Fretboard Wizard Question

[petelanger]

I’m not sure how Tony teaches this because I am not a FW subscriber. But there are a number of Fretboard Formulas that deliver the notes up and down the neck

The first formula will allow you to determine any note on the fretboard simply by counting (using the musical alphabet: A – A# – B – C – C# – D – D# – E – F – F # – G – G#) from the open string to the note you are fretting.

There are more formulas but you only need this one to determine the notes. The others are shortcuts to finding notes more quickly once you have memorized a few locations.

[petelanger]

Sorry, I didn’t want to over explain, but if what I posted is still not clear. Follow this procedure:

Alphabet A – A# – B – C – C# – D – D# – E – F – F # – G – G# then start over A – A# – B…..

let’s say your index finger is holding down the the B string on fret 1:

Open B string is a B then the next note in the alphabet above is a C, so fret 1 represents a C note.

If you are holding down the E string on the 3rd fret then following the sequence:

Open- 1 – 2 – 3
– E – F – F # – G

so it’s a G

[Jim C]

Thanks Pete. The image you uploaded made it crystal clear.

I’ve never seen the formula before, only the formulae for major and minor chords.

[petelanger]

And the video that @Pinski posted contains the explanation for that 1st Formula:

The natural musical alphabet consists of whole steps and half Steps

A w B h C w D w E h F w G (B&C, E&F are critical pairs, only 1/2 step apart)

In those intervals with the ‘w’ you find your “accidentals” or sharps/flats resulting in the 12 notes of the musical alphabet or chromatic scale.

A – A# – B – C – C# – D – D# – E – F – F # – G – G#
I put dashes in there so that they remained spaced after posting)
Note that A# is also Bb C# is also Db, etc.

What naturally flows from all this is the second Fretboard Formula:

“The octave of each note is 12 frets higher on the same string,

A appears again, after the G# the next fret is an A, one octave higher than the open string.

[Jim C]

Thanks for this!

[Pinski]

I recommend reviewing and practicing the foundations of fretboard navigation unit. It details the simple patterns that can be used to find all of any particular note on all strings up and down the fretboard. It’s a very helpful tool/skill to be able to find or determine any note without memorizing the fretboard.

https://tonypolecastro.com/courses/foundations-of-fretboard-navigation/

• This reply was modified 6 days, 2 hours ago by  Pinski.

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[Jim C]

Thanks for your reply. However, I’m not sure which section you are referring to within the Fretboard Wizard notebook.

[Pinski]

It’s not in the Fretboard Wizard material. It’s in the “Skills Courses” (one of the options on the left side of the home page screen) under the “Learn the Fretboard” heading.

[Jim C]

I realized that after I sent the reply. You gave me the url for it. I will definitely take a look at it.

[the-old-coach]

Maybe many people focus too much on memorizing where each note is located all throughout the fretboard— as their way of learning. To me— much better to just learn the method…. the formula….

Like others have said, the 12 notes are: A-A#-B-C-C#-D-D#-E-F-F#-G-G#. Period. It is as simple as that.

Whatever string you are trying to figure-out the notes on– just “start” from the open string. (Example- D string…… the fourth fret up the (D) string is F#). (Example 2- G string……. the second fret up the (G) string is A).

You don’t need to memorize every single note everywhere on the fretboard!– you just need to know how to find them….. the method….. the formula.

• This reply was modified 3 days, 14 hours ago by  the-old-coach.

[gmhendersonme-com]

I haven’t done Fretboard Wizard, so I also don’t know how Tony teaches it. It is easy to figure out where all the notes are on the fretboard, but like Coach said, you don’t need to memorize them. There are, however, some patterns to find out notes a bit quicker than just counting up from the open string. For instance, the fifth fret of each string is the open note of the next string ( except when we get to that darn B string, in which the fourth fret of the G string is the same note ). Also, moving toward the body of the guitar, the octave ( 8th note ) is 2 strings and 2 frets higher than the note you are fretting ( once again, this changes due to the B string ). It may help to have a landmark, with many choosing the 7th fret since the notes ( from low to high ) spell B-E-A-D…. then F# and back to B. I’m new to all this fretboard stuff and the theory, but I figure I may want to learn it at some point.

[the-old-coach]

GMH–

Indeed, there are a few “tricks” to easily find note-locations (relative to each other).

(example– you don’t need to memorize exactly where every, say, G note is— as you suggest— you just need to know the formula(s) to get from to the other). There are plenty of little tips and hints- (they are all good– and they ALL work!).

I didn’t want to “go there” in my post– because I would have phrased things badly and maybe made them more confusing.

I still have waaay more to learn, but the key (on this subject) was just to spend some serious time messing-around with this on my own. We’re all gonna learn this a little differently from others.

Your explanation is good.

(my “landmark” is at the fifth fret— where the notes are A-D-G-C-E-A—- (I remember it as “All- Dogs- Go- Crap- Everywhere- Always)

• This reply was modified 3 days, 13 hours ago by  the-old-coach.