Understand the Guitar Fretboard

Knowing your guitar fretboard is a requirement for learning to play the guitar. Understanding the fretboard will help you very much in mastering the different guitar playing styles. The note positions open to you a faster approach to learn the various guitar techniques.

In these Beginner Guitar Lessons, getting acquainted with the Rudiments and Theory of Music puts you in a better frame of approaching guitar music.

You will notice that the diagrams here are the same as those in the Music Theory Lesson. The reason I repeat them here is to help you revise and enforce the lessons.

Note: The diagrams below are rather small in order to facilitate faster download of this page for slower computers. Just click on each diagram to open a bigger image of the file.

The diagrams below show the guitar fretboard.

The strings are numbered on your left from the top first opened string E, 2nd string B, 3rd string G, 4th string D, 5th string A and 6th low string E (refer diagram 1 above)

The Fret numbers are placed to show which positions are being used to play the notes at diagram 1a above.

If you are left handed, you will need to string your guitar in reverse and (refer to the diagrams above) and see which way you are comfortable with.

The letters A to G are commonly used in music notation to name notes. On the fretboard there are 12 chromatic steps, Diagram 1b shows a semi-tone apart which can be raised, (called a sharp #) or lowered (called a Flat b) or a natural which cancels out a sharp or flat and are much used in music notation.

The distance between E and F is called a half step or a semitone.

The distance between C and D is called a whole step or a tone.

An Interval is the distance between notes For example, the distance between the notes E and F is a fret apart or a semitone.

The distance between C and D is two frets apart or called a whole step or a tone.

Notes on the 1st string

Diagram 1c shows the notes on the first string. Observe and memorise the positions. Play through the notes and familiarise yourself with it.

Diagram 1d shows the notes on the second string. Work these out.

Diagram 1e shows the notes on the third string.

Diagram 1f shows the notes on the fourth string.

Diagram 1g shows the notes on the fifth string.

Diagram 1h shows the notes on the sixth string.

Go over these examples, commit them to memory, visualise the positions and practice them diligently.

These guitar playing techniques will open up the guitar fretboard for your playing. Have fun with them and refer back to these examples to help you explore the fretboard. Study thoroughly

Lesson 1 : Music Theory to completely grasp the fundamentals of music.

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