Effective ways for memorizing the guitar fretboard notes
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Guitar fretboard notes memorization is a time-consuming process. However, you can significantly shorten the time it takes to memorize the fretboard notes with the help of all the resources and tips presented in this article.
If you want to memorize the notes extremely fast, you can use a little book called “Memorize the fretboard in less than 24 hours” alongside all the free downloadable resources on this page.
Suppose you are looking for more in-depth fretboard training so you’ll be able to navigate between scales or chords quickly, it is recommended to use the professional and popular “Guitar Fretboard Workbook” (By Musician Institute press).
Here is a good tip if you’re just getting started:
learn each string separately, one string per 2-3 days. (See images below).
To make things easier for you, I’ve organized a few different guitar fretboard notes diagrams below, which cover the notes on the entire neck.
(Of course, you can download them in PDFs).
What you’re about to get in this post
The first six fingerboard (another name for fretboard) diagrams are mainly for beginners and show the notes on each separate string so you can start memorizing the notes gradually.
The seventh diagram summarizes all six strings, basically all the notes on a guitar fretboard.
The last diagram is for the more advanced players and contains standard notation graphical symbols, as written on the *staff.
You will need it if and when you want to start reading and writing music or guitar notation in a more professional way other than **guitar tabs.
Where do you start?
Each of the following six images focuses on one specific string, so my tip is to memorize one string per 2-3 days.
Using a fretboard trainer interface like the one shown below alongside the diagrams is also recommended to significantly shorten the time it takes to learn the guitar fretboard notes.
Guitar fretboard notes on each separate string
Teacher’s Tip: An excellent way to practice this is by tackling one string at a time.
Go up and down the entire string, play every note, and say the note’s name out loud. Repeat it about six to ten times for each practice. You wouldn’t believe how quickly you can learn the notes on each string this way.
The notes on the first (thinnest) guitar string
String number: 1 (closest to the floor).
Name of the string: high E
The notes on the second string.
String number: 2
Name of the string: B
The notes on the 3rd string.
String number: 3
Name of the string: G
The notes on the 4th string.
String number: 4
Name of the string: D
The notes on the 5th string.
String number: 5
Name of the string: A
The notes on the 6th (thickest) string.
String number: 6
Name of the string: E (Low)
This fretboard trainer game comes for free on GuitarTricks Free trial period (14 days)
Guitar fretboard notes on all six strings
Next is the guitar fretboard notes all the way up to the 12th fret.
The notes on the 12th’s fret are equal by name to the open strings.
The only difference is that they’re one octave higher, so it’s as if the fretboard starts all over again up to the 22nd fret (in case you have a 22nd fret).
Get the guitar notes fretboard pdf for free on our Downloads page.
Here is another tip for memorizing the fretboard notes:
This next video is a cool video I’ve found that shows how to memorize the fretboard notes with the use of octaves:
This video, BTW, is from guitartricks.com, which we always recommend as the best online learning system for beginners-advanced learners because of its wide variety and high-quality, step-by-step lessons.
You can check it out by starting a free 14 days trial here:
Next, the graphical symbols that correlate with each of the guitar fretboard notes (for standard notation reading).
You can get the guitar notes fretboard pdf + names as a gift on our Downloads page.
If you want to teach yourself how to read guitar sheet music, one of the best practice books on this topic is W.G. Leavitt’s – A Modern Method For Guitar. (Berklee college of music).
Summary
The fact is that learning the entire guitar fretboard notes by heart is a time-consuming process.
Yet again, you can shorten the learning process using a guitar fretboard map pdf, learning through the octaves method, and using fretboard trainers or games, but, most of all, with persistence.
Resources
To learn standard notation on the entire fretboard for guitar, check out my guide:
How To Read Guitar Sheet Music.
“Complete Guide To Guitar Mastery course.” (Udemy)
Printable guitar fretboard chart pdf (free download).
More printable resources from our guitar pdf free download library.
