The Guitar Fretboard

The fretboard is one of the many mysteries of the guitar. At first, it makes no sense, but once you understand how it works, it makes a lot of sense.

As an example, let’s look at the keyboard.

The marked keys, starting and ending with red (note: C) and black keys, form a normal C major scale. Most of us can probably sing it or recognize it immediately if someone else sings or hums it.

To achieve the exact same thing on the guitar, it doesn’t look as symmetrically pleasing but rather a bit random.

But why is that?

Fretboard Tuning

Tuning has nothing to do with the mood of the guitar but rather with how a guitar should be tuned.

A guitar has a fourth tuning. This means that each string to the next should have the interval of a fourth.

As always, there is an exception. From the G to the B string, we have a third.

Now we have the vertical tuning of a guitar under control. At least we know how it works.

Now we need the horizontal tuning. From left to right, a guitar is simply built up in semitones. By the way, I just took one string for this. I could have taken another string. It would always be the same.

Intervals on the Guitar

We have already looked at the intervals. However, in my opinion, there are a few intervals that you should know by heart and be able to recognize immediately on the fretboard.

These certainly include the power chords (5th chords):

And of course, the octave:

We have learned that it doesn’t matter where I play a power chord or an octave. I could also play it on the top string or in a completely different fret. However, caution is always advised as soon as the B string comes into play.

Since the tuning from G to B is always -1 compared to the other strings, you have to add +1 each time.

Let’s take the example of the octave.

Normally, I have to go two strings up and two frets to the right for an octave. But since we now have the B string in between, we still have to go two strings up but this time three frets forward.

Here are all (or most) of the intervals on the guitar that you can download

Learning the Fretboard by Heart So how do I learn all these intervals by heart?

The best way is to practice all the notes (e.g., in a C major scale) from the 0th to the 12th fret by heart.

In the example above, we see the notes A-G. By the way, these are all we have. All others are semitones, e.g., G# (on the 4th fret, between G and A).

Now, for this example, find every C on the fretboard (I have marked these in red). Play them one after the other and try to bring some structure into it. Start from the highest string, then play the C from the second highest string, and so on.

Then do the same with B, A, F, and just all the notes on the list. 🙂

Eventually, you will know these notes by heart and can find and play them without any problems. The notes that are still missing will then be easy to play, because if you are asked for a G#, you just have to find the G and move it one fret up.