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notes on the guitar neck

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(@cardboard)
Active Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 2
Topic starter  

i know that most guitars have around 20 frets, but does a guitarist really use all of them or just the first 12 or so?


   
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(@egdinger)
Eminent Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 19
 

This seems like an odd question, just take a look around, there are many songs that use higher than the 12th fret. Many rock songs do. https://www.guitarnoise.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=32311 Theres one example from the easy songs fourm here.


   
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(@noteboat)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4921
 

Sure, we use all the frets.

A 'standard' guitar has 19 frets - if you look in most orchestration books, they'll tell you not to write above that range. I've seen guitars with anywhere from 18-27 frets; most have 19-24.

But you won't use all the notes available on the neck. The first string can use all the frets, and often does... the second string will use all of them, or close to it. 3rd string usually won't use the highest fret, and strings 4-6 usually aren't used over the 12th-14th fret.

As you move up the neck, there's less room between the frets. Since most notes on a guitar are available in more than one place, it makes sense to place runs where there's plenty of finger room. That means 19th fret B on the 6th string often has better choices - like the open 2nd string.

But we do use the entire range of the guitar.

Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL


   
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(@causnorign)
Honorable Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 554
 

Some of us rarely go beyond the dreaded fifth fret, but many go way up the neck. Its best to know the notes and chord voicings in the higher ranges.


   
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(@alangreen)
Member
Joined: 22 years ago
Posts: 5342
 

Have solo'd around the 19th - it was a while back but I'm working on stuff now which has me soloing above the 12th.

A :-)

"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk


   
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(@clazon)
Honorable Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 502
 

Gilmore frequently solos above the 15th...

"Today is what it means to be young..."

(Radiohead, RHCP, Jimi Hendrix - the big 3)


   
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(@elecktrablue)
Famed Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 4338
 

This kind of goes with two posts! I was reading Smokehouse's post about he and his granddaughter doing "Shake Sugaree", which led me to dig out the Grateful Dead's "Sugaree". In looking at that it made me think about your post! You'll notice that he's all over the fretboard. (This is the first solo, btw.) Here it is:


E--------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------2h4-2-2-----0-------4-5P4---4--------4-----------------
G-------------4-3-2---------1-2------4-6------6---6-4-4-6--4-6-------------
D-----------4-------------------------------------------------4h6----------
A-----2-4S6----------------------------------------------------------------
E---4----------------------------------------------------------------------

E--------------4-----------------------------------------------------------
B-7-4------4-7---7S9--9-5-7-9--5-7-4-5------4-5P4-4-----4-5P4-4-5P4------4-
G----4-3-4----------------------------4-4-6---------4-6-------------6-4H6--
D-------------------------------------------------------------------------2
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------

E--------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-----4-4-4---5p4-5-5s7-7s9------------------------------------------------
G------4-4-4---------------------------------------------------------------
D-------2-2-2--------------------------------------------------------------
A--1s2---------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------

E-----------------------------------------7--------7-7H9P7--7----7-9-7-----
B---4-----4-5-4----4-5P4-4-5P4-5-7S9---7-9-7----7-9--------9--9-9----------
G-----4-6-------6-4---------- -----------------8---------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------

E--9s16-16-14---------------------------------------12-11-14---------------
B------------16----------14------12-14p12-14-12--12------------------------
G--------------16-15-14-------13---------------13--------------------------
D----------------------14---14---------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------

E----------------------------------------14-14-12--14--12-15-14-16-17p16-16
B-----------------12--14--12-14p12-14-s16------------14--14-------------17-
G--16p13--------13--14-----------------------------------------------------
D---------14--14--14-------------------------------------------------------
A-------14-----------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------

E----16--14-16-14--14-16---14-16---14-16-14-16p14-(14-16-------------------
B--17------------16------16------16---------------------17-16)-------------
G--------------------------------------------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------

E----------14-16-16p14-14--14-16-14----------------------------------------
B--17-14-16--------------16--------16-14--------14----14-14-14s16-16-16-16-
G---------------------------------------16-13-16----16---------------------
D-------------------------------------------------16-----------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------

E------------------------------------12-11--12-14--------------------------
B----16----------------------------12--------------------------------------
G------16-14-13--14p13--------11-13----------------------------------------
D--------------16-----14---s14---------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------

E-11-12-11--------11-12-11--------11-12-11--------11-----------------------
B---------14-12-14--------14-12-14--------14-12-14---12-14-12-12-14-13p11--
G------------------------------------------------------------13----------14
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------

E-----11----11-----11------------11----------------------------------------
B-------12----14-----14-12--12-14------------------------------------------
G--s11----11--------------13-----------------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------

E-------11------------11------------11-12-11--------11---------------------
B--12-14--14-12--12-14--14-12--12-14--------14-12-14--14-12--12-14---------
G--------------13------------13----------------------------13--------------
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------

E-------------------------------------------19-16--19-16---------19-16-----
B--12---------------------------12-14-----17-----19-----19-16--17-----16-17
G----13-11--11-13-11--11-13-11---------------------------------------------
D---------13--------13--------13-------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------

E--19-16------19-16-------19-16----------19-16-------19-16-----19-16-------
B-------16-19------16--19------16-19-17-------19-17-------16-19-----19-16--
G--------------------------------------------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------

E--19-16-----19-16--19-16---19-16-----16-----------------------------------------
B-------19-16-----17-----17------19-17--19-17--17p16--17p16--16------------------
G---------------------------------------------------18-----18--18-16-18-16--16-16
D-------------------------------------------------------------------------18-----
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

E--------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-----------------------16---16--16s14--14--12--14--14--12-----------------
G-------16------16------16---16--16s14--14--13--14--14--13-----------------
D--16h18---16h18--------16---16--16s14--14--14--14--14--14-----------------
A------------------16h18---------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------

E--------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-------12--------7-9-9-7-7------10-9--9-10-10-9--7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7------
G---------13-----8--9-9-8-8---------9--9-9--9--9--8-8-8-8-9-9-9-9-9-8------
D--12s14----14--9------------9s11------9-11-11-9--9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------

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"Don't wanna ride no shootin' star. Just wanna play on the rhythm guitar." Emmylou Harris, "Rhythm Guitar" from "The Ballad of Sally Rose"


   
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(@diceman)
Reputable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 407
 

They wouldn't put the frets there if they didn't want you to use them ! I often bend my 22nd fret up to E during solos . The sound of these ultra-high notes have an energy to them that screams at the audience . It's just another color you can add to your palette .

If I claim to be a wise man , it surely means that I don't know .


   
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