Importance of fretboard memorization?

[MarkRhodes]

What is your base fingering system?

What are my choices? Somewhere along the line, I picked up 'one finger per fret and you slide up with the pinky and slide down with the index.' I didn't know there was another fingering system. Well, three-notes-per-string scales for sped metal, but I haven't done that in decades.)

I really liked what you said about learning a tune in all possible fingerings will cut down the number of tunes you learn. I've wondered about this, and in general, the idea of "playing everything all over the neck for maximum freedom on the instrument." I wonder how "maximum freedom" became a main goal for many guitarists. (NB: I know one should be able to play all over the guitar, or at least all the places one can playably reach on the instrument, and I picked up from Mickey Baker playing things chromatically up and down the neck, so that's not an issue. But the idea of playing EVERYTHING everywhere seems misguided to me. Life is short.)

[whatswisdom]

What is your base fingering system?Reg

Definitely 2nd finger. It's like a ballet dancer's pirouette. BTW, a great exercise to develop left hand and equal finger strength is to play scales in octaves (in first position for maximum benefit). Gb major is best for this. Linear, in thirds, sequence, etc. Also try chromatic scale in octaves starting on 6th string open E and ending on 1st string G#.

[Reg]

Yea... I use 2nd finger base... as I've posted. It works well.

I did all the exercises many moons ago... Don't have the time anymore... I play Octaves all the time at gigs... I'm sure I could improve, but I can cover most heads etc...

What I do practice is solo playing... not chord melodies of tunes... just play a chord pattern groove and then solo trying different methods of implying the harmony... melodically. It gives me basic references for possible improve in the future. And always in time... Basically still guitar noodle... with a form and harmonic reference. One of those things I still dig...
Reg

[guitarbard]

We're all different, but, FWIW, just call it 'knowledge' rather then 'memorization', cuz knowledge sticks with you, whereas, memorization tends to fly out the window, with me, anyway,, 'usage' will lead to it,,,,,

[pingu]

there's so many ways to navigate ....

I'm getting into the guide-tone-lines

for example |vi | II7 | ii. V7 | I. |
isn't she lovely etc etc

eg in G
|Em7. |A7. |Am7. D7 |G. |

pick out the line cliche
|D noodle | Db noodle |C noodle |B noodle |

do this in as many places on the neck as you can ....
you're moving a line through the changes
sounds really good

you're not so much running a scale or arp to another scale or arp ....

I don't have a fingering system worked out at all ..... which is working for me at the mo
take that with a pinch of salt cos I'm nowhere
near Reg in facility ... and never will be but i'm starting to play what i hear which is my goal at the moment

[smokinguit]

I agree. I don't like the word memorization when it comes to learning something at a really deep level. It sounds like the kind of thing we do in college so that we can regurgitate on exam. I know my fretboard the same as I know my social security number because I've thought about it a lot. I didn't try to memorize it.

[christianm77]

Hey guys, so I'm starting out learning some jazz and theory stuff, and I was wondering...do you guys recommend memorizing every note on the fretboard? I have thought about it, and in some ways it might be better just knowing scale and chord forms and positions, that way if you change to, say, half-step down tuning, you can still apply everything in the same way. I dunno...I mean I can definitely see how knowing where every single note is on the fretboard would have its obvious advantages too. What do you say?

Memorising the fretboard is a good thing to do. However - how early should this be introduced?

I would say it's kind of a step by step process. It's good to join fingerings together, not get stuck. But you also need something more solid to begin with that gives you a framework.

I usually get my students to practice scales in position in a pretty conventional way. However, once positions (I use CAGED) are mastered, it's then a good idea to develop some flexibility joining the positions up. Also I advise the student to practice intervals and patterns and so on as well as simply going up and down.

CAGED is cool because it relates every scale to a chord shape - I still use this in my own playing, and I'm not ashamed to say it. One of the advantages of the guitar is easy to transpose, and I tend to map everything in relative functions - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 etc based on the key centre or on the chord root.

I suspect this is one of those areas where a lot of different people will say different things.... I am not as good a sightreader as I would like to be, for instance, and perhaps if I spent more time running note names through positions I would be better at this.

I think an important thing to ask is - what are your aims?

[lammie200]

A lot of good suggestions here. I am not sure if anyone mentioned this though. Fretboards usually have dot/block position markers. They are laid out for a reason. If you can recognize the note at a marker on each string somewhere where they are markers that may simplify the process. You can also use the markers to help you figure out which notes end up being the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, etc. of a scale and what they would be in a chord if you focus on just one string. Once you get that down you might be able to start to see how the notes can be applied over multiple strings to facilitate close fingerings.

[henryrobinett]

We're all different, but, FWIW, just call it 'knowledge' rather then 'memorization', cuz knowledge sticks with you, whereas, memorization tends to fly out the window, with me, anyway,, 'usage' will lead to it,,,,,

Old thread! This may be true, but memorization comes prior to knowledge. The step towards complete mastery and total knowledge begins, among other things, with memorization. You can learn to memorize in many different ways.

BTW I don't stress on NOTE memorization as much as shape. I too think that comes prior to the names of the notes.

Even for other instrumentalists, say piano. The shapes are what lend themselves to creative improvisation much more than the rote calling out of note names.

That said I also have my students memorize the natural note names. Not difficult and they form another series of graphical shapes along the fretboard.

[KirkP]

Guitarists who play only cowboy chords can get by without learning the notes on the fretboard.

To use movable chord forms (either barred or fingered) you must learn the notes on at least one string. The same goes for arpeggios and scales.

Typically, intermediate guitarists locate chords based on where the root is on the sixth or fifth string, so they first learn those notes on the fretboard. Of course first string comes for free once you've learned the sixth.

I managed to get by that way for a long time, but I eventually realized that when playing melodies or chords on the higher registers, referencing the scales or arpeggios to the notes on the three strings I knew well was awkward and slowed me down. I think ideally you'd like to know each string like a pianist knows his keyboard. I'm still working to get to that point.

[smokinguit]

This might seem obvious, but unfortunately it isn't for many people. When trying to really learn anything fast, always remember to learn one thing at a time before moving on to the next thing. It's that simple. If you are having trouble learning that one piece of information that means that you skipped over a more fundamental concept.

Everyone is in a rush to learn due to outside pressures (such as deadlines) or a need for instant gratification.
But even in such situations this rule applies. After you've learnt the information, then you may review it at regular intervals if you want to know it the way you know your name. I had trouble learning music because I was not learning in this way.

[guitarbard]

Back to those dots, position markers, whatever you have,,practice in your head, seeing them, and where they are.

[scole]

After you've learnt the information, then you may review it at regular intervals if you want to know it the way you know your name. I had trouble learning music because I was not learning in this way.

Great point. I'm realizing that this is an issue for me.

[coolvinny]

Everyone is different, but for me fretboard "memorization" didn't work but "familiarization" did work. What worked was learning a lot of tunes by ear and learning to play them in different keys - and often practicing with my eyes closed or with my eyes glued to a sheet of "random roots" while I played all sorts of stuff in different keys. I really know my 5th fret to 12th fret well, but am less solid below the 5th fret and especially in the less-played keys like Gb or B natural...this year I am running more things through keys staying in the lower frets to build up my familiarity down there.

[Longways to Go]

This is an interesting topic to me.
I put off learning the fretboard until recently, now it's on the front agenda.
I've noticed that for me the weakest areas are the G & B strings. I'm trying to drill on those notes in particular.
sometimes, I'll wake up at 4am and can't get back to sleep -- I find that's a great time to mentally visualize the fretboard note for note. It's still slow going, but progress is sinking in . . . and I think it is totally worth it.

[AndreeH]

Hey guys, so I'm starting out learning some jazz and theory stuff, and I was wondering...do you guys recommend memorizing every note on the fretboard? I have thought about it, and in some ways it might be better just knowing scale and chord forms and positions, that way if you change to, say, half-step down tuning, you can still apply everything in the same way. I dunno...I mean I can definitely see how knowing where every single note is on the fretboard would have its obvious advantages too. What do you say?

In the beginning it can be easier to focus on scalar muscle memory, learning to hear intervals and scales and modes, however, if you want to develop and become really good, you should definitely learn each note. It will help you get more control over your improvisation.

[wiscart1900]

As a beginner (which I still am)- when playing with people I would voice chords and have no idea where the notes were in the chord. Last year I played in a beginners ensemble and I remember the bass player was playing a sub and told me to leave the fifth out of the chord I was playing. I looked at the chord and although I knew what the fifth of the chord was I had no idea where it was in the chord at hand - and therefore did not know how to leave it out. This stressed to me the importance of knowing the notes of what you play and where they are located both for single notes and chords. How can you take a chord form and alter it if you don't know where the notes are - I guess by memorizing many - many shapes. I am starting to realize its just simply easier to know the notes you are playing.

As a second example I memorized most arrpegio shapes starting on the 6th string. I could play them up and down starting from there. But in the context of a song I would be on the third string and have no idea where I was in the pattern. Now I am finding, slowly, it is much easier to just know the notes. If playing a Cmaj7 and you are on an "E" - any "E" anywhere - isn't just easier to know, if you are playing in order 3 -5 -7 -1, that the next note is G then B then C instead of thinking- where am I in this pattern that starts with the Root note on the 6th string etc....

[mrcee]

Just do it. I can't remember a time when I didn't know the notes on the fb even as a low intermediate player. Every time you pick up the instrument and play ANYTHING take as much time as you need to identify the notes. If you don't know the board you don't know the guitar.

[guitarbard]

LOL, you wrote fb for fingerboard, and I read F flat.