I've been playing about a year now. I know the basic first position / open chords and also the barre chords. I know the individual notes on the fretboard in the first position, and I also know the 5th and 6th string notes up the fretboard (as they are the roots of my barre chords). I want to start learning the notes up the fretboard on the D G and B strings (and the other strings better without having to think about it so much), but I find it difficult and don't know what strategy short of pure memorizing I should use.
Can anyone recommend some tips or a method?
As a former piano player, I find the fretboard note layout quite intimidating. Thanks!
What helped me was to learn all the fifth and twelfth fret notes at first. Then counting back and forward from those became very easy.
When I was comfortable with them I learned the 8th fret notes and very soon I found I didn't need those frets as guides any more.
Just by playing more lead you will quickly get the notes memorised.
"I like to play that guitar. I have to stare at it while I'm playing it because I'm not very good at playing it."
Noel Gallagher (who took the words right out of my mouth)
Knowing the 5th and 6th string is a good start. So you also know the first string. Since there are 6 strings on the guitar, you are half way there already.
Different learning methods work for different people. This works for me:
Pick one note, say E and find all the E's on the fretboard (on each string). Each time you pick up the guitar find and play them. Then you can go about your other playing or practicing.
When you are comfortable with all the E's try the A's, then all the others.
Even after you learn them, review at least once a week. That will keep them fresh in your mind.
Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton
Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com Add-on Styles for Band-in-a-Box and Microsoft SongSmith
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+1 on Notes
Also you could learn to play a major scale in different positions.
This book has a ton of good patterns and drills to help with Notes' excellent suggestion:
http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Fretboard-Workbook-Barrett-Tagliarino/dp/0634049011
so now you know the notes on the E and A strings pick the note drop down to the D string and go up 2 frets...... HEY PRESTO!!!! Same note up an octave :D ...... same from A string to G string........ the rest you can work out for yourself :D
Pick one note, say E and find all the E's on the fretboard (on each string). Each time you pick up the guitar find and play them. Then you can go about your other playing or practicing.
Yes, this would be my suggestion, it's the way I learned them.
pick a scale, start playing in it up and down the neck. just keep figuring it out all over the place. it'll start kind of slow, but you'll be able to play around freely within a few minutes. then do the same thing with another scale. you can go from C to G or B to D or from major to minor or myxolidian or blues or whatever. play chords all over the neck. play partial chords. make that a part of your daily routine until you've learned the scales, chords and the neck.
