Learning Note Names on the E String

I want all my students to know their note names in two ways: on the music staff and on the fretboard. This lesson deals with learning the natural notes on the neck.

Let’s start off learning the notes on just one string, the low E string. And instead of learning all the notes here, we will learn just the ‘natural notes’. Natural notes are the ‘white-key’ notes on a keyboard and have simple letter names like ‘A’ and ‘B’. For now we will skip the notes with sharp and flat names, like “A#” or “Db”. This reveals a pattern that will help us quickly learn the notes all over the neck.

Notice that the open string note name is repeated at the 12th fret, the same note name one ‘octave’ higher. The exercise is to name the notes ascending in pitch, start on the open string E and working to the octave E at the 12th fret. Then, importantly, repeat the 12th fret E note and descend in order through the notes until reaching the open low E.

Notice that there is most often two frets, or a ‘whole-step’ between each of the natural notes. But between two pairs of natural notes, from ‘E to F’ and from ‘B to C’, there is only one fret, or a ‘half-step’. This is the rule, the unbreakable pattern that is true everywhere on the guitar neck and on every instrument in the western world.

Notice this pattern holds true if viewing every note on the neck.

Any place you find a B note the C note is one fret higher. Same for E to F. If you know this pattern and the note the string is tuned to you should be able to name any note on the neck. It might take a bit of counting your way there but give it a try. Once you feel confident on the E string try naming the A string notes next.

We will look at the chromatic notes in an upcoming exercise.

Update: I’ve added a Naming Chromatic Notes lesson.

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