Guitar notes on the fretboard

In this lesson we are going to learn the names of each of the musical notes, where they are located on the fretboard of the guitar, and the best way to memorize their positions.

Why? Getting to know the names of the notes on the guitar fretboard is the way to achieve a solid understanding of music. It is the way to gain independence and to start thinking for yourself, enabling you to make your own decisions to beneficially affect the way you play the guitar, for example:

Changing the position on the fretboard so that you play the notes in search of a better and more comfortable fingering.
Discovering different ways to play each chord, arpeggio or scale.
Changing the key of a song.
Improvising inside the key.
Anticipating the sensation caused by certain notes and their context.
Playing score music.

Distance between the notes on the fretboard: The distance is measured using steps, and every fret you move is a half step.

When you move from the first fret towards the second fret you move a half step.
When you move from the eighth fret towards the ninth fret you move a half step.
When you move from the sixth fret towards the fifth fret you move a half step.
When you move from an open string towards the first fret you move a half step.

Thus, for greater distances just add the half steps:

When you move from fret 1 to fret 3 you move a half step + a half step = 1 step or a whole step.
When you move from fret 1 to fret 4 you move a half step + a half step + a half step = 1½ steps.
When you move from fret 8 to fret 12 you move 2 steps.
When you move from fret 8 to fret 19 you move 5½ steps.
When you move from fret 6 to fret 4 you move 1 step or a whole step.

Guitar strings: Each open string is a different note.

The first string (the thinnest one) is the note E.

The second string is the note B.

The third string is the note G.

The fourth string is the note D.

The fifth string is the note A.

The sixth string (the thickest one) is the note E.

Major scale (diatonic): This scale is without doubt the one that sounds the most familiar to us, the one for which we already know the names of the notes: C, D, E, F, G, A and B. We can measure the distances between the notes of the scale using steps.

Between C and D there is a whole step or 2 frets.
Between D and E there is a whole step or 2 frets.
Between E and F there is a half step or 1 fret.
Between F and G there is a whole step or 2 frets.
Between G and A there is a whole step or 2 frets.
Between A and B there is a whole step or 2 frets.
Between B and C there is a half step or 1 fret.

To locate the notes of the diatonic scale on the fretboard of the guitar, just follow the distances between the notes starting on the open strings.

In the image above, note that some positions are blank. For these we use the terms ‘sharp’ and ‘flat’.

# → Sharp → increases half a step, or 1 fret higher.

b → Flat → decreases half a step, or 1 fret lower.

If you have a C on the first fret, by consequence the note on the second fret is called C sharp (C#), which means a C plus a half step. It can also be called D flat (Db), which means a D minus a half step.

Different names for the same notes:

C# = Db D# = Eb E# = F F# = Gb G# = Ab

A# = Bb B# = C Fb = E Cb = B

Yes, there is an E#, a B#, an Fb and a Cb, and your knowledge of musical theory tells you when they should be applied.

Chromatic scale: This is the scale that has all the possible notes in it.

C C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A A#/Bb B C

Memorising:

1 – It is important to know the names of the notes in sequence, and this helps you to identify which note is before or after the note you’re currently playing.

C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C

C – B – A – G – F – E – D – C

2 – Knowing the names of the notes of the open strings creates a good reference, determining a starting point to find the other notes in sequence. In consequence, the notes on the 12^th and 24^th frets are the same as those of the open strings. After the 12^th fret everything repeats, fret 1 = fret 13, fret 2 = fret 14, fret 3 = fret 15, etc…

3 – Octave triangles: In any position on the fretboard, the relationship between the notes is the same.

4 – Open string sequence: The same sequence appears on the fretboard at the 5^th and 7^th frets.

The 6^th open string (or 12^th fret, or 24^th fret) is the same note as the 7^th fret, 5^th string.
The 5^th open string (or 12^th fret, or 24^th fret) is the same note as the 7^th fret, 4^th string.
The 4^th open string (or 12^th fret, or 24^th fret) is the same note as the 7^th fret, 3^th string.
The 3^th open string (or 12^th fret, or 24^th fret) is the same note as the 8^th fret, 2^th string.
The 2^th open string (or 12^th fret, or 24^th fret) is the same note as the 7^th fret, 1^th string.

The 5^th fret from the 6^th string is the same note as the 5^th open string (or 12^th fret, or 24^th fret).
The 5^th fret from the 5^th string is the same note as the 4^th open string (or 12^th fret, or 24^th fret).
The 5^th fret from the 4^th string is the same note as the 3^th open string (or 12^th fret, or 24^th fret).
The 4^th fret from the 3^th string is the same note as the 2^th open string (or 12^th fret, or 24^th fret).
The 5^th fret from the 2^th string is the same note as the 1^th open string (or 12^th fret, or 24^th fret).

5 – 3^rd, 5^th, 7^th frets of the lower strings: This is the diatonic scale sequence starting on the note G. The same idea is applied from the 10^th fret.

Guitar notes on the fretboard

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