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One simple technique to learn the guitar fretboard (yes, all the notes)
When it comes to learning the notes of the guitar fretboard, many guitar players simply don’t believe it’s possible. Sure, given a little time they can figure it out. But the most common electric guitars have 132 or 144 positions and it just seems unrealistic to remember which note sits at each one.
Many very accomplished players get by just knowing a wide library of licks in various common keys without being able to recall every single note.
Yet learning the notes of the guitar fretboard provides you with a superpower in any solo or improvisation - and really anyone can do it.
When you think about it, there aren’t really over a hundred positions to learn. There are 72, repeated twice (or less) at the 12th fret. And most guitar players do build some intuition for the notes of the E string which, in standard tuning, means they really only have 60 more to learn.
Mnemonics
When counting the frets from the nut feels like it’s taking too long, many guitar players start to learn a few common mnemonics (memory aids) that help find the note more quickly based on what they do know.
In the same way that counting one string up and two frets over from any note on the E string will give you the perfect fifth, counting two strings up and two frets over gives the octave.
So, if you know the notes on the E string and the A string, you can also easily figure out the notes on the D and G strings also. And, provided you remember that the B string requires counting three frets over instead of two, you can quite quickly figure out any note on the guitar fretboard.
But there’s a problem with mnemonics like these. They’re not really an aid to memory at all. Like following GPS to find a location, they can get in the way of actually remembering the way back in future. Using these techniques will help you find the notes eventually but they won’t give you the quick, intuitive recall that you probably have for notes on the E string.
Effortless recall
There is one well-established technique for effective memorization that can be applied to learning the guitar fretboard just like anything else; spaced repetition. In classic spaced repetition exercises the learner uses flashcards, first obscuring the value, then guessing it, then revealing it to validate the guess.
Anyfret has the ability to show and hide note names, allowing you to pick any position on the fretboard and test how quickly you can recall the note.
How many notes can you name on the guitar fretbord above? You can click through to view the fretboard on Anyfret to see if you were right. Using the ‘hide/show note names’ link, you can toggle the note names on and off.
Repeating this exercise just a few times a week can produce incredible results. Try focusing on one string at a time before moving on. Add some positions at random or where you feel your knowledge is weakest and try to guess the notes.
As you make progress you’ll unlock all the benefits of understanding the notes you’re working with when you’re improvising, writing music or when you encounter a new chord or scale. And, if nothing else, it’s at least an impressive skill!