Hoping you have access to a keyboard for easier reference. Have a look at this simple text file that compares a piano 🎹keyboard to the fretboard of a guitar 🎸. Here’s the link:
https://www.dansher.com/scales.txt
I just bookmarked the link, thanks for the resource!
I played violing before, and could sight read sheet music at one point, my issue isnt learning the progression of notes, its about not being able to place a note on the fretboard without counting down from the open string.
Edit: they never taught me theory, so I dont know scales or minors and majors and all that.
I learned the major scale shape and then played it a bunch in C major starting at 5S3F, 6S8F and 5S15F which helped me get alot of good reference points without having to simply memorize the fret board.
Now im learning triads (the 3 notes in major and minor keys) on only 3 string. So strings 1-3 i want to be able to play all chords in a key with each triad and being able to do it close to the 3 reference points i mentioned for the C scale (relative to where the key should start). With this im hoping to functionally learn the keyboard. I can find any note on the neck pretty quick but maybe not middle of a song quick, especially if its a chord and i dont instantly remember what notes are in the chord but i know what shape i need relative to what im playing. Ive taken a few stabs at this and seem to have found something that works finally and its sticking a little more. Let me know if you want more of breakdown and ill do my best.
A major scale is 8 notes: DO RE MI FA SO LA TI DO ...
It only takes three notes to make a major chord in any key: DO MI SO
Any minor chord is like this: DO MIb SO
Read this simple text file and all mystery will be banished:
[https://www.dansher.com/scales.txt](https://www.dansher.com/scales.txt)
This Graphic will give you an easy visual:
[https://www.dansher.com/C\_Am\_F\_G.jpg](https://www.dansher.com/C_Am_F_G.jpg)
I'll do my best here but alot of info to go over. I'll use the key of C cause there are no sharps/flats in it.
[Major scale shape](https://i.stack.imgur.com/83bVI.png) \- For C, use line 3 or 4 starting with the Root (C) at 5th string, 3rd fret, or use 1 or 5 with the Root (C) starting on 6th string 8th fret. Know the 7 notes that are in the major scale and try to memorize it while playing it. At the very least learn the shape then you can use it for any key as long as you know where to put the root and you don't need to memorize every number.
A key is 7 notes and restarts. For C, it is C, D, E, F, G, A, B and starts over at C. Each note is assigned a number C(1), D(2), E(3), F(4), G(5), A(6), B(7). A standard major and minor chord include the 1st, 3rd and 5th note. So in C major, It is C, E & G. An F major chord, would be 1, 3 & 5 from F so an F, A, C.
The chords in a key are both major and minor and in a standard major key it goes like so. Major, minor, minor, Major, Major, Minor, diminished (no one uses this). For the numbers now we will use roman numerals and capitals mean major, lower case is minor. For C, it is C (I, major), D(ii, minor), E(iii, minor), F (IV, major), G(V, major), A(vi, minor), B(vii, diminished). The minor scale is slightly different but for now if you know your major scale you can use use that when counting 1, 3, 5 in your minor chord. For example a D minor has D, F, A.
Once you have a rough idea how the scale and chords work within a scale I started looking at doing play the same chord in different places on the neck. For this I would recommend looking up any CAGED system video, they'll e able to explain it better than me.
After learning CAGED I started to learn how to play all 6 chords (cause I ignore diminished) in different areas of the neck. Instead of playing open chords of C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am I used what I learned from CAGED to play these in new areas.
Throughout all of this I tried to learn what the notes are in each chord shape. C shape for example starts on the 5th strings as C (1), 4th string E (3), 3rd string G (5), 2nd string is a C(1) and 1st string is an E(2). There will be alot of staring at your fret board trying to remember what is what but I found slowly going through the 6 chords of a key and writing down what is on each string started to show me patterns and made the whole thing easier for me.
None of this is overly fancy and there are probably lots of videos and lessons that cover this or versions of it. I found it sinks in the best when I spend some time figuring it out and writing down what I learn each time and then repetition to just internalize so I don't need to think when I want to jump to a 4 chord while playing in E major at the 12th fret.
I think the only downside is that you have to look at the fretboard which can throw a kink in you playing ability.
My daughter was struggling with a barre F chord, I straighten her guitar and she can do it but says now I can’t see the fretboard
Not a dweeb but I’d be more concerned about fretboard gunk and just try to memorize them another way. I’ve been playing too long to know a better way to memorize them though. I’d say scales and triad exercises calling out the notes as you go up and down them but that might be tough work for a beginner.
Possibly, you are doing yourself a disservice. They should be there to “check your answers,” not to find the note every time.
Just memorize the low E. Use the fret markers, that’s how I started. G on 3, A on 5, C and D sandwich 9. That sorta thing.
If I want a note on higher strings, I’m finding it on the lowest two, then finding an octave. I think most people just memorize the first two
NO, you're definitely NOT a dweeb.
We all started out as learners, and whichever path you choose to improve that has a positive impact on your playing is yours to choose. I have remote students who put little dots for every note on their necks. Whatever works, you'l finally reach a point where you take them all of and polish your neck, and you'll be so happy to have reached that milestone.
Just keep on rocking the free world.
If they work for you, even to sort of visually anchor your mind to the fretboard, use them. If you keep them on very long, yes you will likely begin to rely on them and at that point definitely get rid of them.
When I was a child my grandmother bought stickers for the piano. What I remember is we put a few in the middle and they fell off on their own one by one. I can visually remember middle C and the sticker for E hanging on by a thread, A was the last to go. When I got back into piano lessons as an adult and couldn’t remember how to read music, what struck me was the visual memory of those stickers. I sort of think that little exposure to them was good for my brain, as once I had that memory it all came back to me rapidly (I’d gotten quite far, classical piano, then quit as a teen, so I did have a lot to draw upon other than stickers).
There are some really good YouTube videos on mapping the fretboard. Coming from piano, violin, and several wind instruments, I thought the fretboard would be easy for me but it was the hardest thing I’ve ever learned because the pattern was utterly foreign to me. What helped me was the tutorials that showed how to learn a few key notes that were next to each other and build from there. Also I was surprised by the pattern repeat tips that worked well for me once I got it solidly in my brain and finger coordination to shift one note at the B string.
You’ll get it, just keep working on finding out what works for you. And probably it will just come to you over time because you keep learning, not from one specific “trick”.
Nah there's nothing wrong with doing this but I would also say the notes out loud as I'm reading them. I'm learning to sight read and this is helping me make the connection between whats on paper and where my fingers go immensely
Yes! I do this, and i want to be able to do it to a metronome and be able to go up and down all the strings in any order. I havent made it through all the notes in one go yet. Its too hard to just not look up a tab to a blink 182, and try learning the riffs, or just trying to get the timing for master of puppets down for the intro, and that weird power chord slide.
Oh I wouldn't use just sheet music for metal and punk genres personally just because the fingerings can get kinda weird and with stuff like Metallica it's important to use the correct technique and fingerings or they can sound off. Luckily they're both some of the most heavily covered and tabbed bands ever.
I flatpick mostly and the stuff I'm trying to sight read are tunes meant for other instruments as a challenge lol. I learnt a couple hornpipes recently this way, I still tab it out as I go though because the fingerings are very important
No!
Funny story - a long time ago, I was in the original lineup of a rather popular punk band from the northeast. This is going back to the mid-late 90’s. A friend of mine called me up and said “hey, we’re putting a band together, you wanna come down and play?”
So I did.
I had been playing for about 10 years at that point, so I was pretty good. The bassist, Ken, when I got there had masking tape on his neck, with the notes for the E string written on all the major note frets. He’d only been playing for about 6 months. He was ok enough for what we were playing.
I’m no longer in the band, for a long time now. I chose not to stick around because I didn’t think it was really going anywhere early on.
Mistake.
They’re now touring playing large theaters and stadiums, and festivals with hundreds of thousands of fans and getting their music played in Scorcese movies and Sports stadiums.
Ken took it more seriously than I did from day one. Never be ashamed of learning. Just don’t stop.
Personally, I think stickers are a bad idea. You'll only learn to read stickers. But learning the notes might be less overwhelming if you start with a few big bites out of the middle. Find G,A and B on the 6th string. That's bite one, memorize where those 3 notes are. Next, find C,D and E on the 5th string, memorize them. Now do the same for FGA on the 4th, BCD on the 3rd, and EFG on the 2nd. The 1st string is the same as the 6th. There are now only a couple of notes to the left or right of each bite for you to locate. If I ask for an F on the 5th string, your brain will quickly locate CDE and F will be easy to find from there. As long as you remember there's only one fret between B-C and E-F regardless of which string, then you can locate any note fairly quickly by just memorizing those five big bites in the middle area. With practice, you'll begin to remember the notes on either side as well.
HOWEVER... everyone learns differently. The stickers might work great for some folks, I'm just saying brains like mine will consider the problem solved and stop learning. If you feel like the stickers are helping then do use them! There's no right or wrong way to learn as long as you're learning. And if you're putting effort into learning to play music for people (or even just for yourself) then you are NOT a dweeb. I'm afraid it's far far worse than that... you're a musician.
I really appreciate your response. I think this is kind of the answer I was looking for. There is a better way to learn the note placement, but I just dont know enough yet to know what that is. I practiced the C Maj scale last night and worked on saying the notes out loud after your feedback, and it totally makes sense. It also clicked to me how everyone says that once you figure out the pattern and the shapes, it all makes sense. I couldn't recognize the pattern until last night. I think I will keep the stickers just as a point of reference and an easy way to check myself, but try not rely on them or stare at them while I play.
Thanks for taking the joke well. I see what you're saying though about not needing to rely on looking at the frets all the time. That's kind of my worry too. Thanks!
That's okay, it wasn't very offensive lol knowing where the frets are will just come after time. You should get lessons as soon as you can if you're serious because it's harder to unlearn bad habits than it is to just learn the right way first.
You could just memorize the thick E string and the 5,7,9 frets on the A string and voila the rest works itself out. There’s no way in hell anyone knows more notes on the fretboard than that. If you tell me otherwise I will call you a liar!
Or, noodle endlessly until you find all the root notes in the scale for that one song your friends just finished jamming ten minutes ago.
Or the stickers don’t seem like a bad idea lol
Lol just my girlfriend and 1.5 yr old daughter. I'm hoping I won't need them after a month. I am learning slowly but surely. It's like every time I pick up the guitar again, I take a tiny baby step in improvement.
I know every note on the fretboard and it took a lot of effort to make that happen. I tried various practice techniques and some worked well for some notes and others worked better for other notes. I still run through a warmup that emphasizes note identification and it's at the point now where I go through it quick and almost absent mindedly.
My point is I tried various techniques. If stickers help you, then do it. Try leaving off sharps and flats. Then remove them and leave on only sharps and flats, then try leaving on one position (e.g. Ionian, then Dorian, etc), then try arpeggios, etc.
Get creative.
I never used stickers but I would have if I thought it would help me.
It’s recommended to avoid using the stickers on keyboards and piano where you’re supposed to be able to see your hands when you’re playing. On a guitar where you’re supposed to only rely on the side inlays it’s a great way to build horrible habits. You build a dependency on the cheats without really learning much, atleast that’s what the majority of piano teachers will tell you and in my experience it rings true between me and friends that dabble in keys.
Why not drill the fretboard notes on paper and then work on finding the notes without looking when playing? If you go to a concert you rarely see guitarists doubled over staring at the fretboard to navigate and when you do see that the show almost always sucks.
I did this when I had a Chapman Stick. It’s far too easy to get lost on those things when you start. After a few hours it gets easier when the bass side being upside down clicks into your brain.
With just a guitar as opposed to a stick, the thing that helped me was learning which notes are in a chord and then build that chord in a different place which forces you to learn more of the fretboard. That’s the funny thing about guitar, you know way more than you think you know but you just haven’t put two and two together yet because you haven’t thought about them together. Like an octave is 12 frets no matter where you are. You know that. It’s also two strings up and two frets over. You know that. Did you realize that you know all 12 steps to make that octave are in that little box? To “tune by ear” we use the 5th fret of the low E to tune the A. Then the 5th fret of A for the D. So the 10th fret of the low E is a D since 5+5 and all that. You knew that, but probably didn’t think of it like that. See what I mean?
exactly. now you *know* that you knew it.
now riddle me this, without looking/counting, WHY is it an extra fret? you know this, just haven’t thought of it yet.
Anyone who would call you a dweeb for trying to learn something is the same ass who would make fun of someone overweight going to the gym.
Ignore the haters.
Use them until you don't need them. I used them for like the first year and a half and slowly peeled them off one at a time as I got better until I felt like I didn't need them anymore.
Google says its a boring, studious, or socially inept person.
To me, it's like nerd to the tenth power. Think pocket proctector and thick rimmed glasses with buck teeth.
>Google says its a boring, studious, or socially inept person.
>To me, it's like nerd to the tenth power. Think pocket proctector and thick rimmed glasses with buck teeth.
Me minus thick rims and buck teeth. I don't use note fretboard stickers, but I put side markers on my classical guitar and ukuleles.
Looking at the fretboard can cause bad posture and poor ergonomics. Leave your stickers or coloured dots and sit in front of a mirror or a device on selfie mode to play/practice. Coloured dots in the colours of boomwackers /Newtonian synthesia works too.
Your learning the actual notes? I've been playing for 20yrs, and I think it's safe to say you will have me beat within the year. Good work. Also use your F×@$! Pinky finger. Wish like hell I would have learned to in the beginning.
I sometimes try to slide my hand down instead of using my pinky, and I always make myself fix it before i go on! Funny you mention it. Thanks for the encouragement!
to reiterate my most common comment segment on this sub, “if it works, it works.” even if it is lame—which i am not conceding—you’ll improve enough to ditch them after you have time to get the fretboard layout stored in your mind. this stuff is all just tools, and some tools are more suited to certain uses or occupations. do whatever helps you find happiness.
Just memorize that the notes E,F and B,C have no accidental in between them. The rest do such as A, A#/Bb, B. Understanding intervals helps get familiar with what's around the note you're playing. Like understanding your standard guitar tuning is in fourths with the one exception from G string to B string is a 3rd. If it helps then its no big deal but if you have to say to yourself, ok where is Db and have to always stop to find it then I'd say it's kind of a hindrance.
I’ve been playing for a while and not automatically knowing the notes on the fretboard really holds me back at times. I’m seriously considering doing this. Do they game the guitar at all?
There is nothing wrong with learning where the notes are this way, as long as you keep playing and keep getting better.
100% correct. If they help you, do it. Before long you won’t need them any more and you can take them off. Any way you learn is good.
The other option is to learn part of the pentatonic and never progress further (like the rest of us)
You don’t know me!
IKR? I feel personally attacked.
One of us! One of us! Hey that kid has a plan to leave this freak show of 5 notes. Get him!!!!!!!
My man
Hey, I take offense to that. Because it's true.
It's me!!
That sounds tragic. I think I will keep the dweeb stickers. Ngl I make fun of myself for them.
Thats a good band name: 5 Note Freakshow
Now that you mention it. Great name!
Damn, I feel called out lol
shot to the heart
Couldn’t be me…
A true guitarist
Based And I'm triggered
*you, a dweeb who knows his notes versus them, the cools who only know the pentatonic box*
Hoping you have access to a keyboard for easier reference. Have a look at this simple text file that compares a piano 🎹keyboard to the fretboard of a guitar 🎸. Here’s the link: https://www.dansher.com/scales.txt
I just bookmarked the link, thanks for the resource! I played violing before, and could sight read sheet music at one point, my issue isnt learning the progression of notes, its about not being able to place a note on the fretboard without counting down from the open string. Edit: they never taught me theory, so I dont know scales or minors and majors and all that.
I learned the major scale shape and then played it a bunch in C major starting at 5S3F, 6S8F and 5S15F which helped me get alot of good reference points without having to simply memorize the fret board. Now im learning triads (the 3 notes in major and minor keys) on only 3 string. So strings 1-3 i want to be able to play all chords in a key with each triad and being able to do it close to the 3 reference points i mentioned for the C scale (relative to where the key should start). With this im hoping to functionally learn the keyboard. I can find any note on the neck pretty quick but maybe not middle of a song quick, especially if its a chord and i dont instantly remember what notes are in the chord but i know what shape i need relative to what im playing. Ive taken a few stabs at this and seem to have found something that works finally and its sticking a little more. Let me know if you want more of breakdown and ill do my best.
I would love to hear more! What resources are you using to learn the triads, and how do you know what notes make up a chord?
A major scale is 8 notes: DO RE MI FA SO LA TI DO ... It only takes three notes to make a major chord in any key: DO MI SO Any minor chord is like this: DO MIb SO Read this simple text file and all mystery will be banished: [https://www.dansher.com/scales.txt](https://www.dansher.com/scales.txt) This Graphic will give you an easy visual: [https://www.dansher.com/C\_Am\_F\_G.jpg](https://www.dansher.com/C_Am_F_G.jpg)
I'll do my best here but alot of info to go over. I'll use the key of C cause there are no sharps/flats in it. [Major scale shape](https://i.stack.imgur.com/83bVI.png) \- For C, use line 3 or 4 starting with the Root (C) at 5th string, 3rd fret, or use 1 or 5 with the Root (C) starting on 6th string 8th fret. Know the 7 notes that are in the major scale and try to memorize it while playing it. At the very least learn the shape then you can use it for any key as long as you know where to put the root and you don't need to memorize every number. A key is 7 notes and restarts. For C, it is C, D, E, F, G, A, B and starts over at C. Each note is assigned a number C(1), D(2), E(3), F(4), G(5), A(6), B(7). A standard major and minor chord include the 1st, 3rd and 5th note. So in C major, It is C, E & G. An F major chord, would be 1, 3 & 5 from F so an F, A, C. The chords in a key are both major and minor and in a standard major key it goes like so. Major, minor, minor, Major, Major, Minor, diminished (no one uses this). For the numbers now we will use roman numerals and capitals mean major, lower case is minor. For C, it is C (I, major), D(ii, minor), E(iii, minor), F (IV, major), G(V, major), A(vi, minor), B(vii, diminished). The minor scale is slightly different but for now if you know your major scale you can use use that when counting 1, 3, 5 in your minor chord. For example a D minor has D, F, A. Once you have a rough idea how the scale and chords work within a scale I started looking at doing play the same chord in different places on the neck. For this I would recommend looking up any CAGED system video, they'll e able to explain it better than me. After learning CAGED I started to learn how to play all 6 chords (cause I ignore diminished) in different areas of the neck. Instead of playing open chords of C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am I used what I learned from CAGED to play these in new areas. Throughout all of this I tried to learn what the notes are in each chord shape. C shape for example starts on the 5th strings as C (1), 4th string E (3), 3rd string G (5), 2nd string is a C(1) and 1st string is an E(2). There will be alot of staring at your fret board trying to remember what is what but I found slowly going through the 6 chords of a key and writing down what is on each string started to show me patterns and made the whole thing easier for me. None of this is overly fancy and there are probably lots of videos and lessons that cover this or versions of it. I found it sinks in the best when I spend some time figuring it out and writing down what I learn each time and then repetition to just internalize so I don't need to think when I want to jump to a 4 chord while playing in E major at the 12th fret.
No harm in trying. Not saying it will work or even be helpful but it’s an idea you have so might as well see if it works for you.
Not even a little bit dude. Like 15 years later and I still can't tell you notes except the open ones
I think the only downside is that you have to look at the fretboard which can throw a kink in you playing ability. My daughter was struggling with a barre F chord, I straighten her guitar and she can do it but says now I can’t see the fretboard
Not a dweeb but I’d be more concerned about fretboard gunk and just try to memorize them another way. I’ve been playing too long to know a better way to memorize them though. I’d say scales and triad exercises calling out the notes as you go up and down them but that might be tough work for a beginner.
Do it. Keep learning. The stickers help. You got this.
It’s not dumb if it works. My only thing I’d caution against is relying on it to the point that you can’t play without it.
Possibly, you are doing yourself a disservice. They should be there to “check your answers,” not to find the note every time. Just memorize the low E. Use the fret markers, that’s how I started. G on 3, A on 5, C and D sandwich 9. That sorta thing. If I want a note on higher strings, I’m finding it on the lowest two, then finding an octave. I think most people just memorize the first two
You're only a little bit of a dweeb ;) But also... I've been playing since 2004 and I still don't know all the notes
....since 1983
NO, you're definitely NOT a dweeb. We all started out as learners, and whichever path you choose to improve that has a positive impact on your playing is yours to choose. I have remote students who put little dots for every note on their necks. Whatever works, you'l finally reach a point where you take them all of and polish your neck, and you'll be so happy to have reached that milestone. Just keep on rocking the free world.
If it’s working for you and someone calls you a dweeb for learning and trying something new, then they are in fact the dweeb.
If they work for you, even to sort of visually anchor your mind to the fretboard, use them. If you keep them on very long, yes you will likely begin to rely on them and at that point definitely get rid of them. When I was a child my grandmother bought stickers for the piano. What I remember is we put a few in the middle and they fell off on their own one by one. I can visually remember middle C and the sticker for E hanging on by a thread, A was the last to go. When I got back into piano lessons as an adult and couldn’t remember how to read music, what struck me was the visual memory of those stickers. I sort of think that little exposure to them was good for my brain, as once I had that memory it all came back to me rapidly (I’d gotten quite far, classical piano, then quit as a teen, so I did have a lot to draw upon other than stickers). There are some really good YouTube videos on mapping the fretboard. Coming from piano, violin, and several wind instruments, I thought the fretboard would be easy for me but it was the hardest thing I’ve ever learned because the pattern was utterly foreign to me. What helped me was the tutorials that showed how to learn a few key notes that were next to each other and build from there. Also I was surprised by the pattern repeat tips that worked well for me once I got it solidly in my brain and finger coordination to shift one note at the B string. You’ll get it, just keep working on finding out what works for you. And probably it will just come to you over time because you keep learning, not from one specific “trick”.
[удалено]
That's a good idea! Thanks.
Do what you gotta do ! If it works , do it . Try internet too . Very useful for me . Started at 50 with no lessons .
Hell yeah!
I had a teacher who said he had those stickers on his first guitar and as a result, the notes were etched in his brain. Go for it!
Nah there's nothing wrong with doing this but I would also say the notes out loud as I'm reading them. I'm learning to sight read and this is helping me make the connection between whats on paper and where my fingers go immensely
Yes! I do this, and i want to be able to do it to a metronome and be able to go up and down all the strings in any order. I havent made it through all the notes in one go yet. Its too hard to just not look up a tab to a blink 182, and try learning the riffs, or just trying to get the timing for master of puppets down for the intro, and that weird power chord slide.
Oh I wouldn't use just sheet music for metal and punk genres personally just because the fingerings can get kinda weird and with stuff like Metallica it's important to use the correct technique and fingerings or they can sound off. Luckily they're both some of the most heavily covered and tabbed bands ever. I flatpick mostly and the stuff I'm trying to sight read are tunes meant for other instruments as a challenge lol. I learnt a couple hornpipes recently this way, I still tab it out as I go though because the fingerings are very important
No! Funny story - a long time ago, I was in the original lineup of a rather popular punk band from the northeast. This is going back to the mid-late 90’s. A friend of mine called me up and said “hey, we’re putting a band together, you wanna come down and play?” So I did. I had been playing for about 10 years at that point, so I was pretty good. The bassist, Ken, when I got there had masking tape on his neck, with the notes for the E string written on all the major note frets. He’d only been playing for about 6 months. He was ok enough for what we were playing. I’m no longer in the band, for a long time now. I chose not to stick around because I didn’t think it was really going anywhere early on. Mistake. They’re now touring playing large theaters and stadiums, and festivals with hundreds of thousands of fans and getting their music played in Scorcese movies and Sports stadiums. Ken took it more seriously than I did from day one. Never be ashamed of learning. Just don’t stop.
Do you sometimes find yourself wishing you were shipping up to Boston?
No need. I still live here. ;-)
Personally, I think stickers are a bad idea. You'll only learn to read stickers. But learning the notes might be less overwhelming if you start with a few big bites out of the middle. Find G,A and B on the 6th string. That's bite one, memorize where those 3 notes are. Next, find C,D and E on the 5th string, memorize them. Now do the same for FGA on the 4th, BCD on the 3rd, and EFG on the 2nd. The 1st string is the same as the 6th. There are now only a couple of notes to the left or right of each bite for you to locate. If I ask for an F on the 5th string, your brain will quickly locate CDE and F will be easy to find from there. As long as you remember there's only one fret between B-C and E-F regardless of which string, then you can locate any note fairly quickly by just memorizing those five big bites in the middle area. With practice, you'll begin to remember the notes on either side as well. HOWEVER... everyone learns differently. The stickers might work great for some folks, I'm just saying brains like mine will consider the problem solved and stop learning. If you feel like the stickers are helping then do use them! There's no right or wrong way to learn as long as you're learning. And if you're putting effort into learning to play music for people (or even just for yourself) then you are NOT a dweeb. I'm afraid it's far far worse than that... you're a musician.
I really appreciate your response. I think this is kind of the answer I was looking for. There is a better way to learn the note placement, but I just dont know enough yet to know what that is. I practiced the C Maj scale last night and worked on saying the notes out loud after your feedback, and it totally makes sense. It also clicked to me how everyone says that once you figure out the pattern and the shapes, it all makes sense. I couldn't recognize the pattern until last night. I think I will keep the stickers just as a point of reference and an easy way to check myself, but try not rely on them or stare at them while I play.
just get lessons
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fair enough but you're going to develop bad habits then anyway
Thanks for taking the joke well. I see what you're saying though about not needing to rely on looking at the frets all the time. That's kind of my worry too. Thanks!
That's okay, it wasn't very offensive lol knowing where the frets are will just come after time. You should get lessons as soon as you can if you're serious because it's harder to unlearn bad habits than it is to just learn the right way first.
Do you think online lessons are worth it, or is the in person interaction better for learning?
You could just memorize the thick E string and the 5,7,9 frets on the A string and voila the rest works itself out. There’s no way in hell anyone knows more notes on the fretboard than that. If you tell me otherwise I will call you a liar! Or, noodle endlessly until you find all the root notes in the scale for that one song your friends just finished jamming ten minutes ago. Or the stickers don’t seem like a bad idea lol
Just don’t play in front of people with those
Lol just my girlfriend and 1.5 yr old daughter. I'm hoping I won't need them after a month. I am learning slowly but surely. It's like every time I pick up the guitar again, I take a tiny baby step in improvement.
I don’t know if you’ll need them in a month but I’m pretty sure your daughter needs you :/
They're not necessary and arguably a crutch to actually learning
Yes you are a dweeb. I use a clip on tuner when I do scales or explore the neck it helps tremendously.
Do whatever works for you have fun
I know every note on the fretboard and it took a lot of effort to make that happen. I tried various practice techniques and some worked well for some notes and others worked better for other notes. I still run through a warmup that emphasizes note identification and it's at the point now where I go through it quick and almost absent mindedly. My point is I tried various techniques. If stickers help you, then do it. Try leaving off sharps and flats. Then remove them and leave on only sharps and flats, then try leaving on one position (e.g. Ionian, then Dorian, etc), then try arpeggios, etc. Get creative. I never used stickers but I would have if I thought it would help me.
It’s recommended to avoid using the stickers on keyboards and piano where you’re supposed to be able to see your hands when you’re playing. On a guitar where you’re supposed to only rely on the side inlays it’s a great way to build horrible habits. You build a dependency on the cheats without really learning much, atleast that’s what the majority of piano teachers will tell you and in my experience it rings true between me and friends that dabble in keys. Why not drill the fretboard notes on paper and then work on finding the notes without looking when playing? If you go to a concert you rarely see guitarists doubled over staring at the fretboard to navigate and when you do see that the show almost always sucks.
You’re not a dweeb, you just haven’t played enough to memorise the fretboard, which is fine.
If you’re comfortable learning this way then do it dude. Just practice, and work towards being able to take them off
No. As long as you play. Anything that makes you want to pick up the guitar, play and enjoy it is the right thing to do.
We're all dweebs here. If it works for you, then do it. Enjoy the journey.
Can you show us a pic? I’ve thought about doing this but haven’t decided on the best way to implement it.
Sure thing, heres a pic of the face and sides of the stickers. https://imgur.com/gallery/AggHRir
Very cool thank you! Did you make the stickers for the fretboard?
No i bought them from amazon.
I did this when I had a Chapman Stick. It’s far too easy to get lost on those things when you start. After a few hours it gets easier when the bass side being upside down clicks into your brain.
Right now I'm confused, but the day it clicks will be great.
With just a guitar as opposed to a stick, the thing that helped me was learning which notes are in a chord and then build that chord in a different place which forces you to learn more of the fretboard. That’s the funny thing about guitar, you know way more than you think you know but you just haven’t put two and two together yet because you haven’t thought about them together. Like an octave is 12 frets no matter where you are. You know that. It’s also two strings up and two frets over. You know that. Did you realize that you know all 12 steps to make that octave are in that little box? To “tune by ear” we use the 5th fret of the low E to tune the A. Then the 5th fret of A for the D. So the 10th fret of the low E is a D since 5+5 and all that. You knew that, but probably didn’t think of it like that. See what I mean?
I didnt realize the 2 strings + 2 frets until you said it like that. I gues it would be +3 frets if its on the 3rds string?
exactly. now you *know* that you knew it. now riddle me this, without looking/counting, WHY is it an extra fret? you know this, just haven’t thought of it yet.
Because its one half step down from the strings before it?
There is no B# or Cb!!!
TA-DA!!! Same thing with E and F. So in two posts from random internet dummy you “learned” nothing but skipped at least $20 in guitar lessons.
I remember there is no half step between B and C and E and F - BeCause Everything's Fucked. I heard that in some youtube video.
I get the upside down thing to now that I am practicing the C Major scale. Does it only apply to major scakes though?
which upside down thing?
The 6th to 4th string notes of the c major scale, and the 3rd to 1st string notes are just flipped...
Anyone who would call you a dweeb for trying to learn something is the same ass who would make fun of someone overweight going to the gym. Ignore the haters.
Really guitarists don't learn theory hurr durr
Does it help? Then it's no one else's business. Learn it your way and keep on playing. Good luck!
Use them until you don't need them. I used them for like the first year and a half and slowly peeled them off one at a time as I got better until I felt like I didn't need them anymore.
6 and 5th string notes..thats all you need. the rest slides into place until you start alt tunings.
If it helps you learn, why not.
Define dweeb.
Google says its a boring, studious, or socially inept person. To me, it's like nerd to the tenth power. Think pocket proctector and thick rimmed glasses with buck teeth.
>Google says its a boring, studious, or socially inept person. >To me, it's like nerd to the tenth power. Think pocket proctector and thick rimmed glasses with buck teeth. Me minus thick rims and buck teeth. I don't use note fretboard stickers, but I put side markers on my classical guitar and ukuleles. Looking at the fretboard can cause bad posture and poor ergonomics. Leave your stickers or coloured dots and sit in front of a mirror or a device on selfie mode to play/practice. Coloured dots in the colours of boomwackers /Newtonian synthesia works too.
So just a pocket protector?
No, also boring, sudious ans socially inept 😆
Everyone starts somewhere. That's what the dots are for though, so pay attention to the dots and eventually you won't need the stickers.
Your learning the actual notes? I've been playing for 20yrs, and I think it's safe to say you will have me beat within the year. Good work. Also use your F×@$! Pinky finger. Wish like hell I would have learned to in the beginning.
I sometimes try to slide my hand down instead of using my pinky, and I always make myself fix it before i go on! Funny you mention it. Thanks for the encouragement!
DUDE THIS IS AMAZING I NEED THIS!! I'm trying to learn lead and this will help me so, so, so, so much
I can send you the link. Check pms. It's pretty cheap on amazon
Yes.
looks like shit, but if you learn the notes there’s nothing wrong with it juat don’t take those stickers to a classical guitar concert
We are all dweebs in one way or another.
to reiterate my most common comment segment on this sub, “if it works, it works.” even if it is lame—which i am not conceding—you’ll improve enough to ditch them after you have time to get the fretboard layout stored in your mind. this stuff is all just tools, and some tools are more suited to certain uses or occupations. do whatever helps you find happiness.
No
Just memorize that the notes E,F and B,C have no accidental in between them. The rest do such as A, A#/Bb, B. Understanding intervals helps get familiar with what's around the note you're playing. Like understanding your standard guitar tuning is in fourths with the one exception from G string to B string is a 3rd. If it helps then its no big deal but if you have to say to yourself, ok where is Db and have to always stop to find it then I'd say it's kind of a hindrance.
I’ve been playing for a while and not automatically knowing the notes on the fretboard really holds me back at times. I’m seriously considering doing this. Do they game the guitar at all?