How to find the notes on the fretboard of a guitar

    02 Feb Notes on the fretboard

    Posted at 18:19h in Guitar & Music Theory by

    Notes on the fretboard of a guitar

    In this article, I’m going to teach you how to find the notes across your guitar’s fretboard using scales C Major and, or, A minor. 

    Using these two scales you’ll practice how to play the same scale across the fretboard, in different positions or from different frets starting on the note C. 

    Using this method you’ll be able to cover 70% of the guitar’s fretboard excluding sharp and flats.

    Once you’ve mastered this step I’ll introduce the circle of fifths. You’ll learn how to find the next major or minor scales by using the scale of C major or A minor. You can choose which scale it is you prefer to work with. 

    The Circle of Fifths will allow you to steadily discover where the sharps and flats are across the fretboard.

    C Major & A minor Scale on Guitar

    The notes of a C Major scale are: C D E F G A B C. The C major scale is the relative to the A minor Scale. It’s called a relative key signature because the A minor and C Major scales share the same number of sharps or flats (0). 

    The A minor scale starts on the note A and finishes on the same note. A B C D E F G A. The C Major Scale, starts on the note C and also finished on the same note, C D E F G A B C.

    Using the C major or A minor scales, you can quickly learn to navigate the fretboard using your regular alphabet from A – G, without worrying about the sharps or flats. 

    Master 70% of the fretboard using the C Major or A minor Scale.

    Starting on the note C for the C major scale or A for the A minor scale, you can quickly master 70% of notes across the fretboard by following these scale patterns.

    These diagrams show that you can play the same scale in different positions allowing you to learn each note on the fretboard by using the C major or A minor scale, whilst still playing the same scale. 

    Practicing the same scale in different positions whilst saying the alphabet as you play each note is the most efficient way to learn where all the natural notes are across the entire fretboard. 

    Circle of Fifths

    Using the circle of fifths for guitar players requires a different approach to what you might have read elsewhere.

    Once you have learned the type of scale’s shape on the guitar without the use of any open strings, we’re then able to move the same shape to a different starting note.

    Practicing the G major scale for example, will allow you to find the F sharps, Practicing the D major scale will allow you to find the F sharp and C sharps.

    The order of sharps Are F# C# G# D# A# E# B#

    The order of flats for the flats Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb Fb

    Circle of Fifths DofE

    G Major Scale on Guitar

    Using the C major or A minor scale you’ll be able to find the note G. Use the same major scale ‘pattern’ as you did for C major, to play the G major scale. Practice all positions starting from the correct fret. 

    These frets could be fret 3 string 6, fret 5 string 4, fret 13 string 6, fret 10 string 5. 

    Looking at the circle of 5ths, you’ll be able to see that there’s now 1 sharp for the key of G. “F# sharp”. As before, practice saying each note whilst practicing the scale, but now you’ll want to say F# rather than F. 

    Using this method means that you can steadily discover the F sharps across the fretboard. 

    The relative for G Major is E minor. Remember the relative key signature shares the same number of sharps or flats and is also 3 notes from its counterpart. E (minor) F G (major).

    The notes in order for the G major scale are: G A B C D E F# G.

    D Major Scale on Guitar

    The relative of D major is B minor.

    Using the C major or A minor scale, we can now find the note D. The D note will now be our starting point because we’re in key of D.

    The Circle of Fifths tells us that the the D major scale uses 2 sharps. F sharp and C sharp. 

    Using either of these scales, we can now discover where the F sharps and C sharps are across the fretboard. As before, practice saying each note as you’re practicing the scale. 

    The D Major scale follows the same pattern as C major because the type of scale is the same. 

    The order of notes for the D Major scale are: D E F# G A B C# D. 

    https://mkguitartuition.vhx.tv/videos/the-d-major-scale-1

    A Major Scale on Guitar

    The relative of A major is F# minor.

    Using the C major or A minor scale we can find the note A. The note A will now be our root (starting) note because we’re in the key of A. 

    The key of A major and F# minor, allows guitarists to now discover which frets notes G# sharp.

    As we work our way through the different major and minor keys we’re steadily identifying the notes of the gaps between which occur when we played the C major scale across our fretboard. 

    As before, practice saying each note whilst playing the scale. 

    The order of notes for the A Major scale are: A B C# D E F# G# A

    E Major Scale on Guitar

    The relative of E major is C# Minor.

    Using the C major or A minor scale, locate the E note. Keeping the pattern the same but start from the note E. 

    This key signature allows us to learn where the D# sharps are on the guitar’s fretboard. 

    The order of notes for the A Major scale are: E F# G# A B C# D# E

    B Major Scale on Guitar

    The relative to B major is G# Minor. 

    Using the C major scale we want to locate the B note which is the 7th degree or 7th note of the C major scale. 

    The B major scale will allow us to identify where the A# sharps are on the guitar’s fretboard. 

    The order of notes for the B Major scale are: B C# D# E F# G# A# B

    F# Major Scale on Guitar

    The relative to F# major is D# Minor. 

    Use either the C major or A minor scale to locate the note F# sharp. We will now be learning where the E# sharps are. 

    The E sharp note is actually the same fret as the note F. The name enharmonic is used to describe 2 different names which sound the same in pitch. 

    Key signatures that contain flats. 

    Scales or key signatures that contain flats and whether major or minor allows us to find the following notes Bb, Eb, Ab Db Gb Cb Fb.

    Use the C major or A minor scales to locate the root note for the following scales / keys, F major, Bb Major, Eb major, Ab Major, Db major and F# / Gb Major. 

    Remember, there are no sharps or flats for the key of C major or A minor. 

    Once we’ve located the ‘natural’ or ‘normal’ note from the C major scale, we need to lower that note by a semitone or a fret lower to make that note either a Bb, Eb, Ab Db Gb Cb Fb.

    To remind you, the notes of a C major scale are, C D E F G A B C. 

    To play a major scale that starts on the note Bb we need to flatten the ‘B note’ once we’ve found it using the C major scale. 

    For F major, we need to keep the root note the same.

    F major

    The relative of F major is D minor.

    The scale of F major allows us to find the note Bb flat across the guitar’s fretboard. 

    Use the C major scale from all positions to locate the F note. This allows you to identify possible starting points.

    The notes of an F Major Scale are: F G A Bb C D E F

    Bb major

    The relative of Bb major is G minor.

    The scale of Bb Major, allows guitarists to find notes Bb and Eb.

    Using the C major scale from all positions to locate the B note. This locates all possible starting positions. Then, move one fret to the left to find the correct starting or root note. ‘Bb’.

    The order of notes for the Bb Major scale are: Bb C D Eb F G A Bb

    Eb major

    The relative of Eb major is C minor.

    The scale of Eb Major, allows the guitar player to find the Bb, Eb, and Ab. 

    Using the C major scale from all positions to locate the E note. Then, move one fret to the left to find the correct starting or root note ‘Eb’.

    The order of notes for the Eb Major scale are: Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb

    Ab major

    The relative of Ab major is F minor.

    The scale of Ab Major allows guitar players to find notes Bb Eb Ab and Db, 

    Using the C major scale from all positions to locate the A note. Then, move one fret to the left to find the correct starting or root note ‘Ab’.

    The order of notes for the Ab Major scale are: Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb

    Db major

    The relative of Db major is Bb minor.

    The scale of Db major allows guitarists to find notes Bb Eb Ab Db and Gb. 

    Using the C major scale from all positions to locate the D note. Then move one fret to the left to find the correct starting or root note ‘Db’.

    The order of notes for the Db Major scale are: Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db

    Gb major

    The relative of Gb or F# major is D# minor.

    The scale of Gb major allows guitarists to find  notes Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb. 

    Using the C major scale from all positions locate the G note. Then move one fret to the left to find the starting or root note ‘Gb’.

    Conntect these scales across the fretboard.

    The order of notes for the Gb Major scale are: Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb

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