Fretboard Explorer 🚀

This guide shows how to move away from the home we call open position and explore the outer regions of the fretboard space. It does this in a logical way, by mapping notes and chords out horizontally across the entire region of the fretboard.

Preparing For Liftoff

In this recipe, our adventures will include:

1. Mapping out the notes on the string that matches the key
2. Determining the chord names and locations
3. Playing the determined chords by using the chord shapes that match the key

One Key At a Time

This guide focuses on three keys and there matching strings names: E Major, A Major and D Major. It is advised to learn one key at a time, particularly in this order along with the following strings and shapes:

1. E Major: E6 string, E chord shapes
2. A Major: A5 string, A chord shapes
3. D Major: D4 string, D chord shapes

Ingredients

1. The music notes and how identify these notes on the fretboard
2. Know E, A, and D major and minor chord shapes (positions 1, 4 and 2)
3. The major scale formula
4. The harmonic major scale formula

Mapping Our Destinations

Establishing the notes within a Key

The first step is to figure out the location of the notes on the open string that matches the key and label them using numbers. We can achieve this by using the major scale formula: T, T, S, T, T, T, S

Show notes in E Major, A Major and D Major

E Major

B A T

02457911

A Major

B A T

02457911

D Major

B A T

02457911

1. Note Names
2. Scale Degrees

E Major

E	F♯	G♯	A	B	C♯	D♯
1	2	3	4	5	6	7

A Major

A	B	C♯	D	E	F♯	G♯
1	2	3	4	5	6	7

D Major

D	E	F♯	G	A	B	C♯
1	2	3	4	5	6	7

Learning the Environment of Each Location

Establishing the Harmony (chords) Within a Key

Now we have established the notes on the relevant strings, these notes are going to be treated as the root notes of the chords found within the key

Luckily there is another formula we can use called the harmonic major scale formula: T T S T T T S

Show chords in E Major, A Major and D Major

1. Chord Names
2. Chord Numerals
3. Chord Position (fret) Numbers

E Major

E	F♯m	G♯m	A	B	C♯m	D♯dim
I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	viidim
0	2	4	5	7	9	11

A Major

A	Bm	C♯m	D	E	F♯m	G♯dim
I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	viidim
0	2	4	5	7	9	11

D Major

D	Em	F♯m	G	A	Bm	C♯dim
I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	viidim
0	2	4	5	7	9	11

Vehicle for Transportation

Using Moveable Chord Shapes for Navigation

We can then now proceed to play these chords horizontally across the fretboard. To do this we will be the using major and minor shapes to navigate the fretboard. These shapes, although are originally open chords, can be turned into moveable chords by using our first finger as a barre.

E Shapes

Emaj

1

3

2

Emin

3

2

A Shapes

Amaj

3

2

1

Amin

1

3

2

D Shapes

Dmaj

2

3

1

Dmin

1

3

2

Show chord shapes in E Major, A Major and D Major

E Major

Emaj

1

3

2

F♯min

2

1

1

1

4

3

1

G♯min

4

1

1

1

4

3

1

Amaj

5

1

1

2

4

3

1

Bmaj

7

1

1

2

4

3

1

C♯min

9

1

1

1

4

3

1

A Major

Amaj

3

2

1

Bmin

2

1

2

4

3

1

C♯min

4

1

2

4

3

1

Dmaj

5

1

4

3

2

1

Emaj

7

1

4

3

2

1

F♯min

9

1

2

4

3

1

D Major

Dmaj

2

3

1

Emin

2

2

4

3

1

F♯min

4

2

4

3

1

Gmaj

5

3

4

2

1

Amaj

7

3

4

2

1

Bmin

9

2

4

3

1

Time for Liftoff

Now it’s time to put all this navigating prep into full motion. It is a tricky at first to venture out of open position, but stick with it for an immensely rewarding journey.

Good luck out there guitar astronauts! 👩‍🚀 🎸