BEST WAY TO MASTER FRETBOARD NOTES

[Fergie Fulton]

:scowl: Why are you looking at your left hand? You need to get to a point where you just know where the notes are without looking, something I try to enforce from lesson one so the habit doesn't begin. Your arm/fingers/muscles to to know, not your eyes as you don't play with those!

Always a problem that develops without the reason to sight read, stands to reason if your eyes are reading the music, and your periferal vision is watching a conductor, then you cannot be looking at your hands.

When we learn we use line of sight on both hands, one to look at the fret, then a look at the string we pluck, or visa versa. The need to look at our hands diminishes as we progress, the reading of music ends any association with visuals of the instrument....our ears tell us what we are doing. With trained players this is all over and done with in months, because the need to read and play overrides any failings in technique.
I would even add that not being able to read and play would get the player throwing out/off the course/training because they are not cut out for it after a year.....come back when you are ready sort of deal.

I know many great players that look at their hands, they have a great ear and that suits them and their situation fine. I even worked with a guitarist that never looked at the neck, and I mean never. But put him on a stage with low lighting, moving lighting, or lights that would glare him and it becomes an issue. It's like, he does not have to look because that is his choice, but knowing if he wanted to look, but not see anything, that is not his choice...I think it is a control thing more than anything, but he cannot play well in those situation, and that excuse of seeing the neck is what he uses.........even though we all know he never looks at the neck.

 

[MarkMgibson]

It's a bit like learning to touch type. I never look at the keyboard when I'm typing, and while I do sometimes look at the fretboard, I don't really have to. I agree that this is probably due to reading music - your eyes can't be in two place at once.

 

[Mushroo]

Look at your left hand if that's what it takes to play the correct note. Better that than not looking and playing the wrong note.

 

[Ubersheist]

Reading music has really helped me learn the fretboard. Also, practicing scales in every key and calling out each note.

These. It also helps to sing (not just say) the notes as you play. It helps practice your vocals, and it's always a crowd pleaser when you can double your own solos with your voice.

 

[Squanch72]

These. It also helps to sing (not just say) the notes as you play. It helps practice your vocals, and it's always a crowd pleaser when you can double your own solos with your voice.

Do you guys sing notes or sing the intervals? Plus how do you know you are singing the right note, like it is a pitch thing right. I read this all the time sing the note but what does it mean. Is there something online to guide? Like I get do re me fa, yadda yadd going from low to high, but how do you know you are singing it right?

 

[MarkMgibson]

Do you guys sing notes or sing the intervals? Plus how do you know you are singing the right note, like it is a pitch thing right. I read this all the time sing the note but what does it mean. Is there something online to guide? Like I get do re me fa, yadda yadd going from low to high, but how do you know you are singing it right?

I'm not sure I quite understand your question, but try recording yourself when you practise. Whether you're just singing the notes you play, or are singing harmonies, as soon as you listen to a recording, you'll know if your pitch is right. Recordings don't lie. I did this for a long time before I ever sung a song on stage. It helps a lot.

 

[Ubersheist]

Do you guys sing notes or sing the intervals? Plus how do you know you are singing the right note, like it is a pitch thing right. I read this all the time sing the note but what does it mean. Is there something online to guide? Like I get do re me fa, yadda yadd going from low to high, but how do you know you are singing it right?

It means that the two should always match. The pitch and timing of what you sing should be the same. There's a few ways to approach it, and lots of instances to use it.

First, play a bass line, phrase, melody or a scale on bassthat you're very comfortable with. Then play the same thing while singing an octave or two higher. After that, try singing a phrase or "mary had a little lamb" or something without playing, and then playing the same thing while singing the same phrase. If it sounds out of tune, then you're singing wrong. When the two don't really sound the same, play it over until it does.

Do it while doing exercises or scales of any sort. If you're comfortable with the C Maj. scale, for example, then try it in C7 or C natural minor.

Do it when you're trying to play a solo. Even do it while you're playing a blues shuffle bass line.

It's an exercise that designed to make you treat music like a language, and less of string of forms or bits of other exercises. The more advanced you get, the more complex the singing gets and the playing, and it's more of just "talking" with your fingers then it is playing notes. It makes you think about phrasing, timing and melody, and it'll eventually make you much more of a musical player then a "by the numbers" player.

It's a really good exercise for any player, from beginner to expert. I know guys that are total pros and play circles around most guitarists, but they still do that exercise every now and then.

 

[Squanch72]

It means that the two should always match. The pitch and timing of what you sing should be the same. There's a few ways to approach it, and lots of instances to use it.

First, play a bass line, phrase, melody or a scale on bassthat you're very comfortable with. Then play the same thing while singing an octave or two higher. After that, try singing a phrase or "mary had a little lamb" or something without playing, and then playing the same thing while singing the same phrase. If it sounds out of tune, then you're singing wrong. When the two don't really sound the same, play it over until it does.

Do it while doing exercises or scales of any sort. If you're comfortable with the C Maj. scale, for example, then try it in C7 or C natural minor.

Do it when you're trying to play a solo. Even do it while you're playing a blues shuffle bass line.

It's an exercise that designed to make you treat music like a language, and less of string of forms or bits of other exercises. The more advanced you get, the more complex the singing gets and the playing, and it's more of just "talking" with your fingers then it is playing notes. It makes you think about phrasing, timing and melody, and it'll eventually make you much more of a musical player then a "by the numbers" player.

It's a really good exercise for any player, from beginner to expert. I know guys that are total pros and play circles around most guitarists, but they still do that exercise every now and then.

Thanks, that question has been in my head a long time. I can tell what note I am playing by physically looking at the fretboard or a keyboard, but the singing deal always threw me. Like a singer saying change the key, how the heck do they know what key they are in, kind of thing, or when someone says that person is singing flat. I do always count in my mind intervals when playing scales, I need to start singing them as well.

 

[Squanch72]

You guys helped point me in the right direction. I found this guitar ear trainer and think this will be really useful to hearing scales, intervals, and figuring songs out by ear.
Invalid Link Removed

 

[baddarryl]

Pacman's method in the Sticky is pretty good.

 

[willop]

you can mark the notes on the neck (masking tape and a pen), or use a sheet with them on it with the strings/frets drawn.

Then play the scales up and down WHILE SAYING THE NOTES OUT LOUD.
Go up and down a string at a time, then start with open e and go across the next (efg on 4, abc on 3, def on 2, gab on 1) then move up the neck and do it again. and again.

do it before/at the end of every practice and in no time you'll know the notes. Don't worry about flats/sharps as they're easy to move to once you know the 'white keys', so to speak.

the chord thing may work - I don't yet know the chords as I"m starting from square 1.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

Yes, the circle glued to your instrument plus the notes in the fret pasted to several of the frets, works in my World.

We had a neighbor sit in on a jamming session just the other day, he is a PhD, thus a quick study, but, new to the ukulele, One of the guys tuned his uke to open D and then put chord names on masking tape at the necessary frets.

Why not, got him playing songs with us and that is why he bought that uke in the first place. Person calling the song would tell him; "Go to D, OK the A is coming up, watch my hands and change when I do." In thirty minutes he was keeping up and having fun. Course we called every song to be in the Key of D for the rest of the day.

Cheat sheets, aka reference material, or visual aids, if you like those terms better. I'm sure someone has already mentioned the decals you can slip under the strings....... Invalid Link Removed

IMO use what ever it takes, this is after all a hobby for most of us.

 

[Fl3tch3rb0y]

Think learning shapes is a good way to go...When you play live your not really thinking notes as such but in fact chord shapes eg: GMaj7 / CMaj7 / D7 etc So in knowing shapes really helps your subconscious take over. So you go for a Chord shape or a modal shape and its a bit like driving a car, when you change gear you press the clutch pedal and then apply the gas but this is all done without thinking!

 

[casper_morgan]

Flash cards?

that actually seems like a really effective approach.. i just may try that

 

[willop]

So many ways to learn...may have to learn it all.
I got a tab of Truckin' by the grateful dead and it was making little sense to me until I wrote out the notes. There is a pattern/shape to it as well. It all sort of goes together.

As I learn music theory it makes sense and starts to come together, but as has been mentioned, you have to be able to play it as easily as you shift gears or talk or the like - if you have to stop and think you'll be left behind.

So hence...practice, practice, practice!