Notes in the first five frets

Ok - so you’ve passed Grade 1, and that means you’ve memorized all the open string note names. Congratulations! Now, you’re ready to work out the name of every single note on the guitar neck. Yep, that's easy. :)

But we’ll start simple, so we make sure you build a solid foundation. We’ll focus on the notes in the first five frets on each string of your guitar in these early stages.

Exercise 1 - Simple Note Finding

The best way to consolidate the things you’ve just learned is by applying them to the guitar. And guess what? That’s what we’ll do with this note-finding exercise. Things are about to get exciting!

We’ll start simple, and we’ll learn a faster way to find notes later on. But, right now, we’ll need to do things a certain way - and that will help you develop the solid knowledge base we need!

🚨 Please, do not start this exercise if you haven’t memorized the Note Circle. It’s pointless. :)

Now, if you’re feeling comfortable with the Note Circle and the note names on the open strings, let’s get started!

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

Point to any note on the neck, on any string, up to the 5th fret.

The higher up the neck you go, the further round the Note Circle you will have to count.

Start in the first five frets and work up to the dusty end.

Count your way clockwise around the Note Circle.

Start with the name of the open string your chosen note is on.

Keep going until you reach the fret in question.

You’ll need to know the note names of the open strings.

What did Eddie eat? 🧨

Name the note you're on!

🎯 The JustinGuitar Note Trainer App is perfect if you want to learn the notes in your free time! :) I’ve made it as a game exercise, so it doesn’t even feel like studying. Download the app now - it costs less than a beer!