Learning note names on bass?

[teleharmonium]

And why is this? Why not just name the notes A-J. I mean, the spacing between frets is the same between notes A and A# as between B and C. I'm so confused.

Sorry for the stupid question. I have absolutely no musical experience (obviously) . . .

There is no satisfying practical answer for this question. It goes back to the earlier days of European music.

My understanding is that the notation goes back to the use of a single scale, which was what we now call the aeolian mode which predates the ionian mode (major scale) as the most widely used scale in European music, with the use of A as the first letter name being a vestige of this. The need for describing other notes and then other starting points led to the use of modifiers for the 7 notes in the primary scales. Later this contributed to the development of equal temperament which helped promotes using more keys because the intervals are consistent.

If it had been designed from the get go for equal temperament without favoring any particular style of harmony, yes, it would have made more sense to use more letters or to use numbers or some other set of identifiers which might be more suited to looping around in each octave for intervallic calculation.

 

[squiresuzuki]

And why is this? Why not just name the notes A-J. I mean, the spacing between frets is the same between notes A and A# as between B and C. I'm so confused.

Sorry for the stupid question. I have absolutely no musical experience (obviously) . . .

Because most scales (the major scale, minor scale, all modes) have 7 notes. Therefore, A-G.

The reason there is no B# and no E# is because in the C major scale, B-C and E-F are the only locations of half steps.

Of course, technically, B# does exist, but it's impossible from only listening to tell the difference between a B# and a C, because they are the same note.

 

[tnabrams]

Here's a quick method:

2. Since you know the open strings, you know the 12th fret--same thing (just an octave higher).

3. At the 5th fret, the note is the same is the next highest open string (and the same octave). For example, E string, 5th fret is A.

4. Since the 12th fret is the same as open string, the 17th fret is the same as 5th (just an octave higher)

5. At the 7th fret, the note is the same as the next lowest open string (and the same octave). For example, A string, 7th fret is E.

6. Since the 12th fret is the same as the open string, the 19th fret is the same as the 7th (just an octave higher).

Now look at the fretboard. You know the open string and the 5th, 7th, 12th, 17th and 18th frets already. These are your landmarks. If you pick any fret at random, you are no more than three frets away from a landmark. You know the chromatic scale, right? Practice counting from the landmarks.

Of course, there is more to learning the fretboard than just being to figure out which note is where. But you do have to know which note is where.

Good luck!

I'm having the same problem as OP, and I found this to help momentously. Thanks a lot for that contribution SBK!!

 

[gaudenti]

And why is this? Why not just name the notes A-J. I mean, the spacing between frets is the same between notes A and A# as between B and C. I'm so confused.

Sorry for the stupid question. I have absolutely no musical experience (obviously) . . .

Thanks for the replies. I went and found too much info!

Skytopia : Tuning & Music Scales Theory - Why are there 12 notes in Equal temperament?

 

[KingRazor]

I just played the major scale a lot. That helped me. Also knowing things like the 12th fret of any string is the same note as the open string, just one octave up. The 5th fret of a string is the same as the open string above it (5th fret of E string is A). Eventually I just memorized most of the notes. I can't just put my finger on any random part of the fretboard and know what note it is right away, but I can look at what notes are close to it and figure it out.