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Guitar strings, notes and guitar fretboard basics 

This video will help you understand guitar fretboard basics.

The image below is a picture of the guitar fretboard and notes up to the 22nd fret. To understand how this diagram works, you need to hold your guitar out in front of you. The strings on the guitar should be directed towards your face. This view should be the exact view that the image below depicts. Look at the image below and visualize that this picture is your guitar fretboard facing you. There’s also a video at the bottom of this guitar lesson to help you understand the basics of the fretboard.

The letters to the left of the image, represent the guitar strings on the guitar. The thick red line below, represents the Low E string. The low E string is the fattest or thickest string, look below and find the thick red line.

You may have noticed that there are dots or inlays on the face of the guitar fretboard. Each dot represents the different frets on the guitar, look above. The first inlay or dot is on the 3rd fret, the second dot is on the 5th fret, the third dot is on the 7th fret and so on all the way up the guitar fretboard.

Most guitars will have these dots or some type of indicator, but some may not. These dots are very beneficial and can be used to quickly identify the location of each fret as you play chords or scales. You might be playing lead guitar and need to quickly jump to the 7th fret, you will know that the 3rd dot or inlay is on the 7th fret. The dots are also at times located on the top edge of the fretboard, check out your guitar neck. When you’re jamming away, you can see these dots on the edge of the neck and jump to the fret you need without looking at the fretboard.

The numbers that I’ve included below the fretboard, are for quick reference for each fret and are numbered 1 through 19. Count the frets on your guitar, some guitars may have as many as 24 frets. Only 19 frets have been shown on the image below. Just a quick secret, all notes on a string repeat every 12 frets. Every scale pattern also repeats every 12 frets as well. We will learn more about this subject later as we progress through the guitar lessons.

Look at the image above and find the strings, E A D G B E. These are the 6 strings that make up the guitar. Notice that the thickest string is red and we call that string the Low E string. Colors will be illustrated on some images to help learn the guitar strings and with placement of the notes to the particular string. Each of the 6 strings should be memorized. You may have noticed that there are two E strings? One is the Low E, which is the Red E and is the thickest string, look above.

The other E string is the high E string, which is the thinnest string; check that string out. Look at the 12th fret on the image above, notice that I’ve included the notes. Those are the same notes as the 6 open guitar strings, 12 frets below. It’s important to remember that all notes repeat after 12 frets.

Each guitar string is at times referenced by number in our lessons. These numbers are standard throughout the industry and are listed in the table below as follows:

1st string		High E string		Thinnest
2nd string		B string
3rd string		G string
4th string		D string
5th string		A string
6th string		Low E		Thickest

When you purchase a set of guitar strings, they might be identified as 1st, 2nd, 3rd…. and also by color.

1. You now know the 6 strings on the guitar are: E A D G B and E. Say them out loud and remember them.
   
2. You know that there are two E strings. The thickest or fattest string is the Low E string and the thinnest is called the high E string.
   
3. You know that all notes repeat after 12 frets.
   
4. You know what the dots or inlays are used for other than looks.
5. You need to print out the blank fret-board illustrations to complete the up coming assignment.
6. Watch the video below. Once you’ve completed this guitar lesson, move on to guitar lesson 2.
7. Go to Guitar Lesson 2 covering the guitar fretboard notes.
8. Contact Guitar Secrets if you have any questions or need help to better understand this lesson.

It’s vital to know every note on the fretboard and that will be covered in the next lesson. Here’s a link to the blank fret-board illustrations of the guitar fretboard, you will use these illustrations to fill in all the notes of the fretboard. Click on the blank illustration link above, print out these illustrations and have them handy to fill in each note as you study the following lessons.

Good Luck,

Guitar Secrets