|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A Guitar Lesson To Help You Test Your Note Knowledge
In this guitar lesson we look at a great way to test your note knowledge of the guitar fretboard. But before we look at that, why even bother learning the notes?
Knowing the notes on your guitar fretboard is an essential skill. Here are a FEW of the benefits that you'll gain if you have fantastic guitarfretboard knowledge?
- You'll learn how to apply music theory to the guitar much more quickly. In my opinion there's no point learning music theory if you can't PLAY it!
- Your creativity will increase. You'll be able to think of new and unique ways of playing chords and scales. If you don't know the notes on the guitar fretboard, you'll be stuck playing the same chord and scale fingerings that everyone uses.
- You'll become a better musician. Great musicians don't just think in terms of chord shapes or scale fingerings. They think in terms of notes.
- You'll save yourself hundreds (if not thousands!) of hours of frustration. By knowing the notes on the fretboard you'll be able to understand, learn and memorize things faster.
Pretty powerful benefits right?
So?how do we know if our note knowledge is good enough?
Here's a great way of finding out?
Note Knowledge Test:
Step 1:
Please turn on your metronome and set it to 120 beats-per-minute.Step 2:
Decide on a note that you will work on.Step 3:
Find that note on the thickest string in all possible locations. (One note location per click of the metronome).Step 4:
Without pausing, repeat the process on all the other strings.Step 5:
Repeat steps 2-4 for all the other notes.How did you go? Did you find it hard or easy?
If you couldn't do it easily, then you have some work to do. I would recommend setting aside 10 minutes a day to work on memorizing the notes of the fretboard. Within a few short weeks, you should have it nailed. Good luck!
Craig Bassett (The Guitar Solutions Expert) is a professional guitarist, guitar tutor and author who lives in Auckland, New Zealand.
To get a free high-quality lesson e-mailed to you once a month, please go to: http://www.Pentatonic-Guitar -Lessons.com
In The News:Classical music
Los Angeles Times, CA - 2 hours ago
Chamber Music in Historic Sites: Prima Trio The members of the trio, hailing from Turkmenistan, Denmark and Russia, perform works by Mozart, ...
Bratislava Music Festival Kicks Off with Gala Concert TASR
CSO hires president Cincinnati.com
Devey to head Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Bizjournals.com
WCPOall 14 news articlesPhotos of Performances Using Nintendo's Wii Music are Available on ...
MarketWatch - 6 hours ago
Crowds gather as a street musician plays Wii Music at Pier 39 in San Francisco on Nov. 22. Wii Music, which launched for Wii on Oct. 20, allows players of ...
CharlotteObserver.comMTV holds its first African music awards
The Associated Press - 11 hours ago
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Two Nigerian singers won top awards Saturday as MTV held its first-ever music award program for Africa, with acts from across the ...
MTV Africa Music Awards CharlotteObserver.com
Lesley Mofokeng speaks to Trevor Nelson, host of the first MTV ... The Times
all 201 news articles
CTV.caWill the American Music Awards win the youth vote?
Los Angeles Times, CA - Nov 21, 2008
By Geoff Boucher At rehearsals this week for the 36th Annual American Music Awards at the Nokia Theatre, one of the key executives for the show gushed that ...
Performances pack American Music Awards show in Los Angeles The Canadian Press
American Music Awards celebrate fan favourites Brockville Recorder and Times
Britney Spears to Perform at Sunday's American Music Awards? Post Chronicle
Oneindia - Los Angeles Timesall 40 news articles
ABC NewsFresh thoughts on new music: At long last, 'Chinese Democracy'
Detroit Free Press, United States - 2 hours ago
The continually shuffling release dates became a running gag in the music business, and the album became a synonym for dragged-out endeavors. ...
Will rock fans have appetite for new GNR? SouthCoastToday.com
Music Review: Chinese Democracy Entertainment Weekly
NEW MUSIC: Guns N’ Roses releases long-awaited album Niagara Gazette
Wired News - The Associated Pressall 808 news articlesSweet music for Copiague
Newsday, NY - 2 hours ago
Yesterday morning, the band practiced parade music for four frigid hours, some bundled in five layers of clothing. The cold weather provided "a good warmup" ...This Day In Music
Billboard, NY - 5 hours ago
1995 - Michael Jackson is crowned best male artist and Bjork best female artist at the 1995 MTV Europe Music Awards in Paris. 1992 - Country music singer ...Critic's picks - pop music
Boston Globe, United States - 3 hours ago
... and lots of chances to sing along as 34 local and national acts come together for four days to worship at the altar of pop music. 7 pm Ends tonight. ...This Day In Music
Billboard, NY - 7 hours ago
... Child and Kelly Clarkson triumph, each taking two trophies away from the 33rd annual American Music Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. ...
New York Daily NewsConductor Gustavo Dudamel is riding a wave of Dudamania
Los Angeles Times, CA - 5 hours ago
By Reed Johnson Reporting from Caracas, Venezuela -- The new global poster boy for classical music and his wife are salsa-stepping across the ballroom of ...
Dudamel's baton entices a new wave of classical music lovers San Diego Union Tribune
10 minutes with Gustavo Dudamel OCRegister
Gustavo Dudamel lives his dream New York Daily News
Sarasota Herald-Tribuneall 10 news articlesmusic - Google News
The Secrets of Correctly Stringing Your Guitar
Why do you care about stringing your guitar you may ask. Well the reason is simple. It will make you sound better because if your guitar is... Read More
An Introduction to CD Mastering
While many people think that the mixing of the separate audio tracks is the final step, a recording must be mastered well in order to sound good.... Read More
Beauchamp Brings Diversity to Music
Everyone has a talent. For Miami, Okla.'s, Brian Beauchamp, it's playing music. Beauchamp who began playing guitar in 1998 while attending college at the University of Oklahoma... Read More
Piano Lessons For Adults: More Fun, Easier, & Faster Than Piano Lessons For Kids
Piano lessons for adults is generally LOTS more fun than it is for kids, primarily because the only adults that play piano are people who really want... Read More
Is the Mainstream Ready Once Again for Dance Music?
Not since the heyday of Dance/Pop Artists like Taylor Dayne and Paula Abdul has Dance Music been a mainstream category. Today, "Dance Music" as defined by Billboard's... Read More
Play The Piano Like A Pro
Meet the 12 Major Notes:1. C (do)2. C# - Db (do sharp or re flat) (one-key only)3. D (re)4. D# - Eb (re sharp or mi flat)... Read More
Review: Medications - All Your Favorite People In One Place
One of the most intriguing aspects of music is how easily it can transform one's mood. The right notes, at the right tempo, and all of a... Read More
The Irish Harp
The harp that once through Tara's halls the soul of music shed, now hangs as mute on Tara's walls, as if that soul were fled. So sleeps... Read More
Building Your Digital Music Collection
The previous two Tech Tips took a look at eight basic features of portable MP3 players worth considering before laying down some serious money on one of... Read More
Music & Emotions: Can Music Really Make You a Happier Person?
How many times have you turned to music to uplift you even further in happy times, or sought the comfort of music when melancholy strikes?Music affects us... Read More
People are Turning to Meaningful Songs for Emotional and Spiritual Relief:
A New Breed of Aspiring Songwriters Is In The Making. What are the Sacrifices of the Solo Singer Songwriter in Today's Changing Culture?David La Motte and Michael... Read More
Composing for Dummies
When most people hear the word composer, they automatically think of classical composers like Mozart or Beethoven. This is the point where many "would be" composers freeze... Read More
Automatic Control of Chords
CORRECT PRACTICE IS INDISPENSABLE!Your success or failure at the keyboard may well hinge on how quickly and accurately you can memorize a new chord. To be really... Read More
Recording Vocals at Home
Anyone who has recorded vocals to tape knows there is a difference between a heart-felt performance, and something that does not quite cut it! There are certain... Read More
Where To Download Music On The Internet
Virtually all of you have probably heard of the RIAA's quest to crush online music piracy. The illegal sharing of copyrighted songs via the MP3 format on... Read More
How to Buy an Electric Guitar
For most of us, making any major purchase, such as a new refrigerator, or a new car, is a cacophony of options and confusion; do we want... Read More
Music Downloads: Free & Low Cost Ways For Musicians To Get Their Music Known All Over The World
Music downloads are highly compressed audio files transferred onto a personal computer from an Internet website or P2P (peer to peer) program. From IPOD's to MP3 players... Read More
How to Become a Filthy Rich Record Label Mogul
Let me guess, you love music and would do anything to be able to enter into the fabulous life of the music business? Better yet, you would... Read More
Soul Band for a Party
Was the request six months ago, a sixtieth birthday party, the client said. It got me thinking. There is a whole untapped market out there for people... Read More
A Guitar Lesson to Help You Develop Your Vision
Have you ever done any of the following?1. Made excuses for not practicing because you "didn't have time"? 2. Practiced the same licks and exercises that you... Read More
Breathing Space in Music
While most students want to know when to play certain notes and chords, it's equally important to know when not to play. For example, I had a... Read More
These MIDI Tools Are Music To My Ears
Curious about MIDI? Want to find out what tools are out there and what they do? Here are a few pointers.MIDI Maestro is music software designed for... Read More
Top 50 Music Quotations
Discover the phenomenonal complexity of music and reflect on the way it can positively influence your life with this sound collection of riveting quotes..."Music, the greatest good... Read More
Guitar Humidification
Problems with humidity can lead to heartbreak for the classical (or other) guitarist. Excessive humidity or dryness can ruin an instrument probably quicker than you think.You must... Read More
Beginner Guitar Tips: How to Get a Feel
"I don't like to go into the studio with all the songs worked out and planned before hand?. You've got to give the band something to use... Read More
Formal Highland Attire: The Correct Wearing of the Kilt; the National Dress of Scotland
We don't simply wear a theatrical costume; we wear the national dress of Scotland. While some people might think that any proposed definition of what is "correct"... Read More
The Acoustic Guitar
The steel-stringed acoustic guitar is usually credited with being developed by C.F. Martin and Company sometime during the 1830s. Although other "gut-stringed" acoustics were around at that... Read More
How To Play The Violin
This article gives the essential basics for how to play the violin. Generally violins are quite commonly available instruments and it is reasonably easy to rent or... Read More
Anglican Arrogance: Small-Minded Choirmembers
What is "Episcopal" music?We often hear people express concern about losing ties to our Anglican heritage, which dates back about 500 years. One area that draws attention... Read More
Interview With An Up And Coming Musician From Toronto
Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of Sketchandtravel.com and Bookpleasures.com is delighted to have as our guest, Dan Goldman, Guitarist, Song Writer, Poet, Arranger and a musician of many... Read More
Music & Citizenship: Can Playing a Musical Instrument Help Your Child Become a Better Citizen?
Disregard the popular image of rappers with their ghetto blasters, terrorizing neighborhoods with eardrum-splitting cacophony. Consider instead our delightful school bands and orchestras? and ponder on whether... Read More
10 Music Download Legal Points
Everybody's doing it: downloading music and sharing files. People who share music files on the Internet argue that downloading is legal; today they can be sued by... Read More
Five Great Practice Ideas I Learned From My Piano Students!
Sometimes the teacher learns more from the student than the student does from the teacher. Hopefully, not too often, but today I would like to share with... Read More
The Ostinato - What It is and How to Use It
Ostinato means "repeating pattern" and is used frequently in all types of music. For New Age piano players, it provides a great way to lay down the... Read More
All About Eminem
Marshall Mathers, was born October 17, 72, and could be by far the most notorious and recognised rap music musicians of this age, having the alias Slimshady.... Read More
To Record or Not To Record - At Home, That Is
I will be honest. I am addicted to music recording. I love moving faders, adjusting levels, panning, reverberating, sequencing, you name it. I especially love all that... Read More
Play Piano in the New Age Style
It's not what you play, it's how you play it. These words summarize the art of piano playing in general and New Age piano playing in particular.... Read More
They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano... but When I Started to Play...
Remember the old ad that used to run endlessly in magazines and newspapers:"They laughed when I sat down at the piano...but when I started to play..." ?I... Read More
How to Stop Thinking and Start Playing
Learning how to improvise is confusing for most. The sheer number of choices becomes a burden. Should I play this note? What chord next? Where do I... Read More
Why You Cant Play Piano
It's really not your fault. You see, you've been taught that in order to play piano you need to first learn how to read music, and second,... Read More
Composing for Dummies
When most people hear the word composer, they automatically think of classical composers like Mozart or Beethoven. This is the point where many "would be" composers freeze... Read More
The Need To Perform
I can't believe how much of the year has gone by, but all the same, it's unbelievable how much I've grown through the year and most of... Read More
Beginners Guide to Music File Formats
Are you confused by the various types of music file formats out there? Most of you would have heard of the popular MP3 format, but are you... Read More
Dance Musics Most Popular and Enduring Theme: The Declaration of Independence
It all started with Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" in 1979, perhaps the biggest fluke in popular music history. To follow up her hit "Never Can Say... Read More
The Art of Music
Music is the art of arranging sounds in periodic time so as to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative composition, as through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre.It... Read More
The Life and Music of Beatle George Harrison
Propelled into fame as one of the Beatles, along with Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr, George Harrison was known as the "quiet one" of the... Read More
Musicians: What Chords Do You Absolutely, Positively Have To Know?
As you probably know, there are thousands and thousands of different chords in music - everything from basic major chords to minor 7ths to 13ths to suspensions... Read More
The Open Position Piano Chord
Chords. They're amazing. There's no doubt about it. Especially when it comes to piano playing and the Open Position Chord. Here we can use both hands to... Read More
How to Play Piano Using a Few Chords
How many chords do you need to create a piece of music? Would you believe that it doesn't really matter and that whole pieces of music have... Read More
Memorizing Music - How Is It Best Achieved?
When memorizing music there are several things you can do that will make your job that much easier. Memorizing music is important as most people know you... Read More
How Piano Lessons Benefit Young Children
Piano lessons provide a wide range of benefits to young children. Here are my "Top Five."1. Piano lessons help preserve and develop children's natural creative abilities. The... Read More
Guitar Practice (Part 2) - Does Practice Make Perfect?
You've probably heard the saying "practice makes perfect" and it sounds true enough, but is t really? We all know the importance of practicing a new skill... Read More