Learning Note Names - Lesson 3

Cornfield

Blues Newbie
I have been on the "Learning Note Names" exercise this week (Lesson 3). This is extremely boring, non musical and repetitious but I am actually learning the fret board.
I've had guitars for about 10 years now and never really ventured past the open chords much. I've occasionally gone to barre chords, but only when all other options were harder. I've never seen much use for those frets but now I am learning something.

I need to get back to playing music soon as my mind wanders off when it gets bored. When that happens, I usually end up buying another instrument, hence my signature.
 

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
This is extremely boring, non musical and repetitious

Just learning the notes "out of context" would be pretty boring.

Putting on a jam track and playing Boxes and scales (or chord shapes) you'll figure out where all the "roots" are in that key.

And after you do this in all keys you will have learned all the names of the notes, each having served as a root within a scale.

And you don't have to learn them all at once.

You"ll become familiar with the most often used "keys" like E, G, A, C & D and where their roots are just by "osmosis", having used them so often.

That's what did it for me.:)
 
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MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
Learning note names should NEVER be the only lesson that you work on, and even lessons should not be the only playing that you do.
10 min on note names,
30 min on lessons
what ever time you have left just playing songs that are fun.
 

jammoore99

Blues Newbie
I agree with Mike S. Diversify your practice time. A little here, a little there. Concentrating solely on note names is one way to become disinterested in a hurry.
 

Cornfield

Blues Newbie
Yes, I've modified my practice routine. I've got the first 5 notes from the Circle of Fifths committed to memory now so I don't spend a great deal of time on the practice routine. Looking at the fret board diagram, I see chess moves to some of the octave jumps. Such as going from the E to the D or A to G string. It's two spaces in a downward Bishop move diagonal motion The D to B or G to E are more like a knight's move away.
 

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
Cool way to look at it.

And just an FYI:

At some point you will hear someone (probably Griff) say a "2+2" move, up 2 strings and 2 frets (Bishop move) and when the B string is involved, a "2+3" move (Knight move).

You might want to see what you come up with if you go "down" the neck, to the "left". (3-3 & 3-2 perhaps?)
 
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