 2015 3:53:27 GMT -5
Memorizing the notes on the fretboard is a very important step in mastering the guitar. I've struggled for years myself and still have problems with picking out the right note. I've known how to figure it out since the start but that snap instant knowing without checking is something I've always lacked. Tonight I noticed a rather cool pattern while working on memorizing the notes. First let me put up my favorite fretboard image.
I love the colors of this image.
Now lets start with the 6th string (low E) first fret. Notice that note is an F. Also the same for the high E or first string. Now move one fret down the neck and one string down. If you to use a map the direction would be north east. (Higher on the notation, lower on the neck, the A string) If you see in that second fret fifth string there is a B. Now repeat the motion, over one fret down the neck and one string down. Now on the third fret fourth (D) string, hey look it is an F!! Over one fret down the neck and one string (G) down again and look again, it is another B! The pattern has resulted in FBFB. Now here is the wrench, if you continue the patter the next string (B) will result in an E, but wait look one fret past that E and you got your F again! Whenever you get to the B (2nd) string you have to skip one fret. The pattern would then be FBFBSFB. Since there isn't an S note in the musical alphabet it will stand for "Skip a fret" Notice how the pattern repeats on almost every string. Lets now start on a B. 6th string (E) 7th fret is a B. Over one fret down the neck and one string (A) down results in...you guessed it an F. The pattern repeats again until you get to that blasted B string, and look what happens there! Another skip. So that pattern would be BFBFSBF. Keep in mind that the notes repeat at the 12th fret.
Here is the pattern for every note starting on the 6th string (low E), first and seventh fret have already been done but I will repeat the pattern. Remember S is for skip a fret.
01st Fret = F - B - F - B - S - F - B
02nd Fret = F#/Bb - C - F#/Bb - C - S - F#/Bb - C
03rd Fret = G - C#/Db - G - C#/Db - S - G - C#/Db
04th Fret = G#/Ab - D - G#/Ab - D - S - G#/Ab - D
05th Fret = A - D#/Eb - A - D#/Eb - S - A - D#/Eb
06th Fret = A#/Bb - E - A#/Bb - E - S - A#/Bb - E
07th Fret = B - F - B - F - S - B - F
08th Fret = C - F#/Gb - C - F#/Gb - S - C - F#/Gb
09th Fret = C#/Db - G - C#/Db - G - S - C#/Db - G
10th Fret = D - G#/Ab - D - G#/Ab - S - D - G#/Ab
11th Fret = D#/Eb - A - D#/Eb - A - S - D#/Eb - A
12th Fret = E - A#/Bb - E - A#/Bb - S - E - A#/Bb
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Notice how the pattern 'flip flops' every six frets. Here are the notes side by side.
01st Fret = F - B - F - B - S - F - B | 07th Fret = B - F - B - F - S - B - F
02nd Fret = F#/Bb - C - F#/Bb - C - S - F#/Bb - C | 08th Fret = C - F#/Gb - C - F#/Gb - S - C - F#/Gb
03rd Fret = G - C#/Db - G - C#/Db - S - G - C#/Db | 09th Fret = C#/Db - G - C#/Db - G - S - C#/Db - G
04th Fret = G#/Ab - D - G#/Ab - D - S - G#/Ab - D | 10th Fret = D - G#/Ab - D - G#/Ab - S - D - G#/Ab
05th Fret = A - D#/Eb - A - D#/Eb - S - A - D#/Eb | 11th Fret = D#/Eb - A - D#/Eb - A - S - D#/Eb - A
06th Fret = A#/Bb - E - A#/Bb - E - S - A#/Bb - E | 12th Fret = E - A#/Bb - E - A#/Bb - S - E - A#/Bb
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The pattern repeats regardless of which note you start with on any string. UNLESS it is the B (2nd) string. Remember to skip a fret with that string. The pattern repeats backwards in a south west direction, but a different pattern happens when moving in a north west direction, however that pattern I will post in part two.
I love the colors of this image.
Now lets start with the 6th string (low E) first fret. Notice that note is an F. Also the same for the high E or first string. Now move one fret down the neck and one string down. If you to use a map the direction would be north east. (Higher on the notation, lower on the neck, the A string) If you see in that second fret fifth string there is a B. Now repeat the motion, over one fret down the neck and one string down. Now on the third fret fourth (D) string, hey look it is an F!! Over one fret down the neck and one string (G) down again and look again, it is another B! The pattern has resulted in FBFB. Now here is the wrench, if you continue the patter the next string (B) will result in an E, but wait look one fret past that E and you got your F again! Whenever you get to the B (2nd) string you have to skip one fret. The pattern would then be FBFBSFB. Since there isn't an S note in the musical alphabet it will stand for "Skip a fret" Notice how the pattern repeats on almost every string. Lets now start on a B. 6th string (E) 7th fret is a B. Over one fret down the neck and one string (A) down results in...you guessed it an F. The pattern repeats again until you get to that blasted B string, and look what happens there! Another skip. So that pattern would be BFBFSBF. Keep in mind that the notes repeat at the 12th fret.
Here is the pattern for every note starting on the 6th string (low E), first and seventh fret have already been done but I will repeat the pattern. Remember S is for skip a fret.
01st Fret = F - B - F - B - S - F - B
02nd Fret = F#/Bb - C - F#/Bb - C - S - F#/Bb - C
03rd Fret = G - C#/Db - G - C#/Db - S - G - C#/Db
04th Fret = G#/Ab - D - G#/Ab - D - S - G#/Ab - D
05th Fret = A - D#/Eb - A - D#/Eb - S - A - D#/Eb
06th Fret = A#/Bb - E - A#/Bb - E - S - A#/Bb - E
07th Fret = B - F - B - F - S - B - F
08th Fret = C - F#/Gb - C - F#/Gb - S - C - F#/Gb
09th Fret = C#/Db - G - C#/Db - G - S - C#/Db - G
10th Fret = D - G#/Ab - D - G#/Ab - S - D - G#/Ab
11th Fret = D#/Eb - A - D#/Eb - A - S - D#/Eb - A
12th Fret = E - A#/Bb - E - A#/Bb - S - E - A#/Bb
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Notice how the pattern 'flip flops' every six frets. Here are the notes side by side.
01st Fret = F - B - F - B - S - F - B | 07th Fret = B - F - B - F - S - B - F
02nd Fret = F#/Bb - C - F#/Bb - C - S - F#/Bb - C | 08th Fret = C - F#/Gb - C - F#/Gb - S - C - F#/Gb
03rd Fret = G - C#/Db - G - C#/Db - S - G - C#/Db | 09th Fret = C#/Db - G - C#/Db - G - S - C#/Db - G
04th Fret = G#/Ab - D - G#/Ab - D - S - G#/Ab - D | 10th Fret = D - G#/Ab - D - G#/Ab - S - D - G#/Ab
05th Fret = A - D#/Eb - A - D#/Eb - S - A - D#/Eb | 11th Fret = D#/Eb - A - D#/Eb - A - S - D#/Eb - A
06th Fret = A#/Bb - E - A#/Bb - E - S - A#/Bb - E | 12th Fret = E - A#/Bb - E - A#/Bb - S - E - A#/Bb
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The pattern repeats regardless of which note you start with on any string. UNLESS it is the B (2nd) string. Remember to skip a fret with that string. The pattern repeats backwards in a south west direction, but a different pattern happens when moving in a north west direction, however that pattern I will post in part two.