Subject: Memorize the Fingerboard (Part 1)
You are getting this e-mail because you subscribed to it on www.learn-to-play-rock-guitar.com. If you don't want to receive these e-mails any longer, go to the bottom of this message and click on "unsubscribe." Hey there Friend, Happy Post-Cyber Monday week! Was it just me, or were the deals at all the guitar stores a little light this year? Hope you all are staying rested up for the holidays coming (what's that, you already wore yourself out chasing down holiday deals?) and saving plenty of time for guitar playing.As you progress learning guitar, you will eventually want to put in the effort to memorize all the notes on each string. When you're first starting, the most important notes to remember are the string tunings themselves, but when you start playing chords higher up on the neck, or you start soloing, you really need to begin knowing the notes that make up chords, and consequently, knowing the notes at each fret. In fact, knowing the notes up and down the neck will help you a lot with creating cool chord progressions because you will know exactly where the chord inversions are located and how to form them regardless of the location on the neck. Side note: A chord inversion is just re-ordering the notes in a chord. For example, if you play an open C chord, the notes C, E and G are fingered in their numeric order, 1, 3 and 5. If you play the barred C chord at the third fret, the note order is G, C, E, or 5, 1, 3 (see the C chords). The notes have been inverted. It's the same chord, but a little different sound. An open C chord has a bit brighter, airier sound, versus the C barre chord with a heavier, fuller sound that is more suited for a distorted sound. If you plan on taking your guitar playing past the beginner/hobbyist stage, learning all the notes on the fingerboard will need to become a priority at some point. Might as well get started now! There are just so many benefits to memorizing the fingerboard. This is at least a start on the benefits you will realize by knowing the note locations on each string:
Compared to knowing the note by hearing it, memorizing the fingerboard by sight is easy. You'll get to the point where you can identify a note by hearing it, or aurally. But that's a challenge for another day. Aural training will take a bit longer to master, but a little focus and diligence will get you moving in the right direction. Aural training is not something you do in a few weekends - it is a life-long pursuit. Professionals in the music industry practice regularly to improve their ability to hear the nuances of sound. So where do you start learning the finger board? First, realize that on each string, there are only 12 notes. That's it. And for that matter, there are only 7 note names you have to know. If you can locate those seven notes on each string, the remaining five notes will be no problem for you. The seven notes are A, B C, D, E, F and G. These are also known as natural notes (natural because the notes are neither sharp nor flat in pitch). After G, the notes repeat. Regardless of the string or what note the string is tuned to, all the notes fall between the zero fret (open string) and the eleventh fret. The twelfth fret starts the next octave. Next, memorize each open string: e B G D A E e - the first string, and the thinnest. With your guitar on your lap, it is the string closest to the floor. B - the second string G - the third string D - the fourth string A - the fifth string E - the sixth string. This is the thickest string and furthest from the floor. If you are looking down on the strings with your guitar on your lap, this is the top string. For some reason, we usually memorize the string names in reverse order, possibly because when we strum, the order in which the strings are played is reversed: E A D G B e The notes begin repeating at the twelfth fret. If you pluck the open E string and then place your finger on the twelfth fret and pluck the string again, you will immediately notice the note is the same E note, just up one octave in pitch. So now you know all the notes at the twelfth fret! There are many little tricks you can use to help remember the note locations, but this is one of those things where memorization is going to get you the most mileage. I' like to say you could rely on the fret markers (these are the dots or shapes embedded in the fingerboard at frets three, five, seven, nine and twelve). They are definitely helpful, but you can't count on every guitar having markers. Or imagine having a fret-less guitar! I suppose people who are used to other stringed instruments like violin and cello would have an easier time finding the notes on a fret-less guitar. Fortunately for the rest of us, most guitars have frets, and they usually have a full complement of fret markers. As long a s you don't mentally tie the notes on the fingerboard to specific fret markers (as a crutch), but more memorize the note locations by fret, you should be OK. Believe it or not, over time your muscles will memorize the exact location of each note on the neck so you could play blindfolded. The body is an amazing machine! I think this is a good place to stop for now. In the next lesson we'll get into more specific techniques and exercises to memorize the fingerboard. As always, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! Peace~ Dave Dave "Eddie" Vance is a rock guitar enthusiast and gear nut. He has been playing guitar for over 30 years and enjoys tormenting the neighbors every chance he gets. When he's not slaving for the man, you can find him rocking out with his B.C. Rich Bich guitar, a cold beer and some sweet tunes. He also runs Learn-To-Play-Rock-Guitar.com, but you knew that already! Follow Learn To Play Rock Guitar:I welcome your feedback! Did you like today's message? What other topics would you like to see covered in my e-mails? Please let me know at: dave@learn-to-play-rock-guitar.com As always, please feel free to forward this email to a friend! I review products before recommending them. If you buy a product based on my recommendation, I will receive a commission. However, my emails also contain links that don’t require any investment on your part and are jam-packed with "juicy, guitar learnin' tastiness". We don't rent or share your name with anybody. Feel free to forward this issue to any friends you think would enjoy its contents. They will thank you. So will I.
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