How to Memorize Every Note on the Bass Guitar Fretboard Easily

Learning where each note is on the bass guitar fretboard is essential if you want to become more than what I call a parrot player. I am talking about someone who learns the bass line for a song by ear and just plays it like a parrot. He doesn’t know which notes he is playing or what key the song is in. This person is really limited by his lack of knowledge. A good knowledge of the fretboard will make you much more versatile and put you in control of your playing.

The above image shows all of the notes up to the 14th fret. If you try to memorize all of these notes you will find it overwhelming. I know I did. The sad fact is that a vast number of bass players wouldn’t be able to name any notes above the fifth fret. I know this from talking to a lot of bass players and also because I used to be one of them.

Here is the same fretboard with only the A notes shown – far less daunting, isn’t it? Look at the A note at the fifth fret on the E string. You will notice that at there is another A note at the seventh fret on the D string. This note is two frets up and two strings over and is an octave higher than the first note. This pattern is true anywhere on the fretboard. For instance, you can see that the A note at the second fret on the G string is two frets up and two strings over from the open A string. So for any A note on the fretboard there will be another A note either an octave up or down depending upon which string you start on.

Look again at the A note at the fifth fret on the E string and notice that there is another A note seven frets up on the A string. These two notes are also an octave apart.

Finally look at the A at the seventh fret on the D string. Five frets up on the E string is another A, but this time the two notes are the same, not an octave apart.

Remember these three patterns and you will be able to locate any A note on the neck. Practice playing each one of them. When you are playing a song, each time an A note is required try playing one at a different position. You will be amazed at how quickly you will be able to do this.

So rather than trying to memorize the entire fretboard at once, learn one note at a time.  Once you have memorized the A notes, repeat the exercise with the B notes. Once you have reached G, start working on the sharps.

If you work on just one note a week, you will be a bass guitar fretboard master in only 12 weeks.