Fretboard Learning Plan
A step-by-step curriculum to build deep fretboard knowledge — from your first pentatonic box to full modal fluency.
Before learning scales, you must know where notes live on the fretboard. This phase builds the mental map you'll rely on forever. The E and A strings are the priority — almost every scale and chord root begins there.
Tool Settings
Session Structure (15 min)
- Pick one note (e.g. E). Find every position on the fretboard by clicking through the exercise.
- Say the fret number and string name aloud as you play each note.
- Test yourself: close your eyes, pick any string, name the note at fret 5, 7, 9, 12.
- Practice one new note per session (E → A → D → G → B → e).
The minor pentatonic is the foundation of rock, blues, and pop guitar. Position 1 is the most important shape any guitarist learns — nearly every classic rock solo starts here. It has only 5 notes, so you can focus entirely on rhythm, feel, and phrasing.
Tool Settings
Metronome Progression
- Play the scale ascending (low E → high e), then descending.
- One note per beat. Keep it perfectly even before speeding up.
- Memorize the blue dots (roots): frets 5 on low E & high e, fret 7 on D string.
- Loop 3 rounds up and 3 rounds down per session, minimum.
Position 2 extends your range up the neck and connects to Position 1. Learning two positions lets you move fluidly across the fretboard instead of being locked in one place. Notice how Position 2 overlaps with Position 1 at frets 7–8.
Tool Settings
Metronome Progression
- Learn Pos2 on its own first, then connect it to Pos1 in one continuous run.
- Roots in Pos2: fret 7 on D string, fret 10 on B string.
- Play Pos1 ascending → slide up → Pos2 ascending, then reverse.
The blues scale adds one note to the minor pentatonic: the ♭5 (the "blue note"). This creates instant tension and that unmistakable bluesy character. The shape is nearly identical to what you already know — just one extra note per position.
Tool Settings
Metronome Progression
- Locate the extra note: fret 6 on the A string (the ♭5).
- The ♭5 is a passing note — land on it briefly and resolve up or down.
- Try bending: play fret 5 on A string and bend up to fret 6 without fretting it.
The major pentatonic has a brighter, more uplifting sound — perfect for country, pop, and major-key solos. It uses the same 5-note concept as the minor pentatonic, but from a different starting point. A major pentatonic sits just 3 frets below the A minor pentatonic.
Tool Settings
Metronome Progression
- Root on low E is at fret 5 (same string as Am pent). Compare both scales side-by-side.
- Switch the display to ① mode and observe how the intervals differ from minor pent.
- Challenge: alternate between A minor pent and A major pent in the same session.
The natural minor (Aeolian mode) is the full 7-note minor scale. You already know 5 of these notes from the minor pentatonic — now you add 2 more. This is where scale degrees become essential: switch to ① mode and memorize which degree each note is.
Tool Settings
Metronome Progression
- The new notes compared to Am pent are: the 2 (fret 7, e string) and the ♭6 (fret 6, B string).
- Switch to ① mode and say the degree name aloud as you play each note.
- Practice in sequences of 3: 1-2-3, 2-3-4, 3-4-5, etc. (diatonic sequences).
- Compare: play Am pentatonic, then Am natural minor in the same position — hear the added colour.
The major scale is the backbone of Western music theory. Every mode, every chord, every interval is defined relative to it. Mastering it in one position gives you the framework to understand everything else. Notice the different interval spacing compared to the minor scale.
Tool Settings
Metronome Progression
- Compare A major vs A minor: the 3rd, 6th and 7th are raised by a half step.
- Use ① mode to see degree numbers — memorize 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
- Diatonic sequence exercise: play 1-2-3, 2-3-4, 3-4-5, 4-5-6, 5-6-7, 6-7-1, 7-1-2.
The 2-fingers-per-string (2f1b) pattern is a technique-focused exercise that breaks the "box" habit and trains even picking mechanics. Instead of playing full positions, you run diatonic intervals across the neck — a critical step toward fluid, musical playing.
Tool Settings
Metronome Progression
- 2f1b means: 2 notes on each string, one bar (position) shift per string pair.
- This pattern naturally produces a flowing, melodic sound across the neck.
- Go very slowly at first — the left-hand shift needs to be precise.
- Combine with a backing track in Am — play the pattern musically, not just as an exercise.
Triads are 3-note chords (root, 3rd, 5th) and the most direct bridge between scales and real music. Learning them across all four string groups breaks you out of single-position thinking — the same chord shape appears in three different inversions on every string set.
Tool Settings
Metronome Progression
- Learn one string set per session — don't rush through all four at once.
- Each string set shows the same triad in 3 inversions (root, 1st, 2nd inversion).
- Once all 4 string sets are solid, chain them: play the triad as it moves up the neck across groups.
- Arpeggiate each shape (note by note) and also strum all 3 strings together.
Minor triads complete the picture. Once you know both major and minor triads across all string groups, you can connect them to the scales you already know — the A natural minor scale contains Am, Bdim, C, Dm, Em, F and G triads. Playing the scale and then arpeggiating each diatonic chord is how scales become actual music.
Tool Settings — Minor Triads
Metronome Progression
- Learn all A minor string sets the same way you did for major.
- Integration exercise: play A nat. minor scale pos. 1, then arpeggiate Am triad within the same position.
- Chain two diatonic triads: Am → C major → G major → Em, staying in one fret area.
- Switch to ① mode while playing triads — the root will show as "1", the 3rd and 5th appear as their interval numbers.