Learning the guitar notes on the fingerboard is a great goal for any guitarist. Whether you are a beginner just starting, or you’ve been playing for years, learning your guitar notes is immensely valuable.
For a beginner, this can be a daunting task. But you don’t have to be intimidated by the fingerboard. It is learnable and you can do this!
Preparing To Learn The Guitar Notes
Rather than learning the entire fingerboard at once, you will do better to break it into smaller sections (positions). The notes in the first position on the fingerboard cover the first four frets. This guide has everything you need to learn notes in the first position.
You’ll learn the note name, fret position on each string, which finger to use, and what the note looks like written on the staff. This guide contains images of the staff to help you along. The staff is a great visual tool that can help you learn many concepts in music.
If you need an introduction to the staff check out How to Read Music Made Easy.
Feel free to bookmark this page for your reference. Let’s get it started! Before reading further, take a minute to review the following diagrams.
Guitar Notes On The First String (High E)
Let’s begin with the first string, the high E. When the string is sounded open (no notes fretted) the note is E. When fretting with finger #1 at the first fret you have F. Now fretting finger #3 at the third fret gives you G.
So the notes on the first string in the first position are E, F, and G. Try practicing with the sample pieces below.
Helpful Tip: A productive practice time is essential to your success. Check out these 5 Ways To Make Your Guitar Practice More Productive.
Guitar Notes On The Second String (B)
The second string is the B string. That means when it is played open or not fretted, the note is B. With finger #1 at the first fret on the B string, you have note C. The Third finger at the third fret is D.
So the notes on the second string are B (open string), C (fret 1), and D (fret 3). Practice the sample studies below.
The Third String (G)
When the third string is played open it produces G. Fretting finger #2 at the second fret gives you A. Use finger #4 at the fourth fret to get B. So the notes on the third string would be G (open), A (second fret), and B (fourth fret). Practice the sample studies below.
(Note: After learning the first position notes, check out easy guitar chords and learn some chords.)
The Fourth String (D)
The fourth string played open is D. Fret finger #2 at the second fret and you have E. Fret finger #3 at the third fret and you get F. So the notes on the fourth string are D (open), E (second fret), and F (third fret). Practice the sample studies below.
The Fifth String (A)
The fifth string played open is A. Fretting finger #2 at the second fret is the B note. Finger #3 at the third fret is C. So the notes on the fifth string are A (open), B (second fret), and C (third fret). Practice the sample studies below.
(For more tips on memorizing the notes check out this article at guitarlessons.com)
The Sixth String (Low E)
Related Guitar Notes
The first and the sixth strings produce the E when played open or not fretted. On the sixth string use finger #1 at the first fret and you get an F note. Finger #3 at the third fret gives you a G note. So the notes on the sixth string are E (open), F (first fret), and G (third fret). Practice the sample studies below.
Conclusion
The first-position notes are a great place to start when learning the notes on the guitar fingerboard. Consistent practice will be necessary to learn the notes quickly. It is best to see the notes written on the staff or tablature and then on the fingerboard. Try playing some of the sample pieces below every day to help instill the notes in your memory.
