Before you learn to play the guitar, it's a good idea to learn the fretboard and with note placement. In this lesson you will learn the location of each note and about sharps and flats. To reinforce each lesson, you will be asked to do homework assignments along the way. The first assignment will require you to print out the blank illustrations supplied.
To begin our first lesson, print the blank illustrations supplied here. You will need at least two copies of the illustrations to complete our first assignment.
To complete this assignment, you will need to go review the chapter on the guitar fretboard. Once you read over that chapter, return here to lesson 1.
You will also need to study the sharp and flat chapter and the notes section to complete this assignment. Have one of the blank illustrations handy as you're reviewing the notes chapter and fill in each note of the guitar on the illustration. Then use the second illustration to fill in the notes of the fretboard from memory.
In the lessons ahead of us, we will begin to write original songs. The intro to our first song has been started and it may be a good idea to listen to this song. It is a slow song using three chords, Am, F and G.
Assignment:
 | Use one illustration below to fill in all the notes of the fretboard ascending. |
| Once filled in, circle all the A, C, D, E and G notes, these are the notes of Am pentatonic scale. We will be learning about this scale in lesson 5 or so. |
| Use one illustration to fill in all the notes of the complete fretboard from memory. |
| Begin to memorize the A and C note positions on the guitar fretboard. |
| In our first lesson, I'm not really concerned with tuning, but you can review it. |
| Use these blank illustrations to fill in the A notes, C notes, E notes etc. |
| Listen to our original song |
| Listen to our slow song beefed up a little for the electric guitar. This is played in Am pentatonic, root note fret. The root note fret is the 5th fret for Am pentatonic. |
Hint, notes ascending include the sharps.
One more secret, all notes repeat after 12 frets on every string.
You can use these illustrations to fill in the notes up to 19 frets.
You may need to make more than two copies, but work on this lesson until you get a good feel for the fretboard and note placement.
Good luck,
From The Jam Room