Do you know the note names on the fretboard?

  • Thread starter Thread starter HangDawg
  • Start date Start date

Do you know the note names on the fretboard?

  • I know all of them instantly

    Votes: 90 19.3%

  • It takes 1-2 seconds

    Votes: 195 41.8%

  • I only know the open strings and the most common.

    Votes: 47 10.1%

  • More than 1-2 seconds. I use a known note and go from there.

    Votes: 104 22.3%

  • What are notes?

    Votes: 27 5.8%

  • What's a fretboard?

    Votes: 2 0.4%

  • Who are you calling a broad?

    Votes: 2 0.4%
  • Total voters
    467
pff I make up chords without knowing what they are I don't need notes! :D
haha my friends always like: "yeah thats an F#sus 11" (if thats even possible - I don't really care)
 
I dont Know if this has already been posted but....

Check this site out this will help anyone to memorize the fretboard.

I have some fretboard memorization techniques on word doc. if anyone is interested PM me and I will send that to you :)
 
I've got the first 8 frets down instantly, the next few take a while.
 
I know all the note names without even having to think about it.




I just don't know what frets they go with.
 
when i play ..its by intuition and by ear...if i start to think about notes ect then things start to slow down a lot.
 
Sure I do:

A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#

What do I win?

I also know the notes on a piano, if you're interested...
 
i thought i'd drop in with another thought (i already voted like years ago, lol) and btw, i'm in the "it takes 1-2 seconds crowd", except the obvious open strings, 12th fret and certain other "home" notes i use more often (which includes all of 6th and 5th string notes and then their corresponding octaves on 4th and 3rd (that's how i know those, helps on bass too).

anywho, recently in our band we've been trying to add a horn section (all just friends jamming together, no pros) and since trumpet is a Bb transposing instrument and alto sax is Eb, knowing the notes on guitar helps me almost instantly transpose notes and keys - for trumpet it's a major second up, for alto it's the same fret as trumpet on the adjacent lower string - they were surprised at how fast it takes, but it's not me - it's all the guitar (and its tuning). musicians who play most other instruments (except similar string instruments tuned in 4ths) just don't have that sort of visual "interface" to various intervals in music. Even on a piano keyboard it's not as easy to find even a major or minor third of a note, but on guitar it's always "visible".

sure, guitar's "standard" tuning lends itself to being easy to learn without knowing notes (just memorize patterns), but coupled with knowing the notes, even if you're not the fastest player, you can really be a musician, not just "player".
 
Someday you guys will realize that you shouldn't make assumptions about things you really don't know about. Or maybe you won't.
 
GOYA said:
Someday you guys will realize that you shouldn't make assumptions about things you really don't know about. Or maybe you won't.
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Man I'm not trying to put you down. But I actually do know something about knowing the notes on a fret board. And it sure has helped me alot. Saying you have no interest in furthering your knowledge as a musician and especially a guitar player (that is an assumption) is quite ignorant. You will prolly say your a feel it type kind of guy, and thats fine, all of us are, but knowing a bit about your craft can help you get where you want quicker. You gotta know the rules before breaking them. Please don't take this as too hostile, I'm only trying to help.
James
 
didgijimmy said:
And it sure has helped me alot.
Click to expand...

I'm glad it helped you. But please understand that there are guitarists out there who are quite accomplished that have no need for it. And I'm not taking it personally or as an insult. So don't take it as an insult when I say you should open your mind. Not everyone learned the same way you did and not everyone plays what you play. Not everyone speaks to other musicians in that notational language.

didgijimmy said:
Please don't take this as too hostile, I'm only trying to help.
Click to expand...

I can appreciate that. So am I.
 
didgijimmy said:
Man I'm not trying to put you down. But I actually do know something about knowing the notes on a fret board. And it sure has helped me alot. Saying you have no interest in furthering your knowledge as a musician and especially a guitar player (that is an assumption) is quite ignorant. You will prolly say your a feel it type kind of guy, and thats fine, all of us are, but knowing a bit about your craft can help you get where you want quicker. You gotta know the rules before breaking them. Please don't take this as too hostile, I'm only trying to help.
James
Click to expand...
I'm the same way about MIDI.There are some things you can get by without in life,yet you really don't know what you're missing,knowing the notes on yout guitar being one of them.Especially if you want to go onto other instruments.


BTW,I do know all the notes and have a general grasp of music theory.;)
 
GOYA said:
Someday you guys will realize that you shouldn't make assumptions about things you really don't know about. Or maybe you won't.
Click to expand...

if you are talking to me I have assumed nothing.

GOYA said:
"I'm glad it helped you. But please understand that there are guitarists out there who are quite accomplished that have no need for it"[
Click to expand...
that is like someone wanting a job as a welder saying they don't need to know how many amps to set the machine at to weld certain thickness metals. or what polarity to set the machine to tig weld.
for you to say not knowing the fretboard is not needed is just plain wrong with a few exceptions like if you have a God given talent and can shred a guitar then it don't really matter but for the rest of us it does matter a great deal.
sure if your only goal is to play for your own enjoyment or with your buddy's in a cover band and can play by ear and read tabs or have your buddy to show you how certain song's are played (who does BTW know the notes ) you will do just fine. but if your goals are a little higher like playing professionally as a studio musician ect you are not going to get very far.
and I will go as far to say if anyone out there who is an accomplished musician ( accomplished = successful as in making a living as a musician) at least know the root notes and chord progressions.
generally speaking, not even a Church band will use you if you don:t at least know the notes on the fretboard.
that is not being hateful or making any assumptions. that is just the cold hard facts.:)
if I am missing something here please inform me because otherwise I am going to be very pissed for spending all that time and money on my music education if it was all for nothing.:confused:
 
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Roguetitan said:
sure if your only goal is to play for your own enjoyment or with your buddy's in a cover band and can play by ear and read tabs or have your buddy to show you how certain song's are played (who does BTW know the notes ) you will do just fine.
Click to expand...

that can even be trying. if i can't say to the other guitarist, "D, F#, G" and have to say, "chords on 5th string-5th fret, top string 2nd fret" or "you play it like this" for the 3rd time, then he's own his own and better have a good ear 'cause i ain't doin' that.
 
castlerock said:
that can even be trying. if i can't say to the other guitarist, "D, F#, G" and have to say, "chords on 5th string-5th fret, top string 2nd fret" or "you play it like this" for the 3rd time, then he's own his own and better have a good ear 'cause i ain't doin' that.
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I know Exactley what you are talking about. IMO not too accomplished guitarist if a person don't know the notes on the fret/finger board or chord structures.
try this, a lineless fretless bass pretty darn inportant knowing the notes and what they sound like and where they are located on the fret board if you plan to get anywhere on it:)
 
GOYA said:
I'm glad it helped you. But please understand that there are guitarists out there who are quite accomplished that have no need for it. And I'm not taking it personally or as an insult. So don't take it as an insult when I say you should open your mind. Not everyone learned the same way you did and not everyone plays what you play. Not everyone speaks to other musicians in that notational language.
Click to expand...

I actually didn't learn that way either. I learned the same as you, but once I opened myself up to learning a bit more my playing really took off. This combined with music theory helped pull me out of the pentatonic rut and into more chord based vamps and soloing. I thought I would hate theory, but I like it so much that I am taking 4 years of it in college.
All I'm saying is that just like you think I am being closed minded for recommending learning the notes on the fretboard, i think that saying you couldn't care less is far more close minded.
 
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