
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