Notes on the fretboard
How to find any note on the guitar from the open strings, the fret markers and octave shapes.
Essential
Content under musical review. It may contain inaccuracies.
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How to find any note on the guitar from the open strings, the fret markers and octave shapes.
Essential
Knowing the notes on the fretboard lets you understand what you play instead of memorising loose shapes. The good news: you only need three facts. The names of the open strings, that each fret is a half step, and that everything repeats at the 12th fret.
The six open strings in standard tuning, from the sixth (lowest) to the first:
The open sixth string and its 12th fret: the same name, one octave higher.
String 6, Open: E2 · · Scale tone
Here are just the natural notes. Notice there's no empty fret between E and F, or between B and C:
String 6, Open: E2 · 3 · Third
| String | Open | Fret 3 | Fret 5 | Fret 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th | E | G | A | B |
| 5th | A | C | D | E |
| 4th | D | F | G | A |
| 3rd | G | A♯ | C | D |
| 2nd | B | D | E | F♯ |
| 1st | E | G | A | B |
Start with the sixth and fifth strings: they're the ones you'll use most to place the root of barre chords. Name each natural note as you climb: on the sixth string, open E, F at 1, G at 3, A at 5, B at 7, C at 8, D at 10 and E at 12.
Open the fretboard with natural notes Scales, arpeggios & fretboardFretboard notesFind any natural note on any string in less than one bar.Three shortcuts to find your way:
So when a chart asks for a C barre chord rooted on the fifth string, you know the root goes at fret 3.
Pick a note, say D, and find it on all six strings between frets 0 and 12. Play them low to high, saying the name. Tomorrow, another note. In twelve days you'll have covered them all.
String 6, Fret 10: D3 · 1 · Root
One pitch can be played in several places: E4 sounds on the open first string, at fret 5 of the second, fret 9 of the third, fret 14 of the fourth and fret 19 of the fifth. Higher positions on thicker strings sound warmer and rounder. Choosing where to play a note is a musical decision, not just a technical one.
The sixth string reaches E3 at fret 12 and E4 at fret 24, on 24-fret guitars.