Guitar Fretboard Memory

How is your guitar fretboard memory coming along these days? Can you identify all the tones in various positions along the neck? You've probably heard that your knowledge of the fretboard is absolutely essential to developing your skills as a guitar player.

Fretboard Mastery

Below is a systematic way to help you begin learning where the tones are located on the guitar fretboard...

The very first step is to memorize the open strings:

1 - E

2 - B

3 - G

4 - D

5 - A

6 - E

Here is an acrostic you can use when starting from the sixth string:

Eephants And Dogs Grow Big Ears

Here is another one to use when starting from the first string:

Easter Bunnies Go Dancing At Easter

(that's a good one for this time of year :0)

Next, practice "playing and saying" the notes on each string as you move up the fretboard to the 12th fret (the sequence repeats itself after the 12th fret).

Example:

6th string: E--F--F#--G--G#--A--A#--B--C--C#--D--D#--E-

Be sure to do this with each string, "playing and saying" each note out loud.

Now play the entire exercise again in reverse. The sharps you played moving up the neck to the 12th fret become flats when you move from the 12th fret down to the 1st fret.

Memorize this Rule of Music:

Raising a natural tone (ABCDEFG) one fret (half-step) creates a sharp (#).

up -> A A# B

Lowering a natural tone one fret creates a flat (b).


down -> B Bb A

Most people find it harder to say the alphabet backwards and think in flats, so remember to play and say the notes out loud as you move back down to the first string. The key is repetition!

Your goal is to develop your fretboard memory by building an association between the notes and your fingers.

Fretboard Basics for Guitar

After you are familiar with how the fretboard is layed out, you should focus on memorizing a specific area or position. I suggest you start by memorizing the notes moving across the strings in first position.

Example:

FIRST FRET:

1 - F

2 - C

3 - G#

4 - D#

5 - A#

6 - F


SECOND FRET:

1 - F#

2 - C#

3 - A

4 - E

5 - B

6 - F#


THIRD FRET:

1 - G

2 - D

3 - A#

4 - F

5 - C

6 - G


Start with sharps, then repeat this process using flats. After the first 3 frets are memorized, begin memorizing the notes across the frets where the small dots are located on the side of the neck. These are important reference points that are commonly marked on most guitars.

Here is a link to check how good your knowledge of the fretboard is so far...

Free Guitar Fretboard Memory Test

Until next time...

Keep practicing!

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