Two Dimensional Guitar

In my early years of studying the guitar my only way of getting around the neck was with shapes. I saw the neck as being the same shapes repeating. It was easy for me to get to and understand and I was able to connect my ear to those shapes and play some pretty good music. As I got into music more I found that something was missing. I didn’t see the key of Amin any differently than I saw Bbmin. I realized I was only seeing a part of the guitar and if I wanted to play the music I was trying to play I would have to look for some way to tell one key from the next other than what fret the scale started on.

Finding the Notes vs. Knowing the notes

At the same time I started noticing other instrumentalists and how they understood their instrument. They knew their notes and I saw that was directly related to an strong understanding of their instrument. I also noticed that guitar players and a hand full of bass players have the distinction of not knowing our instrument. As I looked into this more it was clear, I needed to know the notes on the guitar like the back of my hand and there was much more to it than just being able to find the notes.

The System

Here is a great way to really learn the notes on your guitar. All you have to do is follow the steps below. Be sure to be really good a a given step before you proceed to the next one and you’ll learn it well.

Initial preparation – if you do not know the 5 major scale patterns, sometimes called the ‘White Note Scales’, begin learning each scale. The thorough knowledge of these scales is necessary to have success in the higher steps of this technique. The scales must be memorized in two ways.

1. Your fingers must be able to play theses scales naturally without engaging a thought process. This takes repetition. So to practice this play each scale ascending and descending in 8th notes at a tempo of 75bpm. Repeat this for 3min on each scale. If 75bpm is too fast play them at 60bpm. It is more important to learn how to play the scales accurately than fast.
2. Learn the scale degrees of each note in the scale. A proven way to internalize this is to state out loud the scale degree as you play it.

Step 1

1. Learn all the natural notes (C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C) on the 6th string. Be sure to associate which note is on a dot and which isn’t. Try to see more than one note at a time. For all the steps be sure to say the note out loud as you play it. This helps to internalize the notes. Also, try to use your imagination and picture the fret board in your mind as you do this. Eventually you can practice this at times when you are without your guitar.
2. Learn all the natural notes on the 5th string. Same as above.

Step 2

1. Play an ongoing C Major Scale (C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C) using only the 5th and 6th strings. Start on a C on the 6th string. Then play up the C major scale playing only 2 notes and then changing to the next string to continue the scale. For example C-D (6th string) E-F 5th string, G-A (6th string0 etc… Play this until you are on a C as the fist note on the 6th string.
2. Goals:
   • Do whole exercise in under 2min
   • 8th notes @ 60bpm
   • 8th notes @ 75bpm
   • 8th notes @ 90bpm

Step 3

1. The next pair is the 4th and 5th string. Learn the 4th string enough so that you can do the same thing as step 2 with the 4th and 5th string.

Goals: (Same as Step 2)

Step 4

1. The next pair is the 3rd and 4th string. Learn the 3trd string enough so that you can do the same thing as step 2 with the 3rd and 4th string.
2. Goals: (Same as Step 2)

Step 5

1. The next pair is the 2nd and 3rd string. Learn the 2nd string enough so that you can do the same thing as step 2 with the 2nd and 3rd string.
2. Goals: (Same as Step 2)

Step 6

1. The next pair is the 1st and 2nd string. Learn the 1st string (which is the same as the 6th string) enough so that you can do the same thing as step 2 with the 1st and 2nd string.
2. Goals: (Same as Step 2)

Step 7

1. At this point you should know the C Major scale on all the strings without having to count up each string to find the note. In this step use all 6 strings in the same manner, playing the C major scale but only playing 2 notes on a string and then moving to the next adjacent string to continue the scale. The step is very important because it is where you start to see the whole neck in it’s entirety.
2. Goals:
   • Do whole exercise in under 2min
   • 8th notes @ 60bpm
   • 8th notes @ 75bpm
   • 8th notes @ 90bpm

Step 8

1. Repeat Step 7 with one exception. Play the C Major Scale descending instead of ascending.
2. Goals: Same as Step 7

Step 9

1. Repeat Step 7, but this time visualize which of the 5 ‘White note scales’ you are in. Be sure to go slow enough at first to always be away of which scale you are in. Also be away of what scale degree you are playing. This step requires a tremendous amount of concentration but it is worth it. In order to do this step you must have a thorough knowledge of the 5 ‘White note Scales’ and how they are connected.
2. Goals
   • Do whole exercise in under 2min
   • 8th notes @ 60bpm
   • 8th notes @ 75bpm
   • 8th notes @ 90bpm

Step 10 – Same as step 9 with one exception. Play the C Major scale descending instead of ascending.
Step 11 – Repeat steps 7-10 with every key going in this order.

• G Major
• D Major
• A Major
• E Major
• B Major
• F# Major
• C# Major
• F Major
• Bb Major
• Eb Major
• Ab Major
• Db Major
• Gb Major
• Cb Major

Demonstration videos to come…