Fretboard notes -friends or foes?

Learning fretboard notes can be quite a hassle. Trying to learn them by rote is really frustrating...

...even when you already know that every fret is a semitone, and when you've learnt the basic structure of your scales!

...even after you've managed to learn a million scale and mode patterns!

...even when you already know and a million -and then some- chord patterns!

...even when you've managed to work out half of Hendrix's coolest licks!

Why?

Duh! Because your fingers need to learn the logic behind notes on the fretboard. Your head has to learn the logic of fretboard notes. Your ears need to learn the logic behind fretboard notes. Even your nose needs to learn the logic of fretboard notes (Ok, I'm taking this a bit too far, I admit).

But you get the point, don't you? Just knowing a scale pattern is not enough. Not nearly. That's what everybody thinks in the beginning. That's what I thought. And I was sorely disappointed. I learnt my scale patterns, and yet, music would not come out of the damn thing. Ok, I could play a few pretty awesome licks, but deep down I knew something was missing...

You really need to give some deep thought to the fretboard... to notes and their relationships, before notes on the fretboard make any real sense to you. When you do that, music will seem to pour from your fingers! This website is devoted to helping you achieve all that, and much more.

Some visitors have pointed out that the info provided in the site seems to be only a teaser... they have asked "Where can I get the full thing?"

Don't worry, it's coming. My book will be out soon, and you, my dear visitor, will be among the first to find out. The best way for us to stay is touch is through my eZine. "What is that?" I hear you ask...

Just a geeky word for newsletter. Look for the "Subscribe to Guitar Theory Secrets" boxes scattered around the site.

But back to my point... once you understand the fretboard, and you know that scales and chords are but different aspects of the same thing...

...that all the different scales are very closely related, in more ways than one...

...that rote is not only boring, but actually kills musical creativity...

...you will be on the fast lane to a completely new dimension of music making on the guitar!