In this lesson
To find a note on the guitar, start with the open string’s note and count one semitone for each fret towards the body. On the A string, for example, the open note is A, fret 1 is A♯ or B♭, fret 2 is B and fret 3 is C.
This lesson uses a six-string guitar in standard tuning, with no capo. The chart covers the open strings and first five frets. You will use it to name notes, find C on several strings and play a short sequence. Tune first using how to tune a guitar; a different tuning changes the notes at each position.
Start with the open strings
From the thickest string to the thinnest, standard tuning is E, A, D, G, B, E. String 6 is the low E; string 1 is the high E. An open string sounds without a fretting finger. In tab, fret 0 means open.
| String | Open note |
|---|---|
| 6, thickest | Low E |
| 5 | A |
| 4 | D |
| 3 | G |
| 2 | B |
| 1, thinnest | High E |
The two E strings have the same letter name at matching fret numbers, and the high string sounds two octaves higher. The letter alone does not specify the register: how high or low the note sounds.
Count semitones along one string
Moving from open to fret 1, or from one fret to the next higher-numbered fret on the same string, raises the pitch by one semitone. Moving back one fret lowers it by one semitone. Two frets span a whole tone.
Natural notes are the unaltered letter names A to G. Here is the twelve-note cycle, using sharps for the notes between them:
C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B | C
Each move to the next entry is one semitone. E to F and B to C are already one semitone apart. There is no extra fret between either pair. Other neighbouring natural notes, such as A and B, are two semitones apart.
To find fret 3 on the A string, make three moves: A to A♯, A♯ to B, B to C. The open note is your starting point, so do not count it as the first move. The semitones and accidentals lesson explains the note names in more detail.
Guitar note chart: open strings to fret 5
Read each row from left to right, starting at the open string. This chart runs from low E at the top to high E at the bottom. Guitar tab puts high E at the top, so check the string labels when switching between them.
| String | 0, open | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6, low E | E | F | F♯ | G | G♯ | A |
| 5, A | A | A♯ | B | C | C♯ | D |
| 4, D | D | D♯ | E | F | F♯ | G |
| 3, G | G | G♯ | A | A♯ | B | C |
| 2, B | B | C | C♯ | D | D♯ | E |
| 1, high E | E | F | F♯ | G | G♯ | A |
For example, string 4 at fret 3 is F. Check it by counting from open D: D♯ at fret 1, E at fret 2, F at fret 3.
The chart uses sharp spellings to keep each cell short. In the usual equal-tempered system, these pairs name the same pitch at a given position: C♯/D♭, D♯/E♭, F♯/G♭, G♯/A♭ and A♯/B♭. A key or chord can call for a particular spelling. This chart alone does not tell you which spelling the music needs.
For a flat-note example, find B♭ on string 5. B is at fret 2; B♭ is one semitone lower, at fret 1. That is the cell labelled A♯.
Play and name four notes
This original exercise stays on string 6, the low E. It has no finger-number instruction: the numbers below are frets. Fret just behind the intended fret wire, towards the headstock, and pluck the string to sound each note. Keep the other strings quiet.
| Order | Position on string 6 | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open, fret 0 | E |
| 2 | Fret 1 | F |
| 3 | Fret 3 | G |
| 4 | Fret 5 | A |
To stop a note, gently touch the sounding string with a finger of your plucking hand. Lifting a fretting finger alone can leave the open string sounding.
First work without a time limit: say the name, find the position, then pluck it. You can lift and move your hand between positions; this is a note-finding task, so you do not need to stretch across all five frets.
Once you can find the notes, count four evenly spaced beats. Pluck E on 1, F on 2, G on 3 and A on 4, letting each note last until the next count. On the next 1, stop the A, return to open E and pluck it to begin again. Make four passes, then stop the last A on the next 1. Choose a pace that leaves time to move; the metronome can supply the beats.
The fret gaps are 1, 2, 2. Their pitch distances are a semitone, a tone and a tone. Do not assume that moving to the next natural letter always means moving one fret.
Find the same note name on different strings
Use the chart to find every C in frets 0 to 5. There are three: string 5 at fret 3, string 3 at fret 5 and string 2 at fret 1. Say each string number and fret before plucking it. Play one at a time, stopping the previous note before moving.
The C on string 5 is lower than the other two. The C on string 3 at fret 5 and the C on string 2 at fret 1 are the same pitch in standard tuning. They may have different tone colours because they use different strings.
Two more matching-pitch pairs help check the map:
| Fretted position | Matching open string |
|---|---|
| String 3, fret 4: B | String 2, open B |
| String 2, fret 5: E | String 1, open high E |
Alternate between the two positions in a pair, plucking each separately. These are the same comparisons used in reference-note tuning. If they differ noticeably in pitch, recheck tuning and that you have the intended string/fret. Avoid bending the fretted string sideways. The table establishes the intended notes; a name match on paper cannot establish that your instrument is in tune.
Check yourself without the chart
- What note is string 4 at fret 2? Count from its open note.
- Where is F on string 1 within frets 0 to 5?
- Which fret on string 3 gives B♭? Give the chart’s alternative spelling too.
- Is string 6 at fret 3 the same pitch as string 1 at fret 3, or do they share only a note name?
Answers and counting routes
- E. String 4 starts on D: fret 1 is D♯, fret 2 is E.
- Fret 1. The open high E moves one semitone to F.
- Fret 3. Starting on G: fret 1 is G♯, fret 2 is A, fret 3 is A♯, also called B♭.
- They are both G, in different octaves. The high E string gives the higher G.
Extend the map past fret 5
The same counting rule continues up the neck. Fret 12 is twelve semitones above the open note, which is one octave. Its letter name repeats: string 5 is A open and A again at fret 12, at a higher pitch. Fret 13 then has the same note name as fret 1, one octave higher. Fretboard dots vary between instruments, so read fret numbers rather than treating a dot as a note name.
Choose one string and find its natural notes up to fret 12 by counting. Write the fret numbers down, check them against the twelve-note cycle and then play them slowly.
Example answer: natural notes on string 5
Starting on the open A string, the natural notes are A at fret 0, B at 2, C at 3, D at 5, E at 7, F at 8, G at 10 and A at 12. The one-fret gaps are B to C and E to F; each other gap in this list is two frets.
For a next step with a fixed set of notes, try the C major scale. Its pattern is higher on the neck, at frets 7 to 10. Open its note-position table and find the first four entries without a time limit before trying a longer sequence. Use the tab-reading lesson if you need help following its string and fret positions.
Source notes
Fender’s explanation of musical notes supports the natural-note gaps and fret/semitone rule. Taylor’s tuning guide gives standard tuning, string numbering and the fretted/open reference comparisons. Open Music Theory on pitches and octave designations explains enharmonic names and register. The chart, note-finding tasks and counted sequence were written for this lesson.