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Fretboard knowledge · Core · 5 min

The Musical Alphabet on One String

Every natural note on string 6, up to the 12th fret and back down.

How to play it
  1. The notes go E F G A B C D E. There is no sharp between E and F or between B and C, so those are one fret apart.
  2. Say each note name as you play it, up to fret 12 and back.
  3. When it is easy, skip the diagram and play it from the names alone.

What the coach checks: Pitch of each note in order.

Goal80 BPM · 80% accuracy
Your bestNo result yet
Rating–

Tab player

Hear the line

eBGDAE1234

Tap any number to hear it. Four clicks count you in.

100% is the goal tempo, 80 BPM. The speed presets climb from Learn to Goal about 10% at a time, and the practice slider below uses the same scale. Build a full ladder to your goal

Your practice room

Find each note

Single-note pitch feedback. Practice waits for each note; Play checks the sequence at your chosen tempo. This does not assess chord quality or fret buzz.

This checkpoint needs 80 BPM or faster and the required accuracy. Slower Play attempts still produce practice scores.

Exercise map · 15 targets
  1. 1. E2Bar 1 · beat 1 · string 6 · fret 0
  2. 2. F2Bar 1 · beat 2 · string 6 · fret 1
  3. 3. G2Bar 1 · beat 3 · string 6 · fret 3
  4. 4. A2Bar 1 · beat 4 · string 6 · fret 5
  5. 5. B2Bar 2 · beat 1 · string 6 · fret 7
  6. 6. C3Bar 2 · beat 2 · string 6 · fret 8
  7. 7. D3Bar 2 · beat 3 · string 6 · fret 10
  8. 8. E3Bar 2 · beat 4 · string 6 · fret 12
  9. 9. D3Bar 3 · beat 1 · string 6 · fret 10
  10. 10. C3Bar 3 · beat 2 · string 6 · fret 8
  11. 11. B2Bar 3 · beat 3 · string 6 · fret 7
  12. 12. A2Bar 3 · beat 4 · string 6 · fret 5
  13. 13. G2Bar 4 · beat 1 · string 6 · fret 3
  14. 14. F2Bar 4 · beat 2 · string 6 · fret 1
  15. 15. E2Bar 4 · beat 3 · string 6 · fret 0

Chord names and stroke directions are visual guidance. Rhythm scoring measures attack timing.

Target 1 of 15E2String 6 · open

Play one note at a time.

Tune first. Audio stays on this device.

Why this drill

Power chords and the main barre chord shapes take their root from string 6 or 5. Knowing the natural notes on the low E string instantly is the map the rest of the fretboard work builds on.

Common mistakes

  1. Leaving a fret between E and F or B and C

    Fix: E to F is the open string to fret 1, and B to C is fret 7 to fret 8. Every other pair of neighbors is two frets apart. Say it as a rule while you play: no sharp between E and F, no sharp between B and C.

  2. Memorizing fret numbers instead of names

    Fix: Say the name, not the number, and use the fret markers: G at the 3rd-fret dot, A at the 5th, B at the 7th and E at the 12th-fret double dot.

  3. Knowing the notes only in order

    Fix: Once the run is easy, call out names at random and find them: C at fret 8, F at fret 1, D at fret 10.

Tempo plan

100% is the goal tempo, 80 BPM. Each rung sits about 10% above the one before it, so every step up is one you can hold. The speed presets in the player above use the same rungs.

  1. Learn 60 BPM · 75%Say every note name out loud as you play it.
  2. Build 66 BPM · 83%Stop looking at the diagram and play from the names alone.
  3. Push 73 BPM · 91%Switch to Play · full check here. Two clean passes in a row earn the next rung.
  4. Goal 80 BPM · 100%Fifteen notes, one per beat, up to the 12th fret and back with no pause at the top. A pass at 80% accuracy or better clears the drill.
  5. Stretch 88 BPM · 110%Run a few passes here, then return to the goal. Time above the goal makes the goal feel settled.

Build a full ladder to your goal with holds and back-off sessions, starting from the tempo you can play today.

Make it music

These notes are the roots of every power chord and E-shape barre chord rooted on string 6. Knowing that A is at fret 5 tells you exactly where the A5 power chord and the A barre chord sit. Above fret 12 the pattern repeats: F at fret 13, G at 15, A at 17.

Variation

Do the same on string 5: A, B, C, D, E, F, G and A at the open string and frets 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 12.

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