What Are The Guitar Notes?

To learn guitar notes, I’ve created an easy interactive lesson . You want to make something that has all the notes of the neck on it. A picture or diagram to refer to, when you need to know where a note is.

You, will need to have a lined index card or lined notebook paper and a pencil with an eraser. You may make mistakes that you want to correct. I know I did when I first tried this.

First: Understand moving up or down the neck, on a string, from one fret to the next is called a ”Half Step”. Moving two frets, up or down, is called a ”Whole Step”. If you have read (Tuning) you know the order of notes is A B C D E F G and then it starts over A B C etc.

Second: The NOTES are always spaced like this: A (whole step) up to B. B (half step) up to C. C (whole step) up to D. D (whole step) up to E. E (half step) up to F. F (whole step) up to G.

IF “(a space)” equals a whole step, and “(no space)” equals half step, it’s easier to read the FORMULA like this.

A BC D EF G A BC D EF G A ( and on, and on) .

NOTICE how B to C, and E to F are always a half step, or one fret “up” from each other. All others are whole steps, or two frets “up” from each other..

LESSON: Take your card with the lines and turn it sideways so the lines are going top to bottom. DRAW a Nut at the top across six lines. ( you pretend the lines are strings) DRAW 14 frets across the 6 strings below the nut. Write in the “open” guitar notes above the nut. ( left is the lowest, or thickest string, we refer to as # 6. You should know this if you’ve read TUNING, if not, we’re all going to wait here for you, so go read it!) SO, 6-E, 5-A, 4-D, 3-G, 2-B, 1-E. LIKE THE PICTURE BELOW. I know it may look crude, but this works so, follow me.

Based on the FORMULA (B and C: E and F are always up half steps: All the others are whole steps) FILL IN THE NECK. SOME FRETS WILL BE LEFT BLANK, THAT’S OKAY.

Now you may need some help, then COPY the one below to see the formula. You fill in the rest.

If you have done this correctly, the notes above the NUT and the 12th fret should be the same going across from left to right. EADGBE. (Every Apple Does Grow By Energy) That’s because everything starts over again at the 12th fret up to the 24th. It is exactly the same!

This is also why I don't provide you with a picture of the finished guitar notes card. You should be able to complete the lesson by yourself.

SHARPS AND FLATS: Those blank frets are both sharp and flat. It only depends on what direction you are coming from. For Example: A down one fret is A flat.

G up one fret is G sharp.

The symbol for sharp looks like the number sign:#.

The symbol for flat looks like small letter b. (Example: the 6th string at the 4th fret is Ab or G#)

Those blank frets have 2 names each!

Now you know all the guitar notes of the entire neck!!! You have a card in case you forget.

You can draw this again any time to test your self.

Try drawing this card from memory only. If you can, you are totally cool! Good Job!

It will make life easier later when you do Power chords, Bar chords or Scales.

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