Sharps and flats on the
guitar fretboard
Recall that I stated there are no sharps #
or flats (b) in the key of C. I also said if you were sitting at the piano, all the white keys make up the key
of C. The black keys are the sharps and flats that make up other Major keys. Now I would like to explain the
sharp and flat notes and where they're located. The sharp has its own symbol and that symbol is (#). The flat
also has its own symbol and it is (
).
Take a look at the image below and notice the notes along the Low E string.
Of course the first note will be the open Low E string
which is the thickest string. Moving along the string, the next note is the F note on the first fret.
Look below and find the F note. One half step or 1 fret from the F note will be the F# at the second fret. So
you have now learned that one half step is 1 fret away from the next note and 1 whole step is two frets away.
Example, the F note is one whole step away from the G note. The F note is one half step away from the F#. Sharps
are determined by the arrow. Moving in the way of the arrow is ascending and you would have sharps as
illustrated.
One half step from the F# is the G note at
the 3rd fret. Look above and notice that G note. The next note is the G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#,and E. After
the E note at the 12th fret the notes repeat. Remember me telling you in the earlier lessons that all notes
repeat after 12 frets?
Look at the image below and notice the
notes are now flats. Moving in the way of this arrow is descending and you would have flats. Look at the image
below.
Look at the image above and notice the
flats are illustrated. See which way the arrow is pointing. This determines that you will have flats. Please
don't let this confuse you. Look at the G flat or second fret above. That G flat is the same note as the F#.
Look at the upper image at the second fret and notice the F#. The A flat is the same note as the G#. There
either sharps ascending of flats descending. No big deal. The most important thing to know is, each note is one
half step away from each other, or 1 fret. And one whole step is two frets apart. Look Below.
Look at the notes on the Low
E string. The G note on the 3rd fret is one whole step away from the F and
the A note. The B note is one whole step away from the A note, but one half step away from the C note. The F
note is one half step away from the E note, but one whole step away from the G note.
This information is very important and
should be studied. You would use this information to build up your major scales. Once you learn this, figuring
out major keys and playing leads will be very easy. You may want to make a copy of these illustrations to
complete your first assignment.
Back
to lesson 1
Good Luck,
From the Jam Room
