How to know your fingerboard

pgrannas · #1 02-07-2008, 05:28 AM

I´ve been playing bass for many years but I´ve never learned where the notes are on the fingerboard properly. Too damn lazy I guess.. Does anyone have any good tips or exercises how to overcome this problem?

phektus · #2 02-07-2008, 05:31 AM

In the sticky: Pacman's sure-fire scale practice method

lmfreeman9 · #3 02-07-2008, 06:07 AM

Try learning the notes to the lowest 5 frets. It's easier then learning the whole thing. Once you've got the first 5 and opens of course, the rest is just repetition.

hunta · #4 02-07-2008, 07:58 AM

Make a blank bass neck up in Excel or something, print it out, and write in all the notes. Do it again and skip a fret, do it again and skip 2 frets ( ie on the E string: E . . F# . . G# . . A#, etc). Write it again and use flats instead of sharps. Do it again with both. Get the idea? I just did this kind of stuff over and over until I couldn't forget it.

Rickett Customs · #5 02-07-2008, 08:18 AM

Theres an exercise I use for my beginning students:

Starting with the open "E" string, call the notes out loud, every "half step' as you move up the fingerboard.

A "bassic" demonstration:

Low E is is depicted on the "Bottom". This should give you an idea.

bassbully · #6 02-07-2008, 08:22 AM

Lazy...i think you admitted it

really thou you have some good info here already to ad one more thou. I think octives really open up the fretboard quickly.Learning octives as well as being huge in your playing gets you right into the next note of the same root just an octive apart but in a diffrent spot on the fretboard where you can then continue the notes from there on. I suck at explaining this so i normally dont

Start at G (on E)then go one string down (to D)two frets over should be the octive of G (hope im right) find the octive and then start conecting them down the fretboard...you will see.I can play but not explain it ...anyone else?

Rickett Customs · #7 02-07-2008, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassbully

Lazy...i think you admitted it

really thou you have some good info here already to ad one more thou. I think octives really open up the fretboard quickly.Learning octives as well as being huge in your playing gets you right into the next note of the same root just an octive apart but in a diffrent spot on the fretboard where you can then continue the notes from there on. I suck at explaining this so i normally dont

Start at G (on E)then go one string down (to D)two frets over should be the octive of G (hope im right) find the octive and then start conecting them down the fretboard...you will see.I can play but not explain it ...anyone else?

Yep, thats right Bully, Octives are cools too.

Heres another fundamental to take down while your at it:

pgrannas · #8 02-08-2008, 02:15 AM

OK, thank you!

Rickett Customs · #9 02-08-2008, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pgrannas

OK, thank you!

PM me if you need and exercises or any other info. Have fun.

mambo4 · #10 02-08-2008, 02:36 PM

when I first picked up the bass I memorized the open strings (EADG) and then memorized each "dotted" fret up to the octave:
open:EADG
3rd fret:GCFA
5th fret:ADGC
7th fret:BEAD
9th fret:C#F#BE
Ocatve:EADG

With those notes memorized, I could quickly figure out "in between" notes based on the dotted ones. If you can instantly find E then you can almost as instantly figure out where E flat is. It was enough to get me by at first.

I never made a deliberate effort to memorize the rest of the neck, eventually I just absorbed the knowledege via experience.

evhest · #11 02-08-2008, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mambo4

3rd fret:GCFA

Small mistake there; A should be A#

uethanian · #12 02-08-2008, 06:40 PM

honestly, i think simply reading sheet music (NOT TABS!) will get anyone quickly comfortable with most of the fingerboard. walking lines are also good, because u really have to think about what note u r going to play before u fret it.

onlyclave · #13 02-09-2008, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uethanian

honestly, i think simply reading sheet music (NOT TABS!) will get anyone quickly comfortable with most of the fingerboard. walking lines are also good, because u really have to think about what note u r going to play before u fret it.

Careful there man. Music playing has become kind of a DYI hobby where instruction including reading standard notation is scoffed at. "Just feel it", "You don't need any of that bonehead music theory", "No dude, E E E E, and then third fret" is what is popular because it's the easy way to make some sounds and if all of our friends speak the same "language" then you can have fun playing music. It's sort of like cavemen with all of the grunting and gesturing and when someone makes a painting on the cave wall then everybody stops what they're doing to stare in awe and then tell Oog to just feel it.

I think if you want to learn the notes on your fingerboard you should seek out a teacher that refuses to do anything with tablature. It's black dots on 5 lines for you! Even better, go take some piano lessons. You have no choice but to learn to read since there isn't any tab with 88 lines and then guess what? You can apply what you learned directly to your bass. Same notes, different method of getting the sounds out.