Hi fam,

Memorizing all of the notes on the guitar is one of the most effective things you can do to get better faster. The problem is that it can seem like a huge task that will take forever.

When I first started memorizing the notes, it was super slow going, but I figured out some tactics and tips that would have sped things up if I’d known about them. That’s why I made this video called “10 Tips to Memorize the Notes on the Guitar.” Of course, these aren't the only tips, but they are the ones that I found most useful. You can leave your tips for the rest of the fam to read in the comments below.

In other news, I’ve been working on the new CAGED course for the past few weeks, and I've included a full module on memorizing the notes. This will give you a more methodical way to work on learning the fretboard. Keep an eye out for that in the future. I’ll keep you up to date.

Here is the tip list. Of course, there is a lot more detail in the video.

#1 - Referencing notes to find other notes isn't memorizing the fretboard. When you are first starting out, it can be useful to use notes you already know to find other notes, but knowing the notes on the fretboard cold is the way to go long term.

#2 - Be consistent with your practice. You don't have to work on memorizing the notes on the guitar for hours at a time. Doing just five minutes per day for six months to a year is all you need.

#3 - Start small. If you try to memorize the whole fretboard at once, you will run the risk of getting discouraged and giving up. It's better to start with a small goal like one string.

#4 - Start with just the natural notes on one string. Another way of starting small is to only worry about the natural notes at first. You can add in the sharp and flat notes later.

#5 - Say the note names out loud. This will force your brain to recall the notes in another way, and help you memorize things faster.

#6 - Go forwards and backwards. This will change things up and keep your brain from getting too comfortable.

#7 - Play leapfrog. This is another more complicated way to change things up and confuse your brain a bit. Once you can do this, you will notice a big shift in the way you see the notes on the guitar.

#8 - Start throwing in the sharp and flat notes. Once you are comfortable with the natural notes on a string, it will be much easier to complete the picture by throwing in the sharp and flat notes.

#9 - Rotate through the strings. Take one string per day or week and focus on it in your practice sessions.

#10 - Go vertical. (Serpentine) Up to this point, we've been talking about working on the notes horizontally on a single string. You can also serpentine back and forth vertically up and down each fret. This is the final tactic to make sure that you know the notes as thoroughly as possible.

Thanks for watching,

Nate