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For a lot of guitarists,studying the guitar fretboard might seem like a daunting obstacle. Unlike instruments like the piano, 1 note can usually be played in numerous positions and the difference between natural notes and accidentals is not obviously marked. Even permitting for the fact that the fretboard repeats after the twelfth fret, there are still seventy two note positions to learn on a normal six-string guitar! No wonder, a lot of guitar players quickly give up studying the fretboard out of discouragement, however getting a complete understanding of the fretboard can vastly increase music reading as well as improvisation abilities and therefore it truly is well worth the time invested to know both the notes on the fretboard and the relationships among those notes so that you can easily get around the fretboard instantly and fluently.

So what is the most efficient strategy for you to go about strengthening your fretboard comprehension? I'd recommend splitting it down into sections by studying a subset of the notes on the fretboard, as well as navigational patterns in order to help you to find other notes from the ones you currently know. I'd follow a process along these lines:

1) In case you do not know all of them by now, make sure that you can intuitively identify the notes on the open strings: E, A, D, G, B, E (low to high). Bear in mind that they are duplicated on the twelfth fret.

2) Learn the 5 root shapes. These are the shapes which will allow you to you to find the way from 1 note to different notes with the identical note name. They are based on the positions of roots in the regular open chords C, A, G, E and D. E.g., the roots within the C Major chord are at the 5th string third Fret plus Second string First fret. Hence for the note on the Fifth string, you can identify the equivalent note on the 2nd string simply by going down two frets. Corresponding patterns may be found in the other four chords.

3) Learn how to spell out the natural notes over the fretboard. The natural notes are A, B, C, D, E, F, G. You can locate them by counting up from open strings, or simply by applying the root patterns to navigate from notes that you currently are familiar with. When counting up, you go up two frets in order to move up to the following natural note, with the exception of from B to C and also E to F when you simply go up one fret. Concentrate on mastering the positions of the natural notes along the 5th and 6th strings and applying the root patterns to locate the others. Additionally, try to know the notes on the 7th fret to give you a different baseline for navigating.

4) You find accidental notes by simply going up 1 fret for a sharp or down 1 fret for a flat.

5) In order to properly learn a scale, start out with its formula. The formulation defines the space in between every note on the scale in terms of semitones (1 fret), tones (two-frets), and so on. E.g., the formulation for the major scale is "Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Whole, Half". Commence by counting up the scale on a single string.

6) As soon as you can easily play the scale over a single string, you'll want to be able to play it spanning the fretboard, therefore you need to learn how to make whole step and half step jumps between strings. Ordinarily, to be able to shift up a whole step as you move up a string you step down three frets, then for the half-step you shift down four frets. However, when changing from the 3rd to 2nd string you step down 2 frets for a whole step and three for a half-step. Apply this knowledge using the scale formula so as to locate scale shapes across strings whilst moving your hand as little as you possibly can.

7) Repeat this procedure for other scale formulas. For instance, the Natural Minor scale formula is " Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole"

Hopefully that this has provided you several tips for the way to go about studying the guitar fretboard.

One useful application that will assist you when mastering the fretboard is the GuitarCourses.ws Fretboard Trainer. This tool provides training in learning fretboard patterns, but even more powerfully includes a practice section which permits you to effortlessly practice the guitar fretboard shapes on a virtual fretboard so you can practice almost any time, even when not having your guitar.

GuitarCourses.ws is a directory of online guitar courses. If you want to Learn To Play Blues Guitar then check out our list of Online Blues Guitar Lessons
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