You are NOT looking at the fretboard CORRECTLY 

ok im so confused I need to watch again

And just like every other explanation, I still don’t understand how this makes things easier but maybe someday.

Yeah he made it easier to construe because he wasn't trying to get a book published showing off his knowledge.

Welcome to RU-vid

I'm a dear in the headlights - mesmerized, can't look away, but so utterly confused... I'll keep trying!😊

🤯

And I am just as embarrassed lol. Thanks X2 ;)

Been playing guitar for more than 14 years and I felt you there

@@pinkfloyddwc in my case you are correct. I'm self taught and can't read a note of music... Sorry for being such a disappointment

You are not alone. I would have written this entire comment but you did it for me.

Exactly !

That's awesome brother that's good to hear, I hope your musical journey is going well!

I feel this so hard

If you play bass you learn this from a lot of bass players. This is how they pickup the fretboard considering they have to rely less on patterns and more on the exact notes.

yup. throw in a little pentatonic shape to be able to jump octaves easy, good to go

Bonus: assign a natural note to each day of the week. 7 natural notes, 7 days. Find and play that days note on all the strings going string to string, then try skipping 2 strings, 3 strings, etc. Spend between 2-5 minutes a day doing this and you'll be amazed how fast you memorize the fretboard. (Flies away)

I am right there with you! I have never really understood the circle of 5ths, so obviously this was a wee bit over my head.

You can do it. Just break it down. Don't try to understand it on one look, watch and listen over and over just like practicing a riff. So it takes you a month. You'll have it for a lifetime.🤙

People don't learn visually. It's a myth.

@@christianlogan161 cool

@@christianlogan161 we get it you're old

@@un_kn0wn427 No it really is a straight up myth. I was doing my GCSE's when it started getting pushed out. There is no evidence supporting it. I'm doing a degree in psychology, my lecturers and A-level teachers both discredit it. You learn through deeper understanding and active recall.

@@christianlogan161 cite your sources dawg cuz rn you're working purely off of "trust me bro"

Ditto lol

Sounds like skill issue

Not really needed if you just count up 5 notes

@@JuanHernandez-vy4ee this video is directed at people who don’t know the fretboard, ie beginner entry level. I wonder why they wouldn’t be skilled if they don’t know the board yet? What a genius, this is why you’re not teaching these things.

@@Hurricane9146 This video is more reserved for people who have a great foundation with the guitar and to show them a better way to visualize and to remember the notes, not for beginners. Granted, it would of helped to have the circle of fifths somewhere in the video and thus this video suffers juuuuust a tad bit for this. But hey that’s solved easily by googling the circle of fifths and memorizing it, hell I’m pretty sure the RU-vidr has a video somewhere teaching the circle of fifths

I feel the same way! He made this right when I needed it:)

Yes but Paul Simon once said learn all the theory you can you can and then forget it. Not that you cannot always learn more But you can avoid having to be spoon fed

Yea i'm irritated at the amount of comments praising this, just memorizing the places of the notes through practice is well enough.

@@atharbarghouthi9649 if that's all this is for, thanks for the help. I'm so confused to why people learn this

Any recommendations for a good video explaining the interval method?

The circle of fifths is used to unlock simple key modulation, and a bunch of other cool stuff. If you like to have freedom in playing, then you would learn it anyway, and the guitar is literally tuned this way. Rote learning the notes also takes effort but doesn't enable you the same way. But if you prefer to avoid thinking too much, you do you! 😁

@@LoupBlancEA as a composer of symphonies understanding the relationship between intervals and the emotions they evoke can be great, but music is written from the heart and plucked from the “ether” for lack of a better term. Baach said it, Paul Mccartney said it. And if you’re gifted in writing music, you know this to be true. Those who write to formulas don’t “hear” the music. Those that write well don’t need the explanation m, but understand music theory, often both intuitively and technically. I corrected my music theory professor several times on my first day of music theory and taught them a simple method for bypassing the circle of fifths: the relative major of Am is C. Take the A, raise it two whole steps, drop it a half step. Done. Finding the relative minor of a major, F Major, raise it a half step, drop it two whole steps to D. Dm is the relative minor of F Major. Done. After a minute or two you can do this in about a second. Music, and music theory exists completely independently of the circle of fifths, and to imply that it’s some breakthrough for learning music is disingenuous. It’s a method for some people, and if it was a breakthrough for you, congratulations. It took me all of about 3 seconds to figure out an easier way for myself and my classmates in both High School Music Theory class and my College Music Theory class. That doesn’t make it the only way, but it is certainly more efficient, especially if you already know your scales

Yeah this seems far easier to me. I couldnt follow the video though to be fair. I gathered that before you even attempt to learn things like the video describes you have to innately know the circle of fifths

@@patientswim6888 Exactly - you need some basic knowledge of music theory for this, and to understand what's meant by 'intervals' and in this case '5th's.' And that's all good - we do need to know that eventually, but you don't have to wait until then to start learning the notes. In fact, using the method I've described, my students pretty much know where the notes are before we get to learning music theory, and that actually helps with learning it! Just use the 12th frets instead of open strings, where appropriate, and learn one note at a time - a quick run through at the start of each practice session is enough - don't bore yourself! Once you can go up and down 3 times on each note (I'd say the naturals A B C D E F G) try going up and down on different notes - that's a real workout - say up D, back down F, up C down E, up A down G, up B down D.... Finally you can do the same for the incidentals (the 5 sharp or flat notes) - then apply for the X factor immediately!

​@@SuperJ333 I'm going to choose to go down this route as I think it will be easier and less frustrating for me. The fact that you're a teacher that's more than good enough for me. Many thanks.

Yes. Me too

can you make a video of what you​ just posted sir.. seems interesting!!!

*cycle of fourths

Yea i agree, i guess the circle of fifths is more common to musicians but it makes more sense to use the circle of fourths

Just admit it the guitar is a fucked up instrument that really is just an overly bastardized instrument that wasn't made to conform to music rather made to make music with. Damn well sucks as a beginner where other instruments are logical, and linear.

I mean it entirely depends on what the context is, it's in 5ths if your tonal centre is going 1-2 and 3-4-5-6 with a 6th between 2-3 or you can say it's in 4ths going 6-5-4-3 and 2-1 and a 3rd going 3-2. Visualizing it one way over the other offers no benefit since it changes depending on what you're playing

You can also think of intervals and the number/Nashville system, where you can find the IV (next string same fret) or V (next string, two frets over), octave (V “+” IV), and the III when going between G and B.

You’ve never seen anyone teach it this way because it only works if you’ve gotten past the beginner stage and if you are interested in music theory. You will confuse lots of beginners if you talk about circle of fifths and changing the B and E to a C and F in the tuning. 99.9% of guitar teachers will concentrate on what will be enjoyable and easy to learn for beginners.

How can you play on a scale of 1 to ten... ??? And ten being awesome guitarist. ...

@@sarthakq guitar? Probably 5-6/10 but I'm a better bass player

This made absolutely no sense to me as being an easier way than just learning where all the notes are. It seems like a much more taxing process on your brain?

Right? It was a new one on me. Something I'll keep in mind and teach!

Is it a game changer?

@@chingonbass everything on the internet is a "game changer" and whatever you've been doing is wrong and the video you're about to watch is gonna "blow your mind" because it's gonna show you how to do whatever you've been doing wrong your whole life the actual RIGHT way now!

You truly have serious advantages in learning this way. Hearing songs is a superpower. You can and should learn the other stuff with a little effort, but i'm not so sure the other way around is true. How easy is it to develop an ear like yours? In knowing some theory, I can narrow down the likely choices in chord progressions, but having that sharp ear is amazing for learning songs.

@@BobHiltner I'm the same way- I grew up playing guitar by ear and never took any theory or anything like that- I play jazz, classical, blues, blue grass, and rock - can't shred (yet) but otherwise, I can hang in there with the best of them. That said- I haven't a clue what I'm doing. I can usually tell you the chord I'm playing but- I can't always tell you if it's augmented or some kind of sus chord or a 7th or whatever. I just know it's an A of some kind or an E of some kind- and when it comes to inversions, I can't even tell you that much sometimes because I can't tell which note is the root. That said- i can sit down and figure out a jazz song and get most of the chords right- or close enough anyway. I have no idea how either- ppl ask all the time and I have no idea what to tell them. All I know is I'll be playing around and find a chord or two, a riff or lick that's right- and once that happens the rest just seems to happen- my hands just go to the right place. I wish I could take some kind of credit for it but in all reality- I didn't do anything- I'm just along for the ride. But hey- don't let me make it sound like I'm some kind of prodigy or something- I'm absolutely not. I'm just good enough to make the average person think I should've done something- but bad enough for the ppl in the know to know better.

Same here.

Yeah I'm in a similar boat but probably not as "gifted" as you guys. I've just played since I was 12 and now I'm my early 40's. Started with tabs of my favorite band's songs and had a couple teachers here and there in the first couple years but what they tried to teach just went in one ear and out the other. I've had hundreds of attempts throughout the years to try to get myself into theory or even just sit down and try to learn scales or whatever. I always end up just going back to noodling and playing the same stuff I always do. Been in serious bands most of my guitar career and even went on tour a few times so I'm capable, but still really don't have any technical knowledge whatsoever. I see videos like these and end up just as lost as I was before I watched them. It's actually frustrating to be honest because I was told early on that one day "things will just click" at some point. That's never happened.

Being able to play by ear like that has its own advantages that, in my opinion, are no better or worse than knowing how to break things down into music theory. The Beatles originally learned how to play their instruments just like you. The big downside is, like you said, it’s difficult to communicate when you play with other musicians. But I promise you, there are a million reasons for other guitarists to be jealous of your skillful ear.

The A natural minor scale is much neglected considering it's where it all started before the shift to C major (unless the ancient Greeks were pranksters). Back in the seventies I even had people telling me there was no such thing as the natural minor! 🙄

Yes every time I see circle of fifths it seems more complicated !

I'm totally confused lol

Yeah, just yeah lol

So because people don't know or look at a fret board enough it's cause they don't care enough? I'm happy we don't have a bunch of snobby tech bands on my scene. As soon as theory and technical flow gets into it, you start getting formatted music, aka radio rock that's lame as shit and appeals to trends. Play from the heart, it's gets better fans and reactions.

I play the guitar, I make good sounds, I don’t make notes, I don’t really care TO make notes, I play sounds together and it sounds good, as opposed to playing notes and making good notes.

Honestly you have to be a little slow if you didn't figure this out by the time you learn what the circle of fifths is

@@datmonkey5680 Music should be intuitive but that mindset is just childish and stubborn

@@no-rq7fp I play guitar as a hobby and I play the music I enjoy or make riffs that sound decent, I’m not looking to learn every guitar theory or note just to make up riffs or play songs that have RU-vid tutorials for them, doesn’t make sense when it’s just a hobby and my life doesn’t revolve around guitar

Dude! I’m stoned as shit watching the video , than I look at the comments and read your and I start laughing my ass off! 😂😂😂😂😂

Ha, I'm in your shoes. And, yes, it's like listening to someone speak a different language. You can tell they're all excited about something, but you're never exactly certain what that is. In this case, there are too many caveats for me - the whole "forget the B-E strings, let's call them C-F, except, no, they're really B-E, so you still have to do some complex mental gymnastics" thing, for example... I prefer the way the old blues guys did it: they found a niche, and they stuck to it.

Yeah, I'm with you lol

@@M_C79 Chinese to me lol

I learned that by ear since otherwise it would be way too mathematical for me: You need to know how to play a scale across the whole fretboard first. Then try to play some lead to a chord progression loop/song by trial and error. Start with a random note and see if it fits, if not move and try again. If you repeat this lots of times you'll get the right note from the beginning more often until it just comes naurally to you.

Me too