Learning the fretboard

So, you want to learn the notes on the fretboard because it’s the basis of most other things. Good idea. I wish I’d done it decades ago.

Here are some resources I developed to help with this:

The system I’m using is this one here (terrific video, well worth watching):

And here are the notes I took:

FIVE minutes a day

Step 1:

• Frets 1-12 – no open strings
• No accidentals
• Pick one natural note
• Play that note per string, no skipping strings
• String 6 through 1
• Then string 1 through 6
• When can play it three times with no mistakes, time for the next note
• Fretboard diagram in front of you is fine
• The important thing is that your hands are doing the exercise
• Not memorising just playing
• Not memorising the pattern (which seems really obvious)
• Task is simply to play through the exercise
• Finished when you can play through all notes twice with no mistakes

Step 2:

• Metronome @ 40bpm
• One note per beat
• NOT OPTIONAL
• Adds just enough pressure to help learning
• Step 2 is Step 1 with a metronome

Step 3:

• Add accidentals
• Step 3 is Step 1 and then step 2, but both with accidentals

Step 4:

• Choose two notes (either naturals or all)
• Play one going up, then another going down
• without stopping when changing direction
• Metronome @ 40

Step 5:

• Write all notes in random order – i.e. D F C E A G B (including accidentals)
• Work through list – one note up, one down, one up, etc.
• 40BPM, never stopping

Step 6:

• Increase the metronome speed for steps 1-5
• Goal – 80BPM
• Then you’re done