"Total Fretboard Command!!!"--Here's my guess

[steve66]

Long post but worth it...

I agree that if you know the E string notes, you can memorize the rest. heres how I did it.

Memorize the frets going (down) from E string to G string same fret
E, A, D, G, C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, B

Example: E string 1st fret F (look at the chart above the next note going down is A string: Bb, then D string: Eb, Then G string: Ab)

Memorize going (up) from G string to E String EXAMPLE: 4th fret B (look at the chart below the next note going up is Gb, then Db, Then Ab)

B, Gb, Db, Ab, Eb, Bb, F, C, G, D, A, E


Memorize this order: F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db
and Eb, Ab, Db, Gb ,B

F (when you reach a F, always go down, all notes are accidentals: Bb, Eb, Ab etc..

B (When you reach a B, always go Up, all notes are accidentials: Gb, Db, Ab, etc...

The 6th and 11th frets are are all accidentials

The 12th fret is EADG, the rest of the fretboard then repeats itself

Know where all the F's and B's are on frets 1 - 12

pick a note on the fretboard for example G on the E string 3rd fret
if you play down the strings on the same fret you will get C, F, Bb (check the chart)

(Chordal Scales Cycle)
From the 12th fret E string E note play a major triad (R, 3rd,5th) go one string below play the A (major triad). Now go left to the 10th fret E string Play the D (major Triad) then the 10th fret A string play the G Major triad ..keep this going and following E, A, D, G, C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, B (taken from above). This is known as the chordal circle (most songs follow this chord pattern) say the triad and notes out loud as you go through all of them example E major, E G# B. after your done with the marjors, do minors then dom7.

If you do this when practicing.. you will know the fretboard and what the chords/ intervals sound like in any key

Good Luck

[madbass]

Hey

i tried a software and it really helps on learning the fretboard and another thing with this software i noted that i w3as able to train my ear too!!

try it its free to download and try!

http://www.ruiluis.com/Fret2note/index.html

hope i was usefull

[phektus]

The system described is simply using fourths, which is the way the bass is tuned. So, instead of learning the notes, why not hear them out and memorize the sound of the fourth instead? I find internalizing the sound of the fourth (here comes da bride...) more useful even in just tuning the bass. Intervals are the way to go. Note above the string is it's fourth. You go the other way (to the lower string) and you get the fifth.

[jschwalls]

My instructor would assign me a different random note every week to learn... and the following week he would put on a metronome and have me play that note in every position on the bass. He would also gradually speed up the metronome until he was confident I knew where the note was...
Thats how I came to know the fretboard...
also he would not allow me to find octaves or any other pattern trick.. it had to be the same note in random order on my bass...
needless to say that in 12 weeks I knew my fretboard better than the back of my hand.

[Psychbass]

WARNING:
Non-guitar-playing bassists might get psychosis from repetitively being asked the note-names of the B-string.. All i can say to that is, you never know when you're gonna stumble across a 5-string bass!

There is a bass fretboard warrior that is a downloadable flash program. It is not free, but it's not very expensive. It's nice because it works on Macs and PCs, sounds out the note as well (so you can work on ear training), and will let you choose 4. 5, and 6 string models. I believe however, that it only does frets 0-12 (yes, I know they repeat, but it would be nice to use the whole fretboard).

The only thing that would make it better is if it would run in windowed mode on my Mac and if you could select altered tunings (like drop D).

I use it quite a bit when I'm bored, like when I'm at a really crappy continuing education meeting. It's not as good as playing it on the bass, but it does help.

-Seth