The Notes on the E String

A basic knowledge of notes on the fretboard and their position is helpful to any guitarist. Gradually we will introduce notes in the first position. First position is the first 4 frets of the guitar. The first 3 notes we will introduce are on the high E string (thickest). E, F, G.

Here is how fingerings are represented on the fretboard:

• The number 1 repersents the index finger.
• The number 2 repersents the middle finger.
• The number 3 repersents the ring finger.
• The number 4 repersents the ring finger.
• The number 0 is an open note, i.e. you just play the string without a finger on the fretboard

E, F, G Note Exercise

Try to pick this little exersice evenly. And try some other combinations of these notes, saying the names of each note as you play. This will help you learn the note names, as well as their positions on the guitar. Note exercises will also help you to loosen your fingers.

Basic Musical Symbols

This is a quarter note. The quarter note has the same timing as one down strum, both are worth one count.

The 4/4 Time Signature: The top number tells us how many of the specified notes are in a bar and the bottom number tells us what duration (ie: how long) that specified note is. For example in 4/4 Time the top number tells us there are 4 notes in a bar and the bottom number tells us that each note is a quater of the length of the bar, or more simply put a quarter note. Therefore, we can tell that a song written with a 4/4 time signature is made up of bars (musical units a song is divided up into) which contain 4 quarter note long beats.

Guitar Tablature: Under the musical notes you will notice a method of notating music called tablature, as known as just TAB for short. Tablature is a method of indicating the position of notes on the fretboard. There are six ‘tab’ lines, each representing once of the six strings of the guitar. When a number is placed on one of the notes, it indicates the fret location of a note. You can read the time of tablature by following the count written beneath it. Although there is not nessesarly always a count beneath it.