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When playing lead on a six string acoustic or electric guitar, or even when making bar chords, it is helpful to have an overview of the notes of the guitar. While you may not need to memorize every single note, knowing the basics can save you some time and help you become a better guitar player in the process.

Although it may seem tedious at first, understanding the fret board is actually not that complicated. There is a note pattern that simply repeats itself throughout all six strings (note: "b" = flat):

1: F
2: Gb, F#
3: G
4: Ab, G#
5: A
6: Bb, A#
7: B
8: C
9: Db, C#
10: D
11: Eb, D#
12: E

When any of the six guitar strings are played open they have a note. When played open, the top string on the guitar makes the "E" note. On the pattern shown above the note after "E" is "F" (the progression starts over after the 12th note). Knowing this, the first fret of the top string would make the "F" note; the second fret, "F#," and "Gb"; the third fret, "G"; the fourth fret "Ab," and "G#," and so on.

As mentioned, after reaching the 12th note the pattern begins to repeat itself: the 13th fret would be "F"; the 14th "F#," and "Gb"; the 15th "G"; etc.

The open note of the fifth string is "A." Therefore the first fret of that string would be the note after "A" which, according to the progression, is "Ab," and "G#." At that point you would simply continue repeating the progression.

The same goes for the rest of the strings. The third string played open is "D," so you would start at that spot in the pattern and continue.

By Josh Pittman
This article copyright by Josh Pittman. All rights reserved.

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