How To MEMORIZE Your Guitar FRETBOARD: The No-Nonsense Exercise That Actually Works

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  • čas přidán 28. 05. 2024
  • Get the FREE eBook of this method for learning the notes: www.musictheoryforguitar.com/...
    Do you have questions about the exercises in the videos?
    Do you want all the details explained?
    Do you want to see me performing the exercises, so you know that you are doing the right thing?
    The eBook will do all that (and contains videos with me practicing every single exercises, with tips and tricks to make your learning easier and faster)
    Hey, it's free
    www.musictheoryforguitar.com/...
    ----
    Complete Chord Mastery course: www.musictheoryforguitar.com/...
    Master of the Modes course: www.musictheoryforguitar.com/...
    -----
    My first guitar teacher was positively great at destroying my motivation to practice.
    That was not an easy task. I was young and playing guitar was such a new thing for me and I was brimming with enthusiasm and I was putting together my first few simple songs...
    ... but every time he mentioned one specific thing... my spirits went underground, and I didn't even want to see my guitar.
    What was sinking my heart at the mere mention of it? What sapped my motivation more than anything else?
    This simple sentence:
    "You need to memorize all the notes on your fretboard!"
    "S-word that, I'd rather learn another song" I thought to myself every time.
    (But I never said it out loud. The guy was big and scary. He was also a hell of a player.)
    See, there are two things you need to know about me...
    1. I have a horrible memory. It's like a seashore: every few seconds a wave hits and deletes everything.
    Or as my wife says: I have a Teflon brain. Nothing sticks to it ;-)
    So memorizing notes on the fretboard is precisely the 'worst case guitar scenario' for me.
    2. I can be incredibly stubborn. (I-grew-my-beard-because-a-former-girlfriend-told-me-to-shave stubborn)
    So I spent year after years and years refusing to learn the notes. Just to make a point.
    I did not want my teacher to "win" that conversation! I'd find another way! I'd show him!
    So I put my time and energy into inventing all possible workarounds to not learn the notes of the fretboard...
    (most of these workarounds were frankly ridiculous)
    ... until I finally had to bite the bullet. Not knowing the notes was holding me back, hard.
    Now, I wish I could tell you that my teacher gave me some magic exercises or some transcendental wisdom to learn the fretboard in minutes...
    He didn't.
    So I had to find them out for myself.
    I spare you the long trial-end-error story and cut to the chase:
    - Learning the notes on the fretboard is one of the most useful things you can practice
    - With the right exercises, it's not even hard. Literally 5 minutes a day for a few weeks to learn them permanently. And when I say 'learn' I mean 'effortless recall'. You just know there they are without thinking, period.
    - If I had any kind of business sense I would have packaged these exercises in a nice and tidy "guitar fretboard for dummies" course and sold it to you. Instead, you are going to get them for free in this video. And you are going to like them!
    Note 1: This is not another "learn your notes in 3 minutes" or "that's the magic pattern that will help you learn the notes". There is no magic pattern - I know because I tried them all. My method may not be not as sexy as some of the videos out there that promise you eternal fame and fortune through note learning, but has one feature that beats all other methods to I've seen so far: it actually works.
    Note 2: Yes, I already had a video on my channel about learning the notes... but in the years I perfected the method. So this is the updated, expanded, "director's cut" version.
    0:00 Intro
    0:50 Why you should learn your fretboard
    3:00 Fretboard Diagram
    3:14 Exercise 1
    5:00 Play, don't memorize!
    6:04 Exercise 2
    7:20 Exercise 3
    8:11 Exercise 4
    9:10 Exercise 5
    9:47 Exercise 6
    11:21 Why you should do the exercises in this order
    12:03 "This is too much work"
    If you like this video, share, like, comment & don't forget to subscribe for more content!
    Need help with music theory for guitar? Check out these FREE resources: www.musictheoryforguitar.com/...
    FOLLOW ME:
    CZcams: / musictheoryforguitar
    Facebook: / musictheoryforguitar
    Twitter: / theoryguitar
    Website: musictheoryforguitar.com
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Komentáře • 3,4K

  • @MusicTheoryForGuitar
    @MusicTheoryForGuitar  Před rokem +59

    If you have any questions on the method above, I have prepared a FREE eBook + accompanying videos where I practice all the exercises on video + I lay down all the details, tips, and tricks to make your learning faster and easier. Get it here: www.musictheoryforguitar.com/guitar-notes.html

    • @nikitathunder
      @nikitathunder Před rokem +2

      Do you need to do all 7 exercises every day or one at a time?

    • @guamitoe-
      @guamitoe- Před rokem +3

      I love how passive aggressive you are in this video. I will follow the rules sir😥….

    • @yvonnecamacho7887
      @yvonnecamacho7887 Před 11 měsíci +2

      what is 5, 12, 7 etc? Notes? Frets?

    • @JohnDukovich
      @JohnDukovich Před 10 měsíci +1

      @@yvonnecamacho7887 fret numbers

    • @floriansilzle8334
      @floriansilzle8334 Před 9 měsíci +1

      Thank you.🖖🏻

  • @actualzafra
    @actualzafra Před 3 lety +3892

    The thick accent just makes him more believable

    • @falconman3534
      @falconman3534 Před 3 lety +19

      classical guitar babeyyytt

    • @giannispata931
      @giannispata931 Před 3 lety +46

      I'm a huge Borat fan

    • @jasonsykes9501
      @jasonsykes9501 Před 3 lety +35

      @@giannispata931 It'sa very NICE!.

    • @tony8me357
      @tony8me357 Před 3 lety +37

      Man im so happy i aint the only one giving credit to him cause of his EPIC accent

    • @kickbiker7920
      @kickbiker7920 Před 3 lety +6

      Indeed! He's just so good and as you say the accent in his second language makes his teaching style much more creditable ...

  • @julesdarulesTM
    @julesdarulesTM Před 3 lety +3717

    In principle it is like a computer keyboard. Nobody could write the keys down by heart in the right order, but you intuitively know where the keys you want to press are.

    • @Josuh
      @Josuh Před 3 lety +290

      This is the perfect comparison lol

    • @Jnthnlws
      @Jnthnlws Před 3 lety +76

      On landed this one right on the head

    • @charliericker274
      @charliericker274 Před 3 lety +94

      Interesting point, but very true. I can type with my eyes closed but I definitely could not write the damn thing out by memory. I know qwerty and asd. . .

    • @ibuetn9294
      @ibuetn9294 Před 3 lety +40

      Wow, that's a good comparison! I think I could write out all the letters by typing different words in my mind and by that somehow "fill the gaps" kind of. But I could never just löst them in order

    • @sartajbhullar3782
      @sartajbhullar3782 Před 3 lety +42

      And that happens with practice . No short cuts

  • @jeremiahis
    @jeremiahis Před 2 lety +49

    “I teach music theory. I’m not a motivational speaker.” Excellent.

  • @ParkerBuhrman
    @ParkerBuhrman Před rokem +383

    I've played guitar here and there for about 18 years in total, and unfortunately have always skipped the basics. This little exercise has helped me so much and I've literally just now only tried it for 5 minutes. I'm extremely excited to have found this and wanted to say thank you!

  • @conor8821
    @conor8821 Před 3 lety +462

    I know you said you weren't a motivational speaker, but tI actually found the whole " if you don't wanna do it, don't do it" part super motivating

    • @braindeadstonehead9500
      @braindeadstonehead9500 Před 3 lety +34

      Yeah I think that's because he doesnt put pressure. I feel more motivated as long as I'm comfortable and that's what I need lol

    • @dudeman5303
      @dudeman5303 Před 3 lety +2

      @@braindeadstonehead9500 exactly

    • @mikekristin7201
      @mikekristin7201 Před 3 lety +14

      That's the defiant part of your brain. The screw you part lol

    • @travis8947
      @travis8947 Před 3 lety +5

      Don’t stless

    • @jahyeet1137
      @jahyeet1137 Před 3 lety +2

      @@mikekristin7201 I can see that 😂

  • @SimonHolcroft
    @SimonHolcroft Před 3 lety +371

    1. Not knowing the fretboard is absolutely a roadblock to your progression as a guitarist, and 2. this may seem absurdly simple, but it definitely works. Easily this is worth more than all the scale or chord books I've bought. Do this !

  • @ezequasians5244
    @ezequasians5244 Před 2 lety +214

    exercise 1: natural notes up and down
    exercise 2: use metronome at 40 bpm
    exercise 3: add accidentals
    exercise 4: 2 notes
    exercise 5: 7 notes in random order
    exercise 6 : increase speed exercises 2-5

    • @pablonencioni527
      @pablonencioni527 Před 7 měsíci +3

      My problem with this method is that after three weeks I have learned 3/4 notes on the fretboard and played them with metronome at 40 bpm I still make confusion between them and I still cannot see the notes on the fretboard clearly.

    • @LilBoyHexley
      @LilBoyHexley Před 7 měsíci +22

      ​@pablonencioni527 I think method is less about *seeing* the notes clearly like a fretboard chart as much as instinctively knowing where they are. Being able to name random frets isn't particularly useful, being able to find notes when you need them is.
      It's like learning to touch type. Someone proficient could easily type on a blank keyboard at blazing speeds, but if you point to a key and say "what letter is this", they'd likely still need to process for a moment based on keys they remember or their hand positioning. Because knowing what letter each key is isn't actually needed as long as you can find the right key when you need that letter.
      This is learning the same way. The idea is to instinctively know where the notes are when you need them, not to be able to point to a random fret and say "that's a C#", when do you ever need to name random frets after all, but rather instinctively move your hand or finger to the right place when you *need* a C#.

    • @justinbrown1838
      @justinbrown1838 Před 7 měsíci

      @@LilBoyHexley Great visual!

    • @freerights6695
      @freerights6695 Před 4 měsíci +1

      @@LilBoyHexley wow, I type fast and this is a great analogy!

    • @tofu1608
      @tofu1608 Před 2 měsíci

      @@LilBoyHexley This is a good way to put it. It's a muscle memory type of memorization. You're drilling into your head a few anchored points on the fretboard and quickly referencing them, similar to how the "home" keys worked for some people (not me, I type all screwed up).

  • @todwilliams4362
    @todwilliams4362 Před 2 lety +932

    For those wanting the steps written out, here's how I wrote them:
    1) Pick a natural note, then play it on each string (down and up) on frets 1 through 12. Do this 3 times, and move to another note. Then do this for frets 12 through 20. Once you have done all the natural notes twice, go to ex #2.
    2) Use a metronome at 40 BPM. Play one note per beat, and repeat ex #1.
    3) Repeat ex #2, but do it for the accidentals.
    4) Choose any two notes. Play UP in one note (across each of the six strings) and DOWN on the other note (without stopping). Use the metronome @ 40 BPM. When it feels easy, go to ex #5.
    5) Write seven 7 notes in random order. With the metronome @ 40 BPM, play the first note going up, and the next note going down, etc. etc. for all 7 notes. (without stopping). When it feels easy, go to Ex #6
    6) Repeat the exercises 2 through 5 at BPM speeds 50 / 60 / 70 / and 80. When you can do Exercise #5 at 80 BPM you are finished.

    • @nikolajbertelsen848
      @nikolajbertelsen848 Před 2 lety +2

      What do you mean by "then do this for frets 9 trough 20" :D

    • @jamessharpe7407
      @jamessharpe7407 Před 2 lety +6

      @@nikolajbertelsen848 He means when you are comfortable with finding the notes on frets 1-12 then try another block of 12 frets to help cover the whole fretboard. (ex 5-16, 7-18, 9-20 etc) Or maybe you were only joking... Now I see a smiley face at the end of your comment.

    • @nikolajbertelsen848
      @nikolajbertelsen848 Před 2 lety +7

      @@jamessharpe7407 I was not joking! Thank you very much :)

    • @JohnSmith-jk7gf
      @JohnSmith-jk7gf Před 2 lety +7

      I think that, in exercise 1, the video said no open strings.

    • @Krachuken
      @Krachuken Před 2 lety +1

      Thanks Tod. What fret per string are being used. The numbers denote what. If you can please explain. Thanks.

  • @jasonwhitaker7937
    @jasonwhitaker7937 Před 3 lety +637

    Ok so i have been doing this for 5 weeks 5 days a week for about 10 mins every day . ... and it works . For those who are skeptical this is the single most thing that has improved my playing . I can now see triads allover the fret board and improvising lead guitar is a lot easier...amazing thank you.

    • @limitlessinitiatives
      @limitlessinitiatives Před 3 lety +10

      Awesome work man, thanks for your feedback!

    • @Omn1c1d3
      @Omn1c1d3 Před 3 lety +8

      Can you do more than 5 min. a day? Is there more benefit the more you do?

    • @jasonwhitaker7937
      @jasonwhitaker7937 Před 3 lety +33

      @@Omn1c1d3 yes I guess 5 mins is minimum. I just have a routine of practicing for an hr a day with scales new chords songs I'm learning and I just slotted 10 into my hr long practice. Honest if you do this exercise and DONT skip the metronome it works. It will feel like you are not learning anything then when you are playing scales and triads or hitting chord tones , you just realise that you know what the notes are ...

    • @mattfischer3853
      @mattfischer3853 Před 3 lety +3

      Did you use the note chart or write out the tab for each note? I have done both at this point, but lately have been using the tab rather than the chart. I was curious since you’ve had success which one you did. Thx

    • @jasonwhitaker7937
      @jasonwhitaker7937 Před 3 lety +5

      @@mattfischer3853 I just used the note chart but I found after the first 5 days I didn't need it. I still use this in my daily practice helps get my fingers moving and brain switching on. I'm so tempted to subscribe to his modes course but it's a big monthly outlay and I'm not sure how long I would need to subscribe for..but I do like his teaching style.let people know how you get on with the fretboard Matt.

  • @imabuddha
    @imabuddha Před 3 lety +910

    Thanks! The only thing missing is a summary of the steps. Here's my attempt:
    1. Frets 1-12, no open strings. Pick 1 natural note. Play this note on each string from low to high, then from high to low. Once you can play it without mistakes 3 times then do a different note. When you have done all 7 natural notes twice go to step 2.
    2. Set metronome to 40 bpm. Play 1 note per beat as in step 1. Once you can do all 7 notes without mistakes go to step 3.
    3. Do the sharps & flats for all notes as in step 2.
    4. Pick 2 different notes. Play the first note going up & second note going down without stopping. Once this feels easy go to step 5.
    5. Arrange the 7 natural notes in a random order (e.g. D F C E A G B). Play each of these notes (with the metronome) in order moving to the next note each time you reach the last string (e.g. D up, F down, C up, etc.) without stopping. When you can do it without mistakes go to step 6.
    6. Repeat steps 2-5 gradually increasing the bpm. The goal is to reach 80 bpm.

  • @yukine_it9483
    @yukine_it9483 Před 3 lety +114

    Let's start the journey! 🔥
    11.06.2021 - Starting date.
    13.06.2021 - Exercise 2 done.
    15.06.2021 - Exercise 3 done.
    20.06.2021 - Exercise 4 done.
    02.07.2021 - Exercise 5 done.
    15.07.2021 - Exercise 6 begins!
    It's working pretty good :3 I skipped 3-4 days but nothing bad happened. I see most of the fretboard now :)
    Practice makes perfect 💫

    • @t-rexkalita1379
      @t-rexkalita1379 Před 2 lety +3

      Same bro

    • @t-rexkalita1379
      @t-rexkalita1379 Před 2 lety +3

      Lets do it

    • @yukine_it9483
      @yukine_it9483 Před 2 lety +1

      @@t-rexkalita1379 Good luck!😁

    • @vukasinristanovic5940
      @vukasinristanovic5940 Před 2 lety

      So, how's it going?

    • @yukine_it9483
      @yukine_it9483 Před 2 lety +1

      @@vukasinristanovic5940 Well, it's pretty strange I would say. When I want to play a note I can play it. Sometimes I miss. Especially on new exercises but I can't say that I really see them. I need more like to do it. But it worth it. There are places on the fretboard, where I really know and understand, could say that I see it. So I'm excited to master my fretboard)
      P.S. The only thing that I'm doing differently from the video is the spent time. Sometimes it's really 5 minutes but in other days 20-30 minutes.
      That's it :)
      Actually, for 5th exercise I simply use website for letter letter shuffling. It's much easier)

  • @Paeddyful
    @Paeddyful Před 2 lety +34

    I've been playing the guitar for roughly over 10 years now and never bothered to master the basics. The older I got, the more I realised how badly I shot myself in the foot with that. After a short phase of regret I decided I'm going to sit my ass down and learn note placements, scales, modes, time signatures, always with a metronome, for at least an hour a day. The best part is that I know I'm gonna make more progress in half a year going forward with this than I have in the last 5 years.
    If you're a beginner at the guitar HEED MY WORDS: DO NOT SKIP THE BASICS. They're boring, they're tedious, and they'll ultimately enable you to shred like a God, learn songs easily, adapt and improvise, write your own songs and put all of your soul into you music.

  • @douglasmason6067
    @douglasmason6067 Před 3 lety +576

    If you’re on the fence about putting in the work for this exercise, don’t be. Do it. I was extremely skeptical at first, and often thought “hmmm I don’t know, this seems so orthogonal to my other music practice, what if it’s a waste of time?” It isn’t.
    About a month now after first coming across this video, I can now do any note at 80 bpm without reference to a diagram. I’ll outline how it came about for anyone giving this a shot:
    First few days were about just grokking the problem, getting any note. It was slow, it took me many seconds to find each note. I did not use a metronome.
    After I could reliably find a note within 2 seconds, I could start the metronome at 40 bpm. For the next week or so, I improved my speed up to 80 bpm, using the diagram. However, at this point I couldn’t say I “knew” the fretboard. Actually, I knew the first and last string well, and could vaguely aim at the right direction to get the other strings, but that was it. I thought it was a failure and gave up for a day, but I was totally wrong! There’s just a little more to it.
    To focus on randomly accessing the middle strings, I first created notecards for three skills. (1) given a string and a note name, what is the fret? (2) given a string and a fret number, what is the note name? (3) given a general region of the guitar (5 zones from head to 12th fret) and a note name, what chord shape would I use?
    This got me up to being able to find a note in a couple seconds cold turkey. Close! But not quite there!
    To get over the edge, I found two apps. Fret Trainer on iOS tackles skill #2. The fretboard trainer at fachords (www.fachords.com/master-guitar-fretboard-game-intro/) tackles skill #3. I still use my Flashcards or just think through skill #3.
    Using these fellas I was able to get dead reckoning down to about a second. Then I went BACK to this exercise, and asked if I could do it WITHOUT the diagram. Yes, I could. I started off without a metronome, then started the metronome at 40, and moved up to 80 bpm within about a day. I couldn’t believe it.
    Was it worth it? Absolutely! After learning a lot patterns, to discover that you can get lost and find your way back by seeing what roots you’re playing and knowing where the rest are... the psychological experience is like having a eureka moment every second. It’s a new exciting world when your perception of your instrument is expanded this much! I’m excited to reinforce this knowledge and connect it to the repertoire of shapes and patterns I’ve already memorized.
    As for what’s next, I now have very fast recognition when I’m in the zone, but pulling back into the zone still takes a couple seconds (like booting up a laptop), so I’m thinking about exercises where you do something unrelated then suddenly name a note on the fretboard. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
    Thanks again for the wonderful video series, you’ve really helped a lot of people!

    • @markvillado7825
      @markvillado7825 Před 3 lety +30

      You the realest for this one

    • @chefgreg19
      @chefgreg19 Před 3 lety +8

      Learn all the triads ad inversions

    • @delicrux
      @delicrux Před 3 lety +2

      Maybe work on intervals now that you have a foundation then do triads and then building 5ths 7ths and 9ths chords fallowing this method for each step. Meaning pick a note find all the intervals for each note then after you get it up to random try with chord shapes.
      Then once you master that try the big one... Sheet music

    • @superrookie7553
      @superrookie7553 Před 3 lety +6

      Wow within a month!!!
      It took me half fucking year

    • @rossmelanson6999
      @rossmelanson6999 Před 3 lety

      Yours is harder than his!!

  • @paulinasanchez2761
    @paulinasanchez2761 Před 3 lety +411

    I wish I had started learning this at 12 Instead of 32. But better late then never.

    • @SeanDaRyan
      @SeanDaRyan Před 3 lety +17

      I am in the EXACT SAME BOAT! same age and everything hahahah, Im so happy i started tho!

    • @BradCiphery08
      @BradCiphery08 Před 3 lety +2

      Haha me too. 31!

    • @vinaypai7532
      @vinaypai7532 Před 3 lety +33

      I wish I'd learnt this at 32, instead of at 43. But . . .

    • @alaysiakayebutler6299
      @alaysiakayebutler6299 Před 3 lety +20

      58 here!! Better late than never..need it now the most.. But way back, my dad gave me a Decca accoustic when I was 6, after the divorce, he knew my favorite thing was music, playing his huge record collection. It ended up smashed ans thrown in the trash, where i found it. Collateral damages... Didnt really remember that stuff when I decided to fix up a broken Stagg left behind by a roomate, broken nut, 3 strings saddle melted missing tuning pegs...lol. I had to research to even know what those parts were called, got the wrong size nut first try, put the wrong strings on first too, but eventually got the right machine head tuners good strings, tusque nut and saddle, painted it, and its cool. It occured to me I was reclaiming some things. And I just enjoy it. We are so blessed by generous artists and musicians sharing 'how to' with all levels.

    • @HumbertoMoura
      @HumbertoMoura Před 3 lety +2

      40 here. I feel motivated!

  • @starreyes111
    @starreyes111 Před 2 lety +307

    I wanted to say THANK YOU! I’ve struggled for over 20 years to see the fretboard without hesitation. I had already started doing a version of this exercise on my own but this was much more methodical and thorough. It took me about 6 weeks but now I can see the board clearly and my playing has completely transformed. I wish I had something like this when I was 15, things would have been a lot different. THANK YOU

  • @funfings842
    @funfings842 Před rokem +12

    Hi :P I wrote notes on the video:
    “Why?”
    - finding notes on the fretboard is what slows down players
    - It changes the way you play
    “Can’t I Learn my fretboard with intervals instead?”
    - short answer, no.
    - You have to learn notes on your fretboard, or you will always be limited in what you can do
    - Before your learn the fretboard, you don’t even realise what you are missing
    Good News:
    - It’s not as hard as you think
    It is easy if you are
    1. Willing to practice 5min/day
    2. Follow instructions in the video to the letter
    If it’s easy - do it anyway
    If it’s hard - take it slower
    Before you start doing these exercises, get yourself a diagram of all the notes on the fretboard.
    Exercise 1.
    Restrict ourselves frets 1-12, no open strings
    - pick one natural note, no sharps/flats.
    - Play that note on the 1st string, then the 2nd string, then the 3rd, etc IN ORDER. Do not jump strings.
    - play it backwards from the 6th, all the way back to the 1st.
    - If you can play your note up and down 3 times without making any mistakes (slowly), you are done with that note and you can move on.
    - it’s not important whether you are fast or not. Do what you can, at your pace.
    - Yes, you can have the note diagram in front of you.
    - DO NOT memorise, just play the notes. Your task is not to memorise the patterns (it won’t happen), your task is to play the exercise and you WILL remember where the notes are.
    Once you have done this for all the natural notes, move to exercise 2.
    2. Metronome, 40 BPM
    - Play one note per beat
    - metronome is not optional, it drives your brain to learn the notes
    Once you have done this for all the natural notes, move to exercise 3.
    3. Add accidentals (sharps and flats)
    - to find these, think of finding the natural note, move one fret up for the sharps, one fret down for the flats.
    - Stay at 40BPM and complete this for all the sharps and flats
    4. Choose 2 notes (can be either natural or accidental, doesn’t matter.) One going up, one going down.
    - do the first note going up (40bpm still) and when you reach the top, do the second note going down.
    When this starts to feel easy, move to exercise 5.
    5. Write down all natural notes in a random order.
    - Play them in the order, alternating from up, down, up, down, up, down, as you move throughout the order. (like previous exercise, just with more notes)
    - One note per beat, do not stop
    6. Increase the speed for exercises 2-5 GRADUALLY
    - eventual goal: 80bpm.
    3 reactions to the exercises:
    1. Just do it (best kind of reaction)
    2. Exercises “too easy”, skips 1-4 and goes straight to five. Your memory will betray you when you play in ‘real life’. Puts too much pressure on you, your brain will not learn the right way. Do them in the order.
    3. “Too much work”. If this is the case then… don’t do it ;-) It is very useful to know these notes instantly, but if you don’t like these simple exercises, you don’t have to do them. You just won’t reap the full benefits.
    Hope this is helpful to someone :P

  • @trixietang6084
    @trixietang6084 Před 3 lety +97

    I can 100% understand without being able to explain why learning this way is 10x better than positioning, thanks again this just what I needed, the base to my structure is now complete. Soon I will have created a great rock pyramid, and I will reign as Pharoah.

  • @miguelrico4338
    @miguelrico4338 Před 3 lety +44

    A huge tip that helps me is instead of using a diagram, use a tuner that displays the note as a letter as you practice! That way you instantly know if you got it right or not.

    • @salassandoval
      @salassandoval Před rokem +4

      or you could use your ears too.. i mean, you are playing the same note anyways.

    • @FK-we1dp
      @FK-we1dp Před 11 měsíci

      it should be pretty damn obvious if you play the wrong note lol

  • @marshalfrancis3353
    @marshalfrancis3353 Před rokem +302

    Journey started on Dec 6th 2022. 🚀
    Exercise 1: done on Dec 5
    Exercise 2: done on Dec 6
    Exercise 3: done on Dec 6 and 7
    Exercise 4: done on Dec 7
    Exercise 5: done on Dec 8
    Dec 23rd: I have down most of the patterns. I know where most notes are. some are still tricky but it gets better.
    January 3rd: woke up picked up the guitar immediately and was able to play all naturals at around 120 BPM. I don't "see"the fretboard but for most notes I do know what fret they are on and the pattern stuck with me. Occasionally I have to think about a spot for a note and look at the diagram. I didn't play the exercise with the accidentals though except a few times, because it confused me in the beginning..

    • @maye1421
      @maye1421 Před rokem +14

      waiting for an update after new years

    • @randallogan5826
      @randallogan5826 Před rokem +6

      Thanks for updating!

    • @porkyfedwell
      @porkyfedwell Před rokem +11

      how did you finish exercise 1 on Dec 5th if you didn't start your journey until Dec 6th? 😀 (just kidding of course)

    • @rocketguardian2001
      @rocketguardian2001 Před rokem

      @@porkyfedwell He's got a TARDIS

    • @mohaglade4892
      @mohaglade4892 Před rokem +1

      @@porkyfedwell Me too I was wondering If this comment is even serious , that's unrealisticly fast , for a beginner for excercices will take at least 3 days each to perfect

  • @supersaiyan2
    @supersaiyan2 Před měsícem +5

    Putting my progress here:
    apr 5 2024 --> Started ex. 1, notes ABC
    apr 8 2024 --> finished ex. 1, starting ex.2

  • @conquerncam
    @conquerncam Před 3 lety +515

    Physically resisting the urge to play the pentatonic scale doing this

  • @awolosik2
    @awolosik2 Před 3 lety +62

    Longtime noodler here. Began the process right before Christmas, currently up to 60 bpm. Doesn't feel like you're absorbing anything at first, but oh so gratifying once it starts sticking and you don't even realize it! Great exercise.

  • @jamessbca
    @jamessbca Před 2 lety +19

    Motivational speaker for those with a short attention span:
    “Just do it if you want to or don’t do it if you don’t want to”
    Love it!!!

  • @gustavochiozza6465
    @gustavochiozza6465 Před rokem +18

    Well, I am done. I finished. It takes me twelve days of practice (several times some days, for 10 to 20 minutes), to be able to do all the exercises (2 to 5) at 80 bpm. I’ve thought it takes much more time. Also thought it is going to be more difficult as it results. It is not difficult at all; and it’s fun.
    I am not sure if I know all the notes on the freatboard, but my fingers could find them with (almost) no mistakes. I feel I need to keep practicing a bit more. Maybe I do everything a bit fast. Maybe is better to take more time. But I want to encourage other people to do it. Certainly you will be surprised.

    • @marctestarossa
      @marctestarossa Před 3 měsíci +1

      I don't think this is something you can speed run, repetition is the key here. I already know most of the notes, so this exercise helps me to fill some gaps. There are just notes you need more often than others ^^ But you want to engrave this knowledge in the deepest layers of your brain and this process needs probably several weeks so that it can seep into the unconscious and long term memory. After that you need some repetition now and then and you'll be fine. It's not as complicated as it seems, but I know so many guitar players that have great technique and musicality but they have absolutely no clue what they are playing. Only playing from tabs can be a blessing, but in the long run it's more of a curse imho.

  • @DannyVardy
    @DannyVardy Před 3 lety +70

    I first discovered this video on Jan 11 and decided to give it a shot and I can 100% attest to it working. Not only does it work but it is BY FAR the most important thing I've ever done to improve at playing guitar in 32 years! I can't put into words how valuable doing this is. And since it turns out to be so easy, I now believe if you're reading this and want to improve and don't do it, sell your guitar!
    This opens the door to EVERYTHING!
    I rip through all the natural notes at 100 BPM EASILY!
    I can make a couple of suggestions tho. Learn them in this order - F, A, C, E, G, B, D F#, A#, C#, D#, G#, ...
    Stay with one note for 4 days at a time. Start with finding F and ONLY add A in 4 days. Don't rush it (you don't need too - it works) then add C on day 8 etc. Doing it in this order (since you need one anyway) you learn the triads as you go.
    Next, I found it didn't translate to above the 12th fret for me so I used this format:
    3 times UP from Low E to High E below the 12th, followed by...
    3 times DOWN from above the 12th, then,
    3 times DOWN below the 12th and,
    3 times UP above the 12...
    (This idea ensured I wasn't picking up on a pattern and forced my brain to truly learn where the notes were above the 12.)
    Start again with the next note...
    This should be MANDATORY for all beginner guitarists.
    If you give this a shot, lemme know. HTH.

    • @juliusisrich
      @juliusisrich Před 9 měsíci

      Hi, thanks for your comment. I'm going to try exactly this. It will be frustrating in the first week with only 2 notes to use but I'll try taking it slow

    • @juliusisrich
      @juliusisrich Před 7 měsíci +2

      Coming back. I know all the natural notes, it’s taken a bit of time but I’m sure with some more consistency it’s going to be worth it in the long run. I’d still like to connect what I’m playing more to the notes instead of keeping it an exercise though

    • @MrDnithiy
      @MrDnithiy Před 6 měsíci

      Thank you for your comments. Absolute beginner here and I was wondering if the fingers you use to form the notes when doing this exercise matters. I suspect some of this might turn into muscle memory so would I be forming bad habits if I say stick with the same finger each time?

    • @jaytoochill_
      @jaytoochill_ Před 5 měsíci

      Is this essential to being able to solo and improvise do you know? I’m about to start this because my main goal is to be able to solo and improv

    • @QManKreshy
      @QManKreshy Před 3 měsíci

      @@jaytoochill_no you dont need to know any note names to improvise, you just need to be able to hear a melody in your head that fits with the music your playing to, then to be able to play that melody on your instrument.

  • @YEM_
    @YEM_ Před 3 lety +34

    I came back to say this ABSOLUTELY works!
    I found this video mid-November 2020. By Thanksgiving I was ok at it, the progress was obvious. I stayed at 40 bpm for maybe 3 weeks before moving on.
    By mid December I was quite comfortable... But...I forgot to practice this for a bit and I caught myself saying "what note is that?" It took like 2 or 3 seconds which is too long! (Better than before, but not instant!) So, back to the exercise I went.
    I've been at it for 2 weeks again and I'm nearing instantaneous recall. This works 💯.
    Don't stop at "good enough"! It's only 5 minutes a day! Keep going until you reach perfection. It will be worth it.

    • @Goku17yen
      @Goku17yen Před 11 měsíci +1

      Question, does this just become an indefinite part of your practice routine, or is there a point where you can just stop doing by this once you’ve gotten instantaneous recognition? Does regular practice just reinforce it enough where there’s no point in keep maintaining it through deliberate practice

  • @oldmanandthesea7039
    @oldmanandthesea7039 Před rokem +51

    What a great idea! Many educational videos try to show beginners the “hidden pattern “ on the fretboard, like a number theory mathematician do with their numbers. This is good for the math students. But your method takes a completely different approach, building the muscle memory of the left hand to”traverse “ on the fretboard! It’s like telling the muscles to “memorize” the path to each note on the fretboard, forget the “note distance” all together. This way the “logical mind” is bypassed. You don’t “think” of the “pattern” before you move, you just move as naturally as breathing.👏👏👏🎸🎸🎸

  • @peterpaul176
    @peterpaul176 Před 2 lety +192

    Just came back here to give my thanks. This was my goal for this year. I finally finished all the exercises and I now know all the notes. Thank you sir.

    • @MusicTheoryForGuitar
      @MusicTheoryForGuitar  Před 2 lety +25

      I am so happy to hear this! :)

    • @marylaf
      @marylaf Před 2 lety +1

      Works. 😊

    • @hillarywin
      @hillarywin Před rokem +1

      Practice makes perfect!

    • @atharvapandharpurkar1691
      @atharvapandharpurkar1691 Před rokem +3

      Do I practice all of the exercises everyday right from the beginning or start with first few exercises till I get comfortable?

    • @peterpaul176
      @peterpaul176 Před rokem

      @@atharvapandharpurkar1691 all the exercises one at a time

  • @petethegreekre
    @petethegreekre Před 3 lety +36

    One tip! Watch this with a guitar, and start with "A" like the example. And...Congratulations you just learnt the note of "A". That easy. Thank you teacher, I like your style a lot.

  • @SorelleAmore
    @SorelleAmore Před 3 lety +564

    Absolutely brilliant. Thank you

    • @wonderlust8110
      @wonderlust8110 Před 2 lety +1

      Completely agree. I love the break down of these exercises! It is enough criteria for quite a few lesson sessions. ❤

  • @guamitoe-
    @guamitoe- Před rokem +12

    So, I started this and then stopped for a month. I came back to doing this practice for the past week and I will say this, IT WORKS. But I will say this as well, 5 mins minimum is good for the average player but if you want to really progress on the fret board you gotta practice for as long as you can and in between the frustration of doing this practice you HAVE to incorporate some sort of relief. Like playing a part of a song you know. If you feel like this doesn’t work do not give up❤

    • @only-legitness
      @only-legitness Před 4 měsíci

      I do this or hanging some clothes inbetween or groceries, chores like that. i try to do exercise 3 to 6 now in 9 days before februari. we will see if I make it. I think I will get very far. I have time this week. it will be good

  • @drivendesperado
    @drivendesperado Před 3 měsíci +4

    I DID THIS! I did it. I used this exercise and it worked brilliantly for my ADHD brain. Much love, Maestro.

  • @starseed
    @starseed Před 3 lety +20

    Oh my gosh I'm tripping out because I practiced this like 100 times while watching some videos on note A. Then I moved on to C and somehow played all the correct notes without even looking. You are totally right, this does work and doesn't take long at all.

  • @frenchiesfrankieandhenry
    @frenchiesfrankieandhenry Před 3 lety +81

    If I had you as a teacher 20 years ago I would be a much better musician as opposed to just an accomplished guitarist.
    My worst mistake has always been jumping ahead before I was ready. Instead of this, I learned Metallica riffs.
    I'm definitely going to get your courses'. these days I want to be as good of a composer as I am with my guitar chops.
    As always, thanks so much Tommaso. You're a great instructor.

    • @balramappadu4683
      @balramappadu4683 Před 3 lety +1

      It's worthwhile. I will try it.

    • @ChristianVirial
      @ChristianVirial Před 3 lety +1

      Story of my life, bro!!

    • @Ibanizt
      @Ibanizt Před rokem

      @@ChristianVirial Yeah same here! I'm on my 2nd week of practice now.

  • @berkayguner
    @berkayguner Před 2 lety +45

    This really works thanks a lot! 😊.
    I am at 80bpm level without any mistakes now in just 2 months with stubbornly following this procedure to the 'letter' 😄👋

  • @tw-holderlin1477
    @tw-holderlin1477 Před 2 lety +23

    I followed the instructions and now i memorized all the notes on my fretboard. Thank you MusicTheoryForGuitar i'm enjoying my instrument even more now

  • @kcory112233
    @kcory112233 Před 3 lety +32

    Tommaso is the real deal. I’ve done his Complete Chord Mastery course and it’s fantastic. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend his course anyone serious about guitar.

    • @matthewcrich5951
      @matthewcrich5951 Před 3 lety +2

      Edmonton is so incredibly fortunate to have this gifted teacher in our small community.

  • @charliericker274
    @charliericker274 Před 3 lety +37

    This is helpful. As a pianist taking guitar more seriously these days, I have to say it is annoying to not be able to look at my instrument and instantly know what note someone is pointing at. The piano is so simple in this way, the notes might as well be written on the keys.

    • @tannertuner
      @tannertuner Před 3 lety +4

      Yep. There is only one 11 note pattern on the piano and it is repeated every octave. I’ve been playing at the guitar for 40 years and I’m still lost when I look at the fretboard other than just box patterns because there are between 126 and 144 different note positions and the only repeated pattern is the section above the 12th fret is a repeat of the section below it. And there are multiple ways to play the same note on guitar whereas there is only one key on the piano for each note.
      Yet I hear guitarists claim they can’t figure out the piano keyboard. But then they probably can’t name the note names on the fretboard either.

    • @charliericker274
      @charliericker274 Před 3 lety

      @Jennifer Maple I thought about that, I am not sure whether it would help or hinder the progress so I decided to stick with the plan as laid out here. Also, I was not going to use sharpie, I was thinking of little stickers, sharpie can stain wood, stickers can be removed completely with a little rubbing alcohol.

    • @charliericker274
      @charliericker274 Před 3 lety +1

      @@tannertuner Yeah, I vaguely remember a time when I didn't know every note on the piano, but it was so long ago that it feels like I have always known them. I mean, I had to learn every major scale on a piano, that is a lot harder than guitar because with guitar you only need to know like 4 (or 2 really) scale 'forms' and just move them up and down the fretboard. Both instruments have their strong points and weak points.
      Although with major scales on piano you just need to remember wwhwwwh and apply it to a key. It's more about getting the patterns under your fingers but there are 11 patterns to remember.

    • @julian.morgan
      @julian.morgan Před 3 lety +1

      @Jennifer Maple Another comment (@julesdarulesTM) compares typing on a PC keyboard to the process, the discussion points out that with practice we don't tend to think about where the next letter is, our finger is already over the letter. Since nobody has ever suggested any one learn to type on blank keyboards (TMK) but people do learn to touch type simply by not looking - I think there's a very strong argument for doing these exercises with a "stickered" fretboard. Clearly it does no harm to learning where things are on a computer keyboard and while I assume there's some hidden logic to its layout, it's not a pattern, unlike the fretboard.
      The more I think about it the more I suspect that the only reason this isn't utterly commonplace is that a) it isn't cool and b) it wouldn't have been practically possible historically.

    • @julian.morgan
      @julian.morgan Před 3 lety +1

      @Jennifer Maple No - but the important thing is that my "fingers" (muscle memory) know where the letters are I want to type without conscious thought - which is pretty much what pianists take for granted simply by virtue of the repeating pattern. Believe me I never thought 20 years in I'd be contemplating putting stickers on my fretboard! The irony is that I've wanted to be a better guitarist for twenty years, but despite having zero interest in becoming a better typist, I have arrived at the "unconscious competence" level which can sadly not be said for my knowledge of the fretboard!

  • @joerotorhead
    @joerotorhead Před 7 měsíci +5

    HOLY SHIT THIS WORKED ! I’ve been playing with this for a few months…. It WORKED … … i’ve been trying to learn the notes on the fretboard for years and I just never did. I knew a lot of them but never like this …….this system actually freaking worked ! unbelievable.! !

    • @yumyumgimmesum
      @yumyumgimmesum Před 6 měsíci

      Are you doing it without looking at the fretboard?

  • @dmartyair
    @dmartyair Před 2 lety +5

    I started this like 8 months ago, I stopped doing it at the C note. I don't remember why. But, I picked it back up tonight and within 15 minutes, I had A B &C down again! I will not quit again. It works!

  • @tristanbach4421
    @tristanbach4421 Před 3 lety +35

    I’ve been playing guitar for years and never REALLY learned my fretboard. I know some tricks to figure out where notes are based on the 6th string, but this is a GREAT way to learn! You may not be a motivational speaker, but you’ve inspired me to finally quickly identify the notes!

    • @psykodiffeqparty
      @psykodiffeqparty Před 3 lety +3

      He is indeed a motivational speaker. I am 58 years old and I still don't know how to do this and I've been playing a long time... I started yesterday with this method. It seems to be working already...

  • @maguscristi4514
    @maguscristi4514 Před 3 lety +9

    I've been playing for 45 years and don't know the note's. I am excited about this. I'm in.

    • @kezothehappylurker787
      @kezothehappylurker787 Před 3 lety

      You are not alone, a 100% ear guy here too! I figured you only need to learn the notes if you're gonna play with others/composing, I should have learned them decades ago; oh well, no better time than the present!

  • @ag54521
    @ag54521 Před 8 měsíci +14

    I'm currently in exercise 2 and its so crazy how now I'm able to tell the majority of the natural notes. Its magical really. And it took me a week five minutes a day. Big thank you!!

  • @timsmith190
    @timsmith190 Před 3 lety +29

    I listened twice and find him very convincing. My impression is that he has given this much thought and is taking into consideration not only a method for learning the fretboard, but HOW one learns complex tasks.
    I've listened to dozens of "learn the notes on the fretboard" lessons over the years but none convinced me they were the most efficient way to do it.
    As a teacher, not only does he need to know the material but he also needs to know HOW STUDENTS LEARNS and develop exercises that are efficient and don't waste time.
    This method is one I'm willing to commit to.
    Many thanks for your effort and for sharing this.

  • @lacojanco7571
    @lacojanco7571 Před 3 lety +5

    I started to play guitar one year ago in my 43 years. I always wanted to play guitar but never got to it. I started because my 3 years old son likes rock music very much and he wants to play guitar - so I decided to learn so I could teach him later. I started with accoustic, after 6 months moved to electric, after 10 months built first electric guitar for my son (3 strings - looking like Brian Mays Red special). Now I can play many rock songs and my kids recognize what I play. I have learnt much more about music theory from youtube than during my whole previous life. Thanks for people who put work into videos and share knowledge in much simpler way than in school.

  • @ianrydquist9729
    @ianrydquist9729 Před 9 měsíci +12

    Took me about 4 months, but things are starting to cement for me. I am on the 7 random notes with all accidentals phase and ramping up my speed daily with very few mistakes. Thanks for this video and workbook! I would like to mention switching up my fingering for each note helped me see the notes individually instead of as a pattern. So I would do first note with first finger, second note with second finger and so on. Or I would do one finger per string. Helped me remove the muscle memory and build the brain memory. Also there is a great IOS app called Random Notes that really helped me come up with-you guessed it-random notes for the later stages. Once I have the seven random notes down I will take it one step further with one random note per string!

    • @jabbs6659
      @jabbs6659 Před 8 měsíci

      Nice stuff man!

    • @mattfischer3853
      @mattfischer3853 Před 8 měsíci +1

      I’ve been doing this for about 3 weeks, he says you can read off the chart, but are you trying to find the notes without looking down at the fretboard? I can almost get through the first note with no mistakes and not looking at the fretboard but am not sure I’m doing this correctly. If I can look at the diagram and the fretboard I feel like I would make more progress since you do start to be able to hear when you’ve hit the wrong note. Thanks

    • @ianrydquist9729
      @ianrydquist9729 Před 7 měsíci

      @@mattfischer3853 I look at the fretboard and just used the chart in the beginning to remind me of where my problem notes were. I got better about which notes are where and I dont need the chart any more. For me this exercise is to know what note I am playing while Im looking at the neck, not so much landing on the right note without looking. Hope that helps!

  • @flavioboscarol1555
    @flavioboscarol1555 Před 2 lety +8

    This type of exercise is very structured and not "vague" like many on youtube: "..look for the notes on the fretboard and good luck..." ... This is very good and I had been looking for something like this for years. Congratulations and thank you.

  • @nathanwall8576
    @nathanwall8576 Před 3 lety +8

    I recently lost a beloved teacher. Your style of teaching is skilled like hers. Thank you

  • @johngeiger1987
    @johngeiger1987 Před 3 lety +4

    I always appreciate anyone that says "no shortcuts." While "work smart not hard" can be good advice, quick fixes are usually garbage.

  • @justsaynototv8366
    @justsaynototv8366 Před 2 lety +36

    I started the exercise tonight with the A note and it was fun. I really like this challenge because I can see the results right away, and I also notice that I am training me ears at the same time. Because you can tell when you hit the wrong note and you start over again. What a simple concept to follow and really master the fretboard. I am a beginner who have been trying to play for many years now, I picked up my guitar and put it right back in its case because of frustration. I have taken a guitar class, lessons on the side and gotten no where. So, I am very excited I decided to click on the video tonight because I have seem and heard it all before. But this might be the turning point in my guitar evolution. lol

    • @purgatory671
      @purgatory671 Před 2 lety

      Was it?

    • @justsaynototv8366
      @justsaynototv8366 Před 2 lety

      @@purgatory671 Well, I am playing almost everyday now. Learning the cords of a song and making sure that cords sound great before moving on. Still a working progress. Practice, practice, and practice.

    • @xnsretroplan
      @xnsretroplan Před rokem

      Great, and today?

    • @tiny_rotty214
      @tiny_rotty214 Před rokem

      @@justsaynototv8366 how's it been? You still playing? Did you learn the fretboard and are a guitar master? 👀

  • @gene42
    @gene42 Před 2 lety +6

    I've been playing for many years, but have never taken the time to drill like this. So, I've always struggled with "seeing" what all the notes are, I've always found them by referencing other note locations that I know, which is not ideal. I've been doing this exercise now for a couple of months, and can go through all the notes including sharps and flats. I still hit a few clams, especially if I get distracted with intruding thoughts. What I have found, though, is that sometimes I'll start to reach for an incorrect note, and my hand will correct itself without me thinking about it. That's amazing! In a week or two I'm going to start ascending and descending with different notes...I can hardly wait!

  • @LaDykiLL3r93
    @LaDykiLL3r93 Před 3 lety +27

    Love the concept. Here is one idea I use to learn even more: I train the notes in the order of the circle of fiths. This way i reinforce this tool at the same time. Cool way to check the progress is mapping the circle of fifths to one string to see the progress in fretboard fluency.

  • @WillayG
    @WillayG Před 3 lety +28

    So I've decided to do this and for the last 3 days I've done it for 5 minutes everyday and plan to continue. Right now I suck but I am starting to see improvements. Gonna keep it up for as long as it takes and comment here in a week's time.

    • @adamradzimowski6740
      @adamradzimowski6740 Před 3 lety +3

      @@sireggreen Started 3 weeks ago and just advanced from 40bpm to 50bpm. I think I spent much more than the 5 minutes a day though.

    • @Anthony-nk4ky
      @Anthony-nk4ky Před 3 lety +1

      It's been a week man, how's it coming?

    • @WillayG
      @WillayG Před 3 lety +1

      @@Anthony-nk4ky Thanks for asking. Pretty good actually but slow. Still I do it everyday (a migraine set me back one day so even though I did it it didn't seem to be working at all) and I'm seeing the improvements. I'm starting to recognize notes on the fretboard instantly just by sight. I can't do all 7 notes yet but A B and C are pretty good.
      And I only spend 5 minutes a day doing it. I'm hoping it'll be like brushing my teeth, just something I do everyday that has a long term benefit.

    • @WillayG
      @WillayG Před 3 lety +1

      @@sireggreen That's an awesome idea. I think I'm going a bit slower than everyone else but I'll get there eventually. I'm only up to A B and C memorized. Still better than a week ago haha

    • @WillayG
      @WillayG Před 3 lety

      @@adamradzimowski6740 That's awesome man. I hope to be where you are in a few weeks or months. Haha

  • @josecolucci8809
    @josecolucci8809 Před rokem +6

    Excellent! I like that you bring a sense of reality to it, there are no shortcuts. Memorable quote: "I teach music theory, I am not a motivational speaker". Brilliant!

  • @nternetrat
    @nternetrat Před 2 lety +4

    YO I'M SO FREAKING EXCITED TO LEARN THIS
    i realized recently that i've been playing ukulele/guitar for FIVE YEARS already
    that shoook me, esp since i could be so much better, and i know it doesn't take much at all (just consistency and consistency) to get better- i'm so thankful for this video!! the internet is fucking amazing!!
    YEWW can't wait to be freaking shreddinggggggg

  • @aadityakiran_s
    @aadityakiran_s Před 3 lety +9

    There are some videos on how to memorize the fretboard with a few million views. But this one if by far the best method. I wonder why this doesn't have as many views. This should be the definitive fretboard memorization technique.
    Finally got to one Million eh? Great. 👍

    • @blor8729
      @blor8729 Před 3 lety

      It’s because it’s fairly new

  • @dimcguy
    @dimcguy Před 3 lety +7

    If you play by ear, this is invaluable! If you don’t play by ear, it’s still invaluable! Not only do you know where the notes are, you know HOW they sound, so tuning gets easier by ear! Brilliant!

  • @lanog40
    @lanog40 Před 2 lety +2

    FINALLY a video that doesn’t do that clickbait “you can learn the fretboard in 8 microseconds using this trick!” thing. These exercises are actually something that will help people learn the fretboard and reference it from memory.

  • @twitchthepocket
    @twitchthepocket Před 3 lety +13

    The thing that scares me most about the herculean task of memorizing all of the notes on the fret board is that it only applies to standard tuning. I happen to play in alternate tunings quite often, such as DADC#AE, and others like that where the intervals between strings are completely changed, not just transposed downward in their entirety. All of my memorization will essentially go out the window each time I leave standard tuning

    • @parcito
      @parcito Před 6 měsíci +3

      Nah, I don't think so brother. Just imagine that you know all the notes on your fretboard in standard, now when you jump into another tuning you just use the same logic as finding the "accidentals" in standard, to finding the notes in the new tuning. I don't know if I can explain myself but I would say that I don't think in any scenario, learning the fretboard is a bad idea. So did you do it? I'm curious

  • @toasega
    @toasega Před 3 lety +8

    Honestly I tried this for 3 minutes and I have a much greater understanding of where "A" is on the fretboard, along with instantly having a better understanding of the fretboard itself. I'm not memorizing anything, yet it's still being memorized, if that makes any sense. This is going to be extremely difficult at first, since I'm just starting, but I feel that if I keep at it, I'll be better at playing guitar much faster than if I'd used the "usual" methods. And the bonus of all of this is that there are no shortcuts or gimmicks. This isn't "learn to play guitar in a week", it's just that the exercise is very efficient in training you.

  • @BangBangBeefyMacNCheesy
    @BangBangBeefyMacNCheesy Před 3 lety +7

    This exercise 100% WORKS! This is exactly how I learned all of the notes on guitar decades ago. It’s a time-tested method that will work if you do it 5 minutes each day. Granted I was classically trained on piano first so I know music “theory” but that doesn’t translate to guitar so learning the notes on guitar was very difficult until I used this method in 1989. So JUST DO IT... IT WILL WORK! Rock on! 🤘🏻

  • @TheBetterGamer
    @TheBetterGamer Před 2 lety +6

    Jan 8 2022: My journey begins! This looks like exactly the kind of routine I can do, so I'll give it a try and see how it goes, and update on Feb 8.

  • @Brewer_
    @Brewer_ Před 4 měsíci +2

    1) Pick 1 natural note (ABCDEFG) and play on all strings up and down, in order. Do it 3 times with no mistakes before moving on to a new note
    2) Metronome 40bpm, same as step one but play on beat. Move on when can do with all the natural notes
    3) Same as step 2 but include the sharps and flats in the exercise
    4) Choose 2 notes at random play one of them up the strings and one down with a metronome without stopping
    5) Write all 7 natural notes in a random order and go through them up and down the strings in order without stopping
    6) Repeat steps 2-5 gradually increasing the metronome speed until you can do it at 80bpm

  • @AdamMundok
    @AdamMundok Před 3 lety +9

    This guy's voice and confidence in his method is compelling. I must try this. I like him as a teacher. I am looking forward to doing this and will report back on my progress

  • @markbrown7103
    @markbrown7103 Před 3 lety +6

    I’m really glad to see somebody on CZcams teaching music for real no arguing about theory or simple solutions on
    Playing guitar and learning the notes on a guitar it’s not that hard it’s learning how to read the music and making their hand and I coordination work 🎸😃👍🏼

  • @gustavochiozza6465
    @gustavochiozza6465 Před rokem +1

    Hi Tomaso, here it’s me again. I’ve seen your video about an year ago. I’ve tryied some exercises without a metronome, found them interesting but do not continued. 10 day ago I’ve seen it again. Ive read a few comments, I’ve bought a metronome and last Saturday started again. Today is a week since I started. I am not surprised, I am literally shocked about the process and the progress. I’ve played for 10 to 20 minutes each time, several times in a day ( some days only one time, but others days much more). In only one week I’ve made a huge progress; I followed step by step, and now (one week later) I’m dealing with exercise four at 80 bpm (two notes at a time, one up and one down). Some times I got success, some times I fail. That seems really amazing to me, and I want to encourage every one to give this method a try. It is not boring, it is challenging in a sort of funny way.
    I am not an experienced guitar player. I’ve played songs since my youth (I am sixty, now), but never learn scales or to pick notes. Only chords. An year ago I bought my first electric guitar and start to learn pentatonic and picking.
    I do not finish yet, (and to finish is not my goal ) but the magic begins to appear. When I am playing usual songs, I suddenly realize «oh, this is a G, and this is a B flat». I begins to understand the old chords patterns. I feel that very soon I will be able to play exercise five ( 7 random notes) at 80bpm, but also feel that I will never stop to do this exercises. Once you used to do them, they are funny and pleasant, and you can made always new combinations of notes, or you can start in a different string.
    I want (and need) to say thank you, very very much. You give me a very valuable present.
    Very soon I will follow you with your guitar method book. Best regards from Argentina.

  • @manwithaplan8543
    @manwithaplan8543 Před 2 lety +2

    Back months later to rewatch and it really does work. Playing guitar is very different knowing the actual notes, and it makes applying music theory concepts way easier than just winging it with patterns and shapes

  • @jawshlitelife
    @jawshlitelife Před 3 lety +9

    What’s this? A video that came out just when I purchased a guitar? Perfect timing for me

  • @michaelcavener5070
    @michaelcavener5070 Před 3 lety +6

    During the 1985-1991guitar era I learned a similar exercise from Joe Satriani. It was less detailed: simply pick a note and find that note everywhere on the fretboard USING A METRONOME at a slow B.P.M...like 40!
    I think it's great that you've expanded somewhat on this exercise. I use it for my own students as well and it's absolutely effective if you can follow the instructions exactly as explained in this video.
    I now challenge myself by choosing a chord(extended triads usually). I then move up the neck, finding every chord tone from I-XII position. Yes,there are redundancies but if I'm caught improvising over really unfamiliar/outside chord changes, I'm OK with it.

  • @nathanbrewster7933
    @nathanbrewster7933 Před 2 lety +3

    Looking forward to this. I've seen several other teachers do variations of this and none of them suggest memorizing. It's much like this where you're just training yourself to recall it based on instinct. I like the variations you add with the random notes coming back up, and then back down.

  • @BLAKRAINBOW
    @BLAKRAINBOW Před 2 lety +6

    I’ve just carved out an extra 5 minutes of my day to start practicing these. Very excited.

    • @FeelLykeWise
      @FeelLykeWise Před 2 lety +1

      I did exercise 1 & I think I finally got it. Just started went up and down but made a few mistakes. I feel so stupid I was focused on memorizing it when he clearly stated not to lol. You ask my brain it won't know where A is atleast not yet unless you can the open strings but it's like muscle memory kicks in I definitely could see this working.

  • @ginko2065
    @ginko2065 Před 3 lety +4

    I lost this video after giving up and found it after alot of searching.
    The explanation is perfect

  • @hitesh_blues2353
    @hitesh_blues2353 Před 3 lety +13

    The only teacher who has focussed on the learning process and mental exercise behind fretboard understanding. I owe a huge thanks to you. Your previous video helped me learn natural notes' positions up to the 12th fret. Thank you very much! :)

  • @Updog89
    @Updog89 Před rokem +5

    I really needed this! I can wrap my head around the fretboard in theory but I’ve lacked the intuition and muscle memory to navigate it with fluidity. Was a bit overwhelming to try to teach myself. This helps so much!

  • @jamietru9923
    @jamietru9923 Před 2 lety +7

    Started to learn scales and patterns after doing rhythm guitar for a year and this video is pure gold. Only just starting to add this into my daily practise now but wow this is awesome! Definitely feeling more confident.
    Wish I knew this earlier thank you!

  • @drsteviejasengnsangma8739

    Only a Genius can simplify complicated things...
    You are such a wonderful teacher
    Awesome!!!!

  • @danielmazur940
    @danielmazur940 Před 3 lety +18

    Do this. Play the circle of 4ths. B E A D G C F Bflat Eflat Aflat Dflat Gflat, on each string one string at a time. That’s it , then practice it a lot

    • @or5953
      @or5953 Před 3 lety

      Thx ill try it

    • @danielmazur940
      @danielmazur940 Před 3 lety

      @@or5953 just be patient make sure your correct and eventually you’ll be able to think of them individually instead of referring to the pattern

    • @timsmith190
      @timsmith190 Před 3 lety

      Would you ever call any of the notes a sharp? In the video at 7:25 (exercise #3) he mentions adding accidentals; "all the sharps and the flats".

    • @danielmazur940
      @danielmazur940 Před 3 lety

      @@timsmith190 you could, or refer to it as a flat note. The accidentals are between 2 natural notes. You could go B flat or call it A sharp . Same notes either way.

  • @russellkeavy3539
    @russellkeavy3539 Před 2 lety +4

    I've seen people animate this type of whiteboard learning, but your ability to do it personally is so amazing!

  • @cavejelly
    @cavejelly Před rokem +3

    Just started a month ago and this is the first time I've felt truly oriented in approaching guitar music theory. Thanks for making this. Looking forward to studying with you from now on.

  • @rmazocar
    @rmazocar Před 3 lety +6

    I've been doing this every day for about 10 days now. This has already changed the way I play, for the better, more than anything else I've done in many years. Thanks!

  • @Kennardy
    @Kennardy Před 3 lety +3

    IT WORKS!!! This is the first and only thing that has actually helped me learn the fretboard. I have already nailed A and B. I am having my wife quiz me for randomization drills by string. IT WORKS!! Thank you so much! Anyone that clicked a thumb down is crazy! This is a thumbs up lesson!

  • @spicyfrog9439
    @spicyfrog9439 Před 2 lety +3

    The simplicity and effectiveness of these excercises is mind-blowingly good!!

  • @andybedingfield7035
    @andybedingfield7035 Před 24 dny +1

    I’ve got a master’s in education and have been a science teacher for 10 years. This method aligns with the best practices as outlined by the science of teaching. I had a guitar teacher tell me to just play all the notes in order while saying them out loud. This didn’t work for me because that isn’t what you’re doing when you’re playing. With this method you are practicing what you are doing when you play which is to need a random note and have to find it. The teaching tenant here comes from sports and it is, “practice how you play.” The other thing he’s doing here is keeping you in your, “zone of play proximal development.” This just means there is a tiered system and you don’t jump in over your head. I haven’t even tried the first lesson yet, but I know it will work. I’m 50 and I’m finally going to learn the fretboard. I’ll post again when I have it :)

    • @MusicTheoryForGuitar
      @MusicTheoryForGuitar  Před 24 dny

      Yes. That's exactly the rationale that took me to this method, and why it works.

    • @andybedingfield7035
      @andybedingfield7035 Před 23 dny +1

      This is just like how they teach the qwerty keyboard and typing. No one teaches typing by having you memorize hidden patterns in the qwerty keyboard based on the most used words. This would be stupid, but that is what pretty much every other guitar teacher is advocating. Your really on to something here :)

  • @Pablo-ft6un
    @Pablo-ft6un Před 3 lety +6

    the essence - THIS IS A CORNER YOU CANNOT CUT. Honestly I wish I had followed that rule some 25 yrs ago - but then it is still fine with 51 to start and enjoy another 25 yrs WITH mastering the fretboard.

  • @drsmith4582
    @drsmith4582 Před 3 lety +8

    Mastering the location of the notes on the fretboard is probably the most important thing a guitarist should do and will take your playing to a much higher level. I used to find the notes using relationships, but even that was an extra step. I finally took the time to learn each note individually. I accomplished this using exercises very similar to those shown here. They work! I now enjoy asking other guitar players fun questions like: how many C4’s are on a 22 fret guitar? The answer is 5 of course.

    • @MusicTheoryForGuitar
      @MusicTheoryForGuitar  Před 3 lety +4

      YES! You get it perfectly. Using relationships is an extra step.

    • @drsmith4582
      @drsmith4582 Před 3 lety +3

      Tommaso you are indeed an excellent motivational speaker. 😃

    • @aylbdrmadison1051
      @aylbdrmadison1051 Před 3 lety +3

      @@drsmith4582 : I was thinking the same thing when he mentioned that in the video.

    • @Leo_ofRedKeep
      @Leo_ofRedKeep Před 3 lety +1

      @@MusicTheoryForGuitar I don't get it. I think in intervals. To me, notes are the extra step. Maybe renaming them 1 to 7 would be a good idea.

    • @drsmith4582
      @drsmith4582 Před 3 lety

      @Leo of Red Keep Understanding how intervals work and being able to visualize them is an awesome skill. Being able to visualize all notes on the fretboard helps us to think more chromatically. Perhaps we should rename the notes 1-12. 😃

  • @suspect3539
    @suspect3539 Před rokem +3

    I've been playing for over 20 years and I've known the fretboard well for a long time, but I started using this exercise to solidify that understanding even further. To take it to the next step, I've started doing all of the major/minor triads and inversions. Very quickly it is having an impact on my ability to utilize triads in my solos/improvisation.

  • @jackcook8178
    @jackcook8178 Před rokem +6

    This is truly amazing. I always knew it was important to know the notes on the fretboard and was always searching some "clever" trick to memorize the notes. I've been on step #1 for about five days/15 minutes a day and I can't believe how much my knowledge has improved already. The key for me was the advice not to try and memorize the notes/patterns. This took such a load off and made it feel like play. After five days, I seem to just intuitively know where notes are. If I get stuck, I don't beat myself up over it, I just figure it out and keep going.
    I want to thank you for putting this out there and encourage others who are struggling just to give it a shot. It really works if you are willing to invest the time.

  • @tizmo57
    @tizmo57 Před 3 lety +4

    Been playing for 50+ years and still struggle finding notes all over the neck. I tried so many times to learn but seeing I can play by ear I just start riffin around and get nowhere. I think now that I am retired I AM GONNA LEARN or I justa won't a do eeeet! This guy is Great!

  • @pjakobsen
    @pjakobsen Před 3 lety +5

    The best guitar lesson I've found on CZcams so far. This is completely necessary for jamming with other people when they call out the chords and you have to improvise.

  • @saldanakev
    @saldanakev Před rokem +6

    Just started playing guitar today for the first time and got the A note really quick with this exercise, thanks for the clear explanation.

  • @FromG2eminor
    @FromG2eminor Před rokem +17

    This is what I was looking for. I'm a piano teacher. The guitar is definitely a change of mind set.

    • @MusicTheoryForGuitar
      @MusicTheoryForGuitar  Před rokem +2

      Yes! Yes, it is. Since you are a piano teacher, I'd be interested in your opinion on this: czcams.com/video/XC2nJCr9Uik/video.html

    • @FromG2eminor
      @FromG2eminor Před rokem +3

      @@MusicTheoryForGuitar Thank you! I just watched it and wow am I going to have to think (or stop thinking) very differently. Thank you so much for presenting the difference.

  • @calvinfeng5357
    @calvinfeng5357 Před 3 lety +4

    I love it when he says if it's too much work for you, don't do it. Forget the guitar, don't learn it, too much work.

  • @jatdelgado
    @jatdelgado Před 3 lety +13

    I'm doing these exercises and they work. It is a ground breaking way of learning the fretboard. Thank you for explaining this.

  • @Michael-lw9mo
    @Michael-lw9mo Před 2 měsíci +1

    I just finished exercise number 5 with 80 BPM for the first time. I struggled with the fretboard for many years. But 5 months ago I found your exersice and been doing it ever since. It was fun to me so I did it longer then 5 minutes a day, but not every day, because there was not always the time and motivation for practice. Being able now to complete exersice number 5 with 80 BPM is a huge a accomplishment to me. Thank you very much for sharing your method! It worked for me!

  • @danluther1741
    @danluther1741 Před 2 lety +2

    "I teach music theory. I'm not a motivational speaker!" I love it!!

  • @user-nc7ki9tw1d
    @user-nc7ki9tw1d Před 3 lety +17

    I am so thankful I found this video! After practicing for about 5 minutes a day, every day for 5 weeks, I can finally do exercise 5 at 80BPM! I noticed that doing this not only helped me learn the fretboard, but it actually trained my ear better to hear the notes, so thank you very much!

  • @kynever7865
    @kynever7865 Před 3 lety +13

    You, my friend are a GENIUS!
    I've been doing this for ten (or so) minutes and i'm on my B's already.
    I still remember the A's and I'm so, so happy I have more than 5 minutes a day to do this!!

  • @LemonTheWise347
    @LemonTheWise347 Před rokem +3

    The intro hooked me.

  • @Cristina-qk6fn
    @Cristina-qk6fn Před rokem +1

    Honestly! This is the Exact video I have been looking for in regards to learning the guitar alphabet! Soo perfectly structured and presented!