Best ways to learn the fretboard

[mixmastermike]

I just picked up the bass about a week and a half ago, and i was curious what you guys suggested as an effective and timely way to learn the notes on the fret board. Should I memorize their locations from charts, should I learn them from learning scales?? Probably a silly question but I really would like to get started on the right foot with this whole thing.
thanks

 

[cnltb]

As a start I'd work on the first five frets on every string.
Playing scales, arpeggios etc. and saying each notes name as you play it is a start that worked for me.

 

[smogg]

As a start I'd work on the first five frets on every string.
Playing scales, arpeggios etc. and saying each notes name as you play it is a start that worked for me.

+1 saying the notes out loud while playing always helps. Learning to read helps speed up the process as well.

 

[Rudreax]

I learned the fastest by learning how to read sheet music. You have to know what you're doing as you're reading, and it forces you to learn where notes are.

 

[Stumbo]

Here's one way: Downloadable fretboard learning file utilizing Microsoft Excel or Excel file reader

 

[cnltb]

+1 saying the notes out loud while playing always helps. Learning to read helps speed up the process as well.

I did not mention reading... Boohhoo
I huge +1 on reading!!!
Get into it early on. Start with appropriate material!

 

[MalcolmAmos]

I just picked up the bass about a week and a half ago, and i was curious what you guys suggested as an effective and timely way to learn the notes on the fret board. Should I memorize their locations from charts, should I learn them from learning scales?? Probably a silly question but I really would like to get started on the right foot with this whole thing.
thanks

The bass fretboard jumped out and grabbed me when I realized the major scale pattern repeats itself over and over on the fretboard. Just have to understand how to place your root note and then the other notes of the scale are waiting in their assigned spot. An evening of studying where the assigned spots are becomes a piece of cake when you are able to visualize the major scale pattern.

Look at the 3rd post on this string - I outline the process there. http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=614196
I just reviewed that string - lot of good information has been added by others. Well worth your time.

Good luck.

 

[Sizlack]

I was struggling with this as well, started working on my scales and read through the sticked post of Pac Man's sure fire scale method (its at the top of this particular part of the forums). This has helped me greatly with learning my fretboard as I go through each scale. I also took it one step further and drew out each scale on a piece of graph paper, showing all notes as I moved down the fretboard.
Looked something like this for the C Major Scale

G-A-B
D-EF
A-BC
EF-G .

--A-BC
--EF-G
--BC-D
-F-G-A

----BC-D
---F-G-A
---C-D-E
---G-A-B

....and so on all the way down the fretboard.

Drawing it out really helped cement it into my brain.

 

[mrnasty]

My bass teacher gave me a drawing of a 4-string fretboard from the nut to the 12th fret. Every week I'd write in the names of the notes on the entire chart. One time I would start at the 12th fret of one string and work down, another week I'd start somewhere else. Now I can immediately name any note on the fretboard.

Unfortunately, the only time this skill ever comes in handy is when a guitar player frets a note and asks what it is.

 

[bubbalow]

Find out what the "Circle of 5ths" is,(also known as the "cycle of 4ths" when going backwards, but we won't get into that now) and how, and why these notes are related. Then perform THESE exercises regularly: Starting with C on the E string, and ending with C on the A string, play a major scale using each note of the circle of 5ths ( C F Bfl Efl Afl Dfl Gfl B E A D G C ) as the root. After getting that, move on to other scales, rythmic exercises, or whatever, etc., using each note of the circle, and maintain a rythmic flow. Do each one for one octave. Cheers, and Have Fun!!

 

[Soverntear]

i just did this and my knowledge of the fret board went up allot. take a bass fret bard chart and copy it out on to another piece of paper

 

[jwbassman]

Find out what the "Circle of 5ths" is,(also known as the "cycle of 4ths" when going backwards, but we won't get into that now) and how, and why these notes are related. Then perform THESE exercises regularly: Starting with C on the E string, and ending with C on the A string, play a major scale using each note of the circle of 5ths ( C F Bfl Efl Afl Dfl Gfl B E A D G C ) as the root. After getting that, move on to other scales, rythmic exercises, or whatever, etc., using each note of the circle, and maintain a rythmic flow. Do each one for one octave. Cheers, and Have Fun!!

This is an extremely good way to learn the fretboard., and it's also a great technique and timing exercise. I use a play along cycle of 4th cd and use it to practice scales, patterns on scales, arpeggios, etc. Major, Minor and Dominant. I do this about 3 to 4 times a week. It's a great exercise no matter what your skill level. You can start each scale on the E string, then do each scale on the A string, then move on to starting each scale on the D string (really helps with positions shifts, as you have to shift to complete the scale).

 

[Bassmickeyd]

You have to train/teach the hand, the mind and the ear all at the same time.
Example; writing it down doesn't help you're ear to hear pitch or your hands to learn position.

Playing arpeggios up and down the neck in every key, in every cord variation, in every position. That way your hands, your mind and your ears are all working and learning together. Eventually that should lead you to being able to play all song forms, no matter how difficult, anywhere up and down the neck without getting lost.
But there is no short cut to hours, days, weeks, months, years of practice this will take.

 

[mambo4]

+1 to memorizing the circle of fifths. A bass is tuned in descending fifths, so knowing the order will help you quickly identify each string at a given fret.

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 knowledge via experience.

 

[Bojo]

Hello,

I tried using the crappy method of learning every note on one string then on the second string etc... that's a very inefficient method.

I'm using the following method:

I learn one note at a time:
- I learn where is C everywhere on the neck, "everywhere on the neck" is the key.
- then I learn where is A everywhere on the neck.
- etc...

At the same time I learn to READ those notes on the paper.do that at the same time that do not require much more energy.

I try, at first, to learn each note independently to each other. If I want to play a D I don't want to think about any trick to get to this note like: I know where is C so D is related to D etc...

Learn one note every other day and you will know your neck pretty fast !

I've seen that on a youtube video and I find this method fantastic and so more simple than any other method.

See:



Or search for "Learn the notes on the guitar fretboard. Part 1 of 3" on youtube.

bOjO

 

[Michael Campbel]

Hello,

I tried using the crappy method of learning every note on one string then on the second string etc... that's a very inefficient method.

I'm using the following method:

I learn one note at a time:
- I learn where is C everywhere on the neck, "everywhere on the neck" is the key.
- then I learn where is A everywhere on the neck.
- etc...

I'm starting this, though in a different context. And man it's difficult, but I think in the long run, it's the best way. Like I said it's hard for me, but my instructor hit me with one of his sayings, "yes, but longer short term is shorter long term". In other words, your immediate jumps in knowledge take a little longer, but in the long run you'll learn the entire thing quicker.

 

[becker4567]

I just want to congratulate you on asking for help and listening to these guys. I know several people who thought that they could lean bass on their own (after all, it's just bass), and went nowhere fast. Welcome to the club!

 

[Bassmickeyd]

You may eventually learn all the notes then you'll have to learn how to connect all the dots. Why not learn all your arpeggios, major and minor at least, which are the dots, then memorize the notes while you play them.
And remember if it's worth learning it's not supposed to be easy. It's only difficult when we think it's difficult. The more we do it the more natural it becomes.

 

[Bojo]

Hey, his question was "what you guys suggested as an effective and timely way to learn the notes on the fret boar"

So I answer by telling the method I use, I never said it was the best, I said it works great for me after trying some other ones. That's it.

Of course it's WAY better to take lesson 1 or 2 times a week with an excellent teacher but some people including me are far to have the money for that.

So if you have any comment maybe just tell us what your method is, that will be more constructive than cynical comments about other posts.

____________________________
I'm trying so very hard to be nice! : You're not trying hard enough

I just want to congratulate you on asking for help and listening to these guys. I know several people who thought that they could lean bass on their own (after all, it's just bass), and went nowhere fast. Welcome to the club!

 

[crustychef]

this is fun and helpful
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