Fretboard Notes Image

When I designed mine, I considered doing that but didn’t. I figure people are smart enough to just add +12.
But, if you want to, go for it.

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Yes, I want to. It has to do with UX design and not with how smart people are. I’m actually doing it for myself and I’m simply sharing it. Thank you for your input.

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You’re welcome :smiley_cat:

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That’s nice UX designed view, thanks @franx
It’s still visually easier and more pleasant for me this way, allthough I would suggest to only use it as reference: be sure to memorize the fretboard in the long run you can more easily play that way.

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You are absolutely right. To memorize it is really important. I have a color print on the wall and I look at it when I have doubts. I liked that when I color-coded the notes I saw the pattern and repetition throughout the fretboard.

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Agree, yet I’m using it on the same tablet that I use to work through the courses :violin:

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I play games while practicing to practice the notes on a fretboard like
I will start with C then playing every C on the fretboard up and down like a speed drill. then switch to another note always saying the note outlaid while playing it (Sounds funny I know) but hearing the note, saying it, and seeing it as I play it seems to activate all of my senses and drives it to memory. I had to do the same thing when I got the 6 string

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It’s nice, as long as it’s only used as a study aid in the early stages of learning, and not as a crutch. Nothing beats daily practice (such as the cycle of 4ths) finding the notes on the fretboard, and learning the logic of where all the notes are in relationship to one another.
I made a similar chart back when I was first starting (I’ve posted it here a few times), and it helped me to familiarize myself with the sequence and logic of the fretboard while studying during my “non-practice” times. I don’t use it anymore, but it came in handy as a study aid in those early days.
Again, I cannot emphasize enough, do not rely on things like this to replace actual practice, and learning your way around the fretboard.
Thanks for doing this @franx

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You don’t really need to memorize the entire fretboard… just be familiar with where the notes are that you need. The important thing is to learn the intervals and the relationships from notes to notes. For example, if you’re on an E, you should be able to easily navigate to an A or a B (if that’s what the music sheet calls for) without even thinking about it: or from the root to third or fifth or octave. The notes on the bass fretboard are laid out in a very logical manner, so you just need to understand the patterns. Once you’ve mastered the patterns, you’ve got it!
From there, it’s just a matter of many hours of practice.
Graphics like this are a great study aid for beginners to gain an understanding of the logic of the fretboard.

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Hi. Thank you for taking the time to write all this. I appreciate it. I can relate to what you are saying and being a very visual person (design, photography) it has been a discovery and challenge to do something like this. The chart really helps me to memorize but I challenge myself to “count” the notes. Only practice is going to get me somewhere and I’m right at the point (Module 7) where the theoretical knowledge is more than clear but it’s becoming a real challenge to memorize certain things. And then I’m also very technical and a perfectionist. When Josh explains a melody on the fretboard with the dots I get completely lost but if I look at the tab and hear it, voilá. And I have taken it very seriously not to acquire bad habits and use my pinky, silence strings, etc. On the other hand, I copper shielded my bass, learned how to do a complete setup, etc. I will take your advice and I appreciate it! Thanks again for sharing your obvious experience! (BTW, I also did a lot of print related work) Thanks and Cheers!

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Thanks Pam, I ‘need’ all the notes and for me memorizing them means I know where to ‘find’ any tone for any note to make the sound I want at any time, visually. If that makes sense, to you. Wether you use a pattern to find them, use the dotes on your fretboard, use this overview or even counting on every string to get there, to me: you still memorizes how to (find and) play them. Memorizing, to me, is more then only remembering a pattern or remembering what each note is called on the fretboard. For me it includes also muscle memorization, but first and foremost: visualization.

It always depends on your own abilities on how your learning: so I learn visually, I first do need to see where all notes are, using such visual reference, then play aurally and only after that can I use any pattern (which I also have to see first).

Reading your comment, you probably learn in a different way. Which is totally fine and normal as there are at least four different ways to do so. But please, don’t claim or state ‘ You don’t really need to memorize the entire fretboard… ‘ as that definitely isn’t true for all of us, it’s just one of the ways to learn how to play. And I am just one of the persons who do need to :rofl:

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@RemcoRG what I meant by that statement: you don’t need to memorize the absolute location of each and every note on the board, that comes naturally with practice and note finding exercises such as the Cycle of 4ths. It’s a lot easier just to know their relative location to one another. In other words, just knowing that A is always 2 strings above B, or G is right below C etc. It’s easier to remember the hardware store is across the street from the bakery, and the ice cream shop is 3 doors south of the bakery, than to remember all the exact addresses.
If you want to take the time to memorize the absolute location of each note and that works for you, fine. I’m just offering an alternative method of learning :wink:

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Thanks Franx!

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For all the Lefties out there!

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Did you update the open string colors and re-post your one with the octave numbers? I’m wanting to print that one. If not, it’s also fine with the black open strings.

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I did a 24-fret 4-string version for myself the other day, based on hers, in piano style. All of the naturals are white (including the open strings), and I also removed the #/b text and just made those black.

It’s just a spreadsheet, so not as fancy, but for me it gets the job done.

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Not yet @DaveT. I’ll do it today.

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I’m good with the @akos version. How lazy am I :sweat_smile:.

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Okay sounds good, that’s one less thing for me to do today :smiley_cat: