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Fretboard Lessons 2
Guitar
Fretboard Lessons
Part
2 - String/Fret Relationships
In Part
1, we learned the note positions for the first 2 strings on
the guitar, the E and A strings. Now, you could also apply the method we used in part 1 to the other 4
strings, but this lesson will show you a more productive way to learn
the notes for the other 4 strings and at the same time get you thinking
about string relationships.
What do I mean by string
relationships? - basically, how one string at
a certain fret produces the same note as another string at another
fret!
When you know where all the
notes are, lead guitar
will become much easier to execute, especially for improvisation. Also,
chord construction (i.e. different voicings) will be much easier to
understand (e.g. you'll know where a chord tone lies in more than 1
place).
So use the fretboard diagrams
below and let's get this nailed!
String
relationships on the fretboard
In a moment we'll look at some
fretboard diagrams to
see how the 6 strings relate to each other. Assuming you've learned the
first 2 strings from part 1, this shouldn't take too long to master,
and what you end up with is the ability to shift these visual
relationships up and down the fretboard.
So just bear in mind that
these diagrams apply to any position up and down
the fretboard...
1 - E, D and e (high
E) strings

Look at the diagram above.
We established in part 1 that
the low E string is the same note as the high
E string, so if you were at fret 3, you should know that the
low E string would be the note G, therefore the
high E string at fret 3 would also be that note.
Straight away then, if you've
learned the low E string notes, then you'll know the high E string
notes automatically.
The other related string in
that diagram was the D string. All you need to do is look at its
position in relation to the high or low E string -
it's 2 frets higher. So if you fretted the D string at fret 5
it would be the note G because the E string in
its related position would be at fret 3, which you'd know is also G.
Try it - play those string
positions in the diagram above anywhere on the
fretboard. They're the same note.
2 - A, G and B strings
Again, in part 1, you should
have learned all the notes for the A string. So we can use this as our
"base"...

Once again, look at the visual relationship between those three strings
- they're all the same note.
The B string note is 2 frets
below the same note on the A string and 4 frets below the same note on
the G string.
3 - E, D, B and e
strings
This diagram links the first
and the second previous diagrams together...

Again, all the same notes.
The note positions on the E, D
and high E strings we learned from the first
diagram in this lesson, and the B string position we learned from the second
diagram, so we're in effect linking those diagrams together.
The link bridge is between the
B string and D
string positions - they're 3 frets apart. Once you then establish what
the note is on the D string from its relationship
with the B string, you'll know how it relates to both the E strings
from the first diagram.
4 - E, A, G and e
strings

Notice anything familiar in the diagram above? Namely the
relationship between the A and G strings and both the E strings? We've
just linked these together.
The G string position lies 3
frets below the E string positions.
Then, once you know the note
on the G string, you also know how the A string relates to that from
the 2nd diagram!
Link them ALL together
Work on all 4 diagrams above
and learn their relationships. If you were to play the note C,
you should be able to visualise it in all its positions...

You can probably pick out those individual diagrams we've been looking
at. It's just a case of linking them together and practicing
until you can do it almost instantly (no, it won't take long to get to
that stage - you'll surprise yourself!)
Try another one... find all
the note positions (including beyond the 12th fret octave) for G
The tab below has the answer:
Keep at it!
If you're still taking a while to locate the same
note on other
strings, just keep working on this lesson - it won't take long. Like
with anything, your brain will eventually memorise these visual
relationships on the fretboard just like you remember chord and scale
shapes. Keep at it!
The real benefit of these lessons is when you come to construct chords
or scales, because you'll be able to go
through the thought process of... "I need a lower/higher sounding D
note" or something similar, and you'll know almost instantly where to
put your fingers. It'll all fall in to place.
I find these note
relationships really useful for
chord voicings because if, for example, I need a lower/higher sounding chord tone (see
the chord theory section for more on this), I'll know where to find it nearby
and build the chord around it. Music theory is like a map you piece together over time.
Part 3 - Intervals > 

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