Tip #2: know how to find an octaveĪn ‘octave’ is a note that has the same letter name as another note. Once you are able to memorize the chromatic scale, knowing the guitar fretboard will come as easy as that. Since each note is one fret apart, it’s simple-the note on the sixth fret on the low E string is A#/Bb. So what would the note on the sixth fret be? If you know the chromatic scale, you’ll know that three notes up from a G is an A#/Bb. According to the chart we just looked at, that’s a G. Let’s say you play the note on the third fret of the low E string.

So how does knowing this help you learn the fretboard? The pattern will repeat itself over and over no matter what note you start on and each note is one fret apart. Starting with a C note the scale is spelled out as follows:Ĭ – C#/Db – D – D#/Eb – E – F – F#/Gb – G – G#/Ab – A – A#/Bb – B – C The ‘Chromatic Scale’ in traditional Western music theory simply refers to every one of the 12 available notes. The point is that both names mean the same note. Same note, same string, same location on the fretboard. At the same time, if you take the D note and raise it one fret you have a D#. If you take the E note and lower it one fret, you have an Eb. So what about the note in the middle on the sixth fret? How to read this note depends on the context and point of view. Go two frets up to the seventh fret and you have an E. This is because these notes are ‘in between’ notes that are identified with just one letter.įor example, look at the note on the fifth fret of the A string-it’s a D. You’ll see that each one has a note with a sharp (#) and a note with a flat (b). You might already have noticed that some notes seem to have two names. Before we get into what we can do to make learning the notes on the fretboard a lot easier, we need to take a look at a complete guitar fretboard diagram, as shown below:

B flat minor key keyboard