• Join the A7X Discord!

    We're updating the community and moving all social content from the community to the Discord. All lessons related conversations will still take place here though! Join the Discord below and view the full announcement for more details

    JOIN THE DISCORD VIEW THREAD

Tips for memorizing the Fretboard!

William B.

Hot Topic Tourer
  • Nov 11, 2019
    2,157
    1
    3,144
    18
    I haven't done it a much yet, but I guess saying each note out loud as you play it helps.
    Starting on an open string and going up to 12 and than the next string.
    I saw the names changed when you go back from 12 to 0, so probably practice them separately.
    Got a little confused doing both at the same time.
    Another way to further that would probably be to take sections of 4 frets and name those,
    playing it down or up the strings and not up and down the fret board. Good Luck!
    I'm going to practice naming a bit again right now, after reading this :D
     

    Attachments

    • Fretboard-Diagram.jpg
      Fretboard-Diagram.jpg
      85.6 KB · Views: 148
    • Like
    Reactions: Chris Johnston
    Synner Endless Summer Collection

    Leo The Gym Rat

    Free Bird Player
    Nov 11, 2019
    47
    40
    4
    I haven't done it a much yet, but I guess saying each note out loud as you play it helps.
    Starting on an open string and going up to 12 and than the next string.
    I saw the names changed when you go back from 12 to 0, so probably practice them separately.
    Got a little confused doing both at the same time.
    Another way to further that would probably be to take sections of 4 frets and name those,
    playing it down or up the strings and not up and down the fret board. Good Luck!
    I'm going to practice naming a bit again right now, after reading this :D
    I'll try this out too, i once memorized a whole order of a deck of cards!, so the fretboard can't be that hard, Thanks!
     
    • Wow
    Reactions: William B.

    Chris Johnston

    Music Theory Bragger
  • Nov 11, 2019
    759
    10
    1,883
    29
    North Ayrshire, Scotland
    14
    So, I guess you can memorize it either with sharps or flats, right?, Doesn't make that much of a difference, right?.
    You just need to realize which note is corresponding to one another I guess, correct?

    I'd memorize it thinking of both - but starting with Sharps was easier for me if I was Ascending, & Flats if I was descending. The reason you want to know both is so that you can visualize/think of your Major Scales/Keys the easiest way. For example, your first fret on the A string - I call it A# on the video, which is correct, but I usually think of that fret as Bb, because the Bb Major Scale/Key is a lot easier to keep in your mind than the A# one: A# B# C## etc - you can see why :ROFLMAO: Bb would be : Bb, C D Eb, F G A - 2 flats versus LOADS of sharps.

    To be honest, It really doesn't make a massive difference - unless you try to exclusively choose to think of everything in the Sharp side - that will end up confusing you as soon as you try and play in any 'Flat keys' as you'll get what keys like A# give you.

    I tend to be like: A, A# or Bb, B, C, C# or Db etc - just to remind myself that the fret can be both.

    Hope that makes sense!
     

    Leo The Gym Rat

    Free Bird Player
    Nov 11, 2019
    47
    40
    4
    I'd memorize it thinking of both - but starting with Sharps was easier for me if I was Ascending, & Flats if I was descending. The reason you want to know both is so that you can visualize/think of your Major Scales/Keys the easiest way. For example, your first fret on the A string - I call it A# on the video, which is correct, but I usually think of that fret as Bb, because the Bb Major Scale/Key is a lot easier to keep in your mind than the A# one: A# B# C## etc - you can see why :ROFLMAO: Bb would be : Bb, C D Eb, F G A - 2 flats versus LOADS of sharps.

    To be honest, It really doesn't make a massive difference - unless you try to exclusively choose to think of everything in the Sharp side - that will end up confusing you as soon as you try and play in any 'Flat keys' as you'll get what keys like A# give you.

    I tend to be like: A, A# or Bb, B, C, C# or Db etc - just to remind myself that the fret can be both.

    Hope that makes sense!
    Gotcha man, thanks!
     
    • Love
    Reactions: Chris Johnston
    Synner Endless Summer Collection

    Christian Schulze

    Hot Topic Tourer
    Rockstar Student
    Nov 11, 2019
    715
    1
    2,356
    29
    Spain
    5
    From my experience, don't be cute with it. Go note from note on every string with a metronome.

    Start slow.
    One note on every string and keep adding notes. Once you got all natural notes, fill in the gaps (# and b). After kinda knowing where all notes are, take a metronome and cycle through them, even at 40 Bpm and over time increase your BPMs.

    It takes a while but, it worked for me. Bonus if you use the Circle of 5ths.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Ed Seith and idssdi