Unit One: The Musical Alphabet

EXERCISES: GUITAR IN HAND

Do not use fretboard charts! Just your brain : )

1. Play through the natural scales frequently, ascending and descending, on each string.
Say the note names out loud.
** Always remember that B/C and E/F only have a half-step (one fret) between them.
➔ If this feels easy, start on fret 12 and descend only.
➔ Then go beyond fret 12, to fret 17 or 19 (as practical on your guitar).

2. Play through the chromatic scale on the other strings, one at a time. Go through each
fret, and say out loud the note name. Use sharps ascending, flats descending.
- Always remember that B/C and E/F only have a half-step (one fret) between them.

3. Choose a string and fret at random on your guitar. Slowly and carefully, using the
chromatic scale starting from the open string (or 12th fret octave, if you’re closer), figure out
the name of that note.
- If it’s not a natural note, use both names. For example, if your random note is string
3 fret 6, that would be C♯ and D♭.
- Take this slowly and carefully. Aim for accuracy rather than speed.

4. Find the following notes on the given string. If the note occurs one octave higher in a
practical position, find it there too.
- String 1: A, C#, D
- String 2: C, F, A,
- String 3: F#, B, D
- String 4: E, C, A
- String 5: D, F#, B
- String 6: C, Eb, G

5. Find all the versions of the following notes, on all strings, in all octaves. Up through fret
19, or as far as practical on your guitar.
- C, D, E, F, G, A, B
- F#, C#, G#, D#, A#
- Bb, Eb

6. Play E, F, and G on string 1. Now find these same 3 notes on string 2. Then string 3.
Next find E, F, G one octave lower on string 4. Then strings 5 and 6. Notice how many frets
you have to ascend when you change from string to string.
- Go through the same exercise for the following groups of notes, changing octaves
when necessary: ABC, DEF, GAB, BCD

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 Unit One: The Musical Alphabet

EXERCISES: WRITTEN
Do not use fretboard charts.

** Newcomers to theory and the concept of half-steps, whole-steps, and note names:
You may have the chromatic scale in front of you as you figure these out.
You may also use your guitar, if it helps.
** Those already familiar with the chromatic scale and today’s concepts:
Try to do these in your head, far from your guitar, and without any other visual references. If
you can picture the fretboard in your head, even better!

1. Which two pairs of notes in the natural scale are separated by a half-step?
2. Which five pairs of notes in the natural scale are separated by a whole-step?

3. Write out descending natural scales starting on the notes C and F, and indicate whether
each note is separated by a half step (H) or whole step (W).

C B A

H W

4. Name the note:

String 1&6 Fret 6 A# / Bb String 5 Fret 12

String 3 Fret 14 A String 1&6 Fret 8

String 2 Fret 10 String 5 Fret 5

String 1&6 Fret 13 String 3 Fret 3

String 3 Fret 7 String 4 Fret 10

String 5 Fret 7 String 2 Fret 4

String 2 Fret 9 String 1&6 Fret 2

String 4 Fret 4 String 5 Fret 17

String 3 Fret 2 String 4 Fret 3

String 1&6 Fret 11 String 1&6 Fret 4

String 2 Fret 15 String 3 Fret 6

String 5 Fret 8 String 2 Fret 5

String 4 Fret 16 String 4 Fret 9

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5. Given the string, on what fret(s) can you find the following notes?

Strings 1&6 G Frets 3 and 15

String 5 G

String 3 G#

String 4 F#

String 2 F

String 5 B

String 4 Bb

Strings 1&6 A

String 3 D

String 2 D

6. How many half-steps (or frets) between the following pairs of notes?
Note, there is a more elegant way to describe these distances (called intervals) which we will
learn later in the course. Just for today, use half-steps.

Starting Note Ending note Half-steps

G E (ascending) 9 half-steps

E (descending)

F# D (ascending)

D (descending)

D A (ascending)

A (descending)

Bb Ab (ascending)

Ab (descending)

F E (ascending)

E (descending)

E A# (ascending)

A# (descending)

** Notice any pattern here?

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7. What note do you end up on when you ascend or descend the following quantities of
frets?

Starting Note Go Ending note

C ascend 5 half-steps F

C descend 5 half-steps

F ascend 1 half-step

Bb descend 1 half-step

Bb ascend 4 half-steps

F# ascend 3 half-steps

C# descend 2 half-steps

Eb ascend 4 half-steps

F descend 3 half-steps

F# descend 4 half-steps