10/12/2014 How to Easily Find Any Note On The Guitar with Octaves

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How to Easily Find Any Note On The Guitar with Octaves

February 1st, 2014 | AUTHOR : Klaus Crow

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Most intermediate guitar players can find the

notes across the neck on the 6th (low E) and 5th STRING (A). This is essential for LEARNING barre chords, soloing and a lot
of other stuff. If you dont know the notes on the 6th and 5th string yet check out Learn The Guitar Fingerboard Thoroughly in 16 Days

Once youve memorized the notes on the 6th and 5th string you can easily find any other note on the guitar. You can do this with
octaves. An octave is in essence an interval whose higher note has a frequency of vibration twice that of its lower note.

If you think in notes, an octave is an interval with the distance of 12 half steps (12 frets) in the chromatic scale. For EXAMPLE , if
youre on the 1st fret, 6th string (F note) and go up 12 frets, which will take you to the 13th fret, you will also hit on an F note only one
octave higher. You can apply this to every fret and every string.

If you think scale wise, an octave is the distance of 7 notes in the diatonic scale. So if you start on the first note of a scale and you go up
7 notes in the scale you arrive on the 8th note which is the octave.

Each of the DIAGRAMS below shows an octave, that means the notes SHARE the same name except one note is higher or
lower than the other. Now we can find the name any note or octave on the entire neck.

Lets take a closer look

DIAGRAMS 1 8:

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10/12/2014 How to Easily Find Any Note On The Guitar with Octaves

Klip Pal Diagram 1

Related Searches For EXAMPLE if you want to find the name of the note on 3rd fret, 4th string (D-string) then take your finger from this note and go
down 2 strings and then 2 frets back and you have the same note (only one octave lower). Now youre on the 1st fret, 6th string and this
is an F note. So the note on the 3rd fret, 4th string is also an F note. You can do this any where on the string, just use the same shape of
the first diagram.

Diagram 2
Lets say I want to find the name of the note on the 7th fret, 3rd string, (G-string) again I go 2 strings down and 2 frets back and I have
arrived on the 5th fret, 5th string. This is a D note, so the note on the 7th fret, 3rd string is the same note (only an octave higher), but its
?
the same note name.
Guitar Chords
Diagram 3
To find the note name of any note on the 2nd string (B-string), just pick a random note on the 2nd string and then go 2 frets up and 3
Major Chord strings down and youve arrived on the 5th-string of which you know the notes. For EXAMPLE : 5th fret, 2nd string? Go up 2 frets
and down 3 strings and youre on the 7th fret, 5th string which is an E note.
Barre Chords
Diagram 4
Learn Guitar DIAGRAM 4 has the same shape as DIAGRAM 3. Pick a note on the 1st string (high E-string). Lets say 3rd fret which is a G-
note. You already know this because the notes on the 1st string are the same as the notes on the 6-string. 3rd fret, 1st string from this
note go up 2 frets and down 3 STRINGS and youre on the 5th fret, 4th string which is also a G-note.
Blues Scale
And obviously we can also do this the other way around. Lets say you start on the 5th fret, 4th string, now go 2 frets down and 3
Guitar Chord Charts strings up to find the octave and youve arrived on the 3rd fret, 1st string. Both G notes.

Diagram 5
Learning To Play The
Want to find the octave of any note on the 4th string (D-string)? Go 3 frets and 2 strings up. For EXAMPLE : Lets pick the 3rd fret
Guitar
on the 4th string. To find the note name first use the octave shape of diagram 1, go 2 strings down and 2 frets back and you arrive on the
F note. So the note on the 3rd fret, 4th strings is also an F note. Now use diagram 5, go 3 frets up and 2 strings up and youre on the
6th fret, 2nd string, another F note an octave higher.

Diagram 6
To find the note name of any note on the 3rd string (G-string) just pick a random note on the 3rd string and then go 3 frets and 2 strings
up and youve arrived on the 1st-string of which you know all the note names (they are the same as the notes on the 6th string). For
EXAMPLE : If youre on 5th fret, 3rd string. Go 3 frets up and 2 strings up and youre on the 8th fret, 1st string which is a C note.

Diagram 7
Another way to find the note name of any note on the 3rd string (G-string) is to go 3 frets up and 3 strings down. Now you land on the
6th string (low E). So again, if youre on 5th fret, 3rd string and you go 3 frets up and 3 strings down youre arrive on the 8th fret, 6th
string which is also a C note.

Diagram 8

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As mentioned before all the notes on the 6th string (low E-string) are the same as the notes on the 1st string (high E-string). So if youre
on 5th fret 6th string which happens to be an A note then the note on the 5th fret 1st string is also an A note, only two octaves higher.

Assignment: Memorize all eight octave shapes to easily move from one octave to the next.

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3. Exploring The Natural Minor Scale
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3 Responses to How to Easily Find Any Note On The Guitar with Octaves

Prasana:
February 1, 2014 at 6:29 pm

Hi Klaus sir,
I had already LEARNED the LEARN The Guitar Fingerboard Thoroughly in 16 Days. Following this exercise is much
easier to find the notes in the guitar.By knowing notes in 5&6 string it is easier to determine other notes.Thanks for sharing.

Klaus Crow:
February 1, 2014 at 8:35 pm

Hi Prasana,

The two posts complement each other perfectly. I think, the diagrams in this post are a little easier to READ .

Best regards,
Klaus Crow

Victor Geiger:
July 23, 2014 at 8:50 pm

Glad you shared this Klaus. I naturally started doing it when I reached that level. I never learned notes but I would come up with a
rhythm and then need to make a lead piece for it. After much head bashing I figured out the octave trick that you explained above.
I only hope that new guitarists find this article so they dont have to go through all that frustration like I did ;)

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