Notes on the guitar neck ...

[f.sciarrillo]

I am currently trying to memorize all the notes on the guitar neck. I am wondering who already knows them all, do you have any tricks to remember them and would knowing them really help my playing?

[goatropinbastards]

I still have to think about it for a couple seconds, but I used to need minutes to do this.

The study trick - graph paper notebooks.

Draw the fretboard like you're looking down on it like steel guitar.

Start at different places and fill in all the notes in the blocks.

It's a great way to kill time in college classes when people ask stupid questions and the prof goes off topic. But since it's in a notebook, all you have to do is flip the page and the prof don't know.

-Junior
Goat Ropin' Bastards

[MeYatch]

doesn't really take me any time to think about it. I used to draw my own fretboard diagrams and then fill in the notes myself.

[Banned]

I have been working on finding the intervals from any given key. Say you a playing an A, low E string, fifth fret. I try to find the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th from that A, and all the flatted versions so I know all the main intervals whether major or minor. Then find other A's and find the intervals from that new position. That is still a struggle for me.

Then the hardest part is trying to find ear pleasing licks using these chordal intervals. Then try to play them melodically, and keeping with the chord changes of course.

Of course when this gets too tiring, just pull out some of my tab books and have fun.

[f.sciarrillo]

That is a good tip with the graph paper. I am going to do that. I think the intervals will be a good thing to learn also. Thanks for the tips ..

[Gallowglass]

Learn the whole notes first and then associate them with their octaves across the neck. After you have that down you will never be more than one half step away from knowing where you are at. You can take it from there and see if you are on a sharp or flat. You have to know a bit about key theory in order to properly name it, but from an enharmonic perspective, you'll at least know where you are.

[goatropinbastards]

Cool. I hope it helps.

I don't play guitar in GRB, I just sing. Partner and Mutzy run circles around me.

I only play guitar as a hobby and I have zero natural talent for it, so I have to repeat the living hell out of everything way more than most to learn something.

I used the graph paper thing to learn all five of the "closed" minor pentatonic shapes and some of the "open" ones. After I had them memorized, I'd repeat them like crazy in different keys, in different order, until it was "in my hands".

Been working on other stuff like diatonics and such, but can't really do it anywhere near reliable, but at least I can finally play "Rockin' In the Free World" and make up some E Minor Pentatonic bullshit that goes along with it at an open mic night.

I would definitely try all the stuff these other guys are suggesting. I don't know much, but I know enough to know that they are probably far more knowledgeable than me.

[felix'apprentice]

what i've done is memorize where one certain note is, and once i can find that note i know whats around it. patterns!! thats the key. imo.

- kayla.

[f.sciarrillo]

I started doing that graph paper layout today, I think it is going to work pretty well. I figure if I keep it up, I will be able to pick any note without thinking about it pretty fast. At least I hope so ..

I agree that patterns is a good way to go also, Kayla. I can see where that would help..