To learn the fretboard, learn the notes on the 6th and 5th strings first, because they are the roots of the barre chords, then learn the octave patterns, which let you find any note from a note you know, and then learn the notes string by string, one string a week, until the whole neck is mapped.
How do you learn the fretboard?
To learn the fretboard, learn the notes on the 6th and 5th strings first, because they are the roots of the barre chords, then learn the octave patterns, which let you find any note from a note you know, and then learn the notes string by string, one string a week, until the whole neck is mapped. The fretboard is a grid, with six strings and twelve frets, and the notes repeat every twelve frets, because the octave is twelve semitones, and the 12th fret is the same note as the open string, an octave higher. The 6th string is E, and the notes on it are E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, from the open string to the 12th fret, and the 5th string is A, and the notes on it are A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, from the open string to the 12th fret. The octave pattern is the key: a note on the 6th string has its octave two strings up and two frets up, on the 4th string, and a note on the 5th string has its octave two strings up and three frets up, on the 3rd string, so any note can be found from a note you know, by the octave pattern. The fretboard note finder shows the notes at any fret, and the E major guitar chord is the chord the fretboard is built on.
How fretboard learning works
Fretboard learning works because the fretboard is a pattern, and the pattern is the notes, repeated every twelve frets, and the strings, tuned in fourths, except for the 3rd to 2nd string, which is a major 3rd. The open strings are E, A, D, G, B, E, and each fret raises the pitch by one semitone, so the note at any fret is the open string plus the fret number, in semitones. The 6th string at the 5th fret is A, because E plus five semitones is A, and the 5th string at the 5th fret is D, because A plus five semitones is D, and the pattern is the same on every string, counting semitones from the open string. The octave pattern is the shortcut: a note on the 6th string, at fret n, has its octave on the 4th string, at fret n plus two, and a note on the 5th string, at fret n, has its octave on the 3rd string, at fret n plus three, and a note on the 4th string, at fret n, has its octave on the 2nd string, at fret n plus three, and a note on the 3rd string, at fret n, has its octave on the 1st string, at fret n plus two. The pattern works because the strings are tuned in fourths, except for the 3rd to 2nd, which is a major 3rd, and the octave is twelve semitones, so the pattern is two strings and two or three frets. The G major guitar chord and the C major guitar chord are the chords the fretboard is built on.
Worked example — finding A on every string. The 6th string at the 5th fret is A, because E plus five semitones is A. The octave of that A is on the 4th string, at the 7th fret, because the octave pattern is two strings up and two frets up, and the 4th string at the 7th fret is A. The 5th string at the 12th fret is A, because A plus twelve semitones is A, an octave higher. The 3rd string at the 2nd fret is A, because G plus two semitones is A. The 2nd string at the 10th fret is A, because B plus ten semitones is A, an octave higher. The 1st string at the 5th fret is A, because E plus five semitones is A. The note A is on every string, and the octave pattern finds it, from a note you know. The fretboard note finder shows the notes at any fret.
How to practise learning the fretboard
Practise learning the fretboard one string a week, starting with the 6th and 5th strings, and then using the octave patterns to find the notes on the other strings.
- Learn the notes on the 6th string, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, from the open string to the 12th fret, and test yourself with the fretboard note finder.
- Learn the notes on the 5th string, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, from the open string to the 12th fret, and test yourself.
- Practise the octave pattern, finding the octave of a note on the 6th string, on the 4th string, two frets up, and the octave of a note on the 5th string, on the 3rd string, three frets up.
- Play the I–V–vi–IV progression in C major and find the root of each chord on the 6th and 5th strings, naming the note as you play it.
- Learn one string a week, 6th, then 5th, then 4th, then 3rd, then 2nd, then 1st, until the whole neck is mapped, and test yourself with the fretboard note finder.
Common mistakes
- Trying to learn the whole fretboard at once — The fretboard has 72 notes, six strings and twelve frets, and trying to learn them all at once will overwhelm the brain, and none of them will stick. Learn one string a week, starting with the 6th and 5th, and the fretboard will be mapped, one string at a time.
- Memorising without understanding the pattern — The fretboard is a pattern, with the notes repeating every twelve frets, and the octave patterns connecting the strings, and memorising without understanding the pattern will make the learning slow. Learn the pattern, and the notes will follow, because the pattern is the map.
- Never testing yourself — A player who never tests themselves will not know what they have learned, and what they have forgotten, and the learning will be vague. Test yourself with the fretboard note finder, naming the note at a random fret, and the test will show what you know.
Quick reference
This table shows the notes on each string, at the open string, the 5th fret, and the 12th fret, so you can see the pattern working on every string. The 12th fret is the same note as the open string, an octave higher, because the octave is twelve semitones, and the 5th fret is the note a perfect 4th above the open string.
| String | Open note | 5th fret | 12th fret |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th string | E | A | E |
| 5th string | A | D | A |
| 4th string | D | G | D |
| 3rd string | G | C | G |
| 2nd string | B | E | B |
| 1st string | E | A | E |
Use the table to learn the fretboard: find the open note, count five semitones to the 5th fret, and twelve semitones to the 12th fret, and the pattern is the same on every string. When you can name the note at any fret, on any string, without looking, you have learned the fretboard, and the whole neck is yours.
Frequently asked questions
How do I learn the fretboard?
Learn the notes on the 6th and 5th strings first, because they are the roots of the barre chords, then learn the octave patterns, which let you find any note from a note you know, and then learn the notes string by string, one string a week, until the whole neck is mapped.
How long does it take to learn the fretboard?
A few months, with daily practice, one string a week, because the fretboard has 72 notes, and the brain learns them slowly, one string at a time. A player who practises for five minutes a day, every day, will map the fretboard in a few months.
What is the octave pattern?
The octave pattern is two strings up and two or three frets up: a note on the 6th string has its octave on the 4th string, two frets up, and a note on the 5th string has its octave on the 3rd string, three frets up, so any note can be found from a note you know.
Should I learn the notes or the patterns first?
The notes on the 6th and 5th strings first, because they are the roots, and then the octave patterns, because they connect the strings, and then the notes on the other strings, one string a week, until the whole neck is mapped.
Can I play guitar without knowing the fretboard?
Yes, but the playing will be limited, because the player will not know where the notes are, and will not be able to find chords, or transpose, or improvise. Learning the fretboard opens the whole neck, and the playing becomes free.