Learning the notes on the fretboard

Knowing where the notes are on the neck lets you find chords, scales and riffs in any key. You don't need to memorize all 132 notes at once — use this step-by-step method.

Step 1: The open strings

You already know them: E A D G B E (6th to 1st string).

Step 2: The 6th and 5th strings

These two strings are the most important: the roots of power chords and barre chords live here. Learn the natural notes (no sharps or flats) first:

Use the position markers as landmarks:

• 6th string: G at 3, A at 5, B at 7, C at 8, D at 10, E at 12.
• 5th string: C at 3, D at 5, E at 7, G at 10, A at 12.

To find a sharp, go one fret up; for a flat, one fret down. F♯ on the 6th string is at fret 2; B♭ on the 5th string is at fret 1.

Step 3: Everything repeats at the 12th fret

After the 12th fret, the whole fretboard repeats one octave higher. The 15th fret is the same note as the 3rd, the 17th the same as the 5th, and so on.

Step 4: Octave shapes

Once you know a note on the 6th or 5th string, you can find it on the other strings using octave shapes:

• From the 6th or 5th string: skip one string, go 2 frets up.
• From the 4th or 3rd string: skip one string, go 3 frets up (the B string is tuned differently).
• The 6th and 1st strings are both E, so their notes are on the same fret.

Step 5: Practice a little every day

A simple game: pick a note — say, C — and find it on every string, from low to high, saying the name out loud. Then pick another note. Five minutes a day and you'll know the neck in a few weeks.