Fretboard Evolution

Learning the Fretboard…once and for all!

We’ll reinforce key theoretical concepts and explore how they map across the fretboard. You’ll learn essential reference points that unlock the neck and gain a clear understanding of how to navigate standard tuning with confidence. Plus, I’ll give you a foolproof practice routine to help you memorize every note—once and for all!

Major Scale Theory (The Musical Ruler)

The major scale is the foundation of everything on the fretboard—it’s the key to understanding scales, chords, intervals, and harmony within a key. Think of it as the blueprint that shapes how music is structured and how notes relate to one another. You'll not only grasp the theory behind the major scale but also master the essential ways to play it, ensuring it becomes second nature.

Numbers > Notes (Essential Intervals)

While every well-rounded musician should be comfortable with key signatures, you'll discover that mastering intervals—understanding notes in relation to a Root—is a far more powerful approach to unlocking the fretboard. By focusing on interval relationships, you'll internalize patterns, navigate scales and chords with ease, and develop a deeper, more intuitive connection to the guitar.

Triads (The Foundation of Harmony)

Learning triads will significantly enhance your fretboard knowledge, simplify chord shapes, and deepen your understanding of harmony. Triads make navigating the neck easier, enabling cleaner rhythm playing and more expressive soloing. You'll learn effective ways to memorize close voicing triads and we'll consider key 'voice leading' concepts to play common progressions.

Arpeggios - Targeting The Chord Tones

Arpeggios break chords into single notes (the 'chord tones'), making them the most stable-sounding notes to target over a chord progression. For musical solos you need to be able to emphasise these notes in your melodic phrases. Implementing your interval vision, you'll learn the essential arpeggio patterns across two, three and multiple string groupings.

Pentatonic Scales

Pentatonic scales form the foundation of many musical styles, especially rock, blues, and pop. They’re simple, versatile, and easy to play, making them perfect for improvisation and soloing. You'll master the theory behind both the major and minor pentatonic scales on a single string, before exploring the most effective ways to play them across multiple string groupings.

The CAGED System

Learning CAGED is inevitable...it's the innate way the guitar works! CAGED will help you see how chords and scales are interconnected across the neck, making it easier to play anywhere. You’ll realize that everything you’ve learned so far fits into one of five CAGED shapes, allowing you to recall and apply your knowledge effortlessly.

CAGED Chords - Play any chord with ease

With the five CAGED chord templates and your new understanding of intervals, you'll learn to effortlessly create any chord you need. We’ll also explore how the major scale serves as a Root Note Map, enabling you to navigate chord progressions with confidence and ease.

Moving Diagonally with the 3-Octave Method

Standard tuning naturally lets you create melodic patterns across multiple octaves. You’ll discover how the 3-octave method can effortlessly expand your range on the fretboard by repeating patterns of key lead concepts, such as arpeggios, pentatonics, and the major scale. This technique will open up new possibilities for playing fluidly across the entire neck.