Every teacher told me to 'learn the circle of fifths' but NONE of them explained how it fit on the fretboard. Took me way too long to memorize what is actually pretty simple. Great job with this concept and video!
Guys I don't think any of us truly grasp how much money he gave up offering this info to us. I'm a lifelong musician since practically before I could walk. Hundreds of theory lessons, thousands of hours writing, and playing my guitar. Never ONCE, EVER did anyone (or myself) put 2 and two together. The amount of literal YEARS this would've saved me is astounding. You're a legend. Love and respect from NC. I love you. Like no really I do. Absolute legend.
I watch many videos about guitar and after watching I always feel that it's a miracle that some can make sense out of any of this and are somehow able to play music. I pick around on my guitar and I learned a few chords but it's like having a pile of building materials with no concept of how a house goes together.
This genius has convinced me to not even attempt to understand this, and to continue playing by ear and by making it up. But I can appreciate how good this is, even if it's way beyond my ability.
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.🤙
I owe you my life, genuinely 😭 I'm a pianist so not knowing where the notes on the guitar are for the most part has been hell, and I really struggled with other memorization methods. I genuinely feel blessed that this ended up in my recommended, thank you!
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)
This presentation is fantastic. I honestly have never seen anyone explain the fretboard in this way. This is probably the best presentation I have seen on this topic. You have given me a whole new way to look at the fretboard. Thankyou very much for this!!
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.
Comparing the fretboard to an abacus or slide rule is a great analogy, it’s a visual tool to help you play music. For me, a revelation has been to realise that the same pattern of notes in the major scale repeats from the root all over the neck,so if you know the key you’re in, you can visually see the 3, 5, 7 etc. couple that with a knowledge of which intervals modify in each mode or scale and you can go a long way.
Used to listen to you regularly way back in the early Will's Easy Guitar days and thought your music theory videos were second to none. Then your videos evolved and were about anything but music theory. Glad to see you're back at it because you are an exceptional teacher. No one can turn music theory into simple common sense like you. Truly amazing. Thank you.
As a bass player for 40+ years. I of course play guitar to a degree. But, this way of looking at the fret board is awesome. Thank you for bringing this thought process to light. Awesome!
Wow. My mind is blown. I've been playing 40 yrs and it has never occurred to me to look at the fret board this way. Why don't anybody teach it this way. I'm always using the circle of fifths when writing songs. This has been hiding in plain sight all this time. Thanks. First video I've seen from you and that's all it took for me to subscribe
This was an awesome look into the fretboard for people who learn visually, this helped so much as well as made it clear how important the Circle of Fifths is. Thank you!
@@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.
Pro guitar players would never teach this. Theres alot of videos, this is the best, Mr. I never think about it this way. Thank you for showing this. For now on this will be my way of living on the fret board
I think it’s more beneficial to think of it in terms of the circle of 4ths (yes, I know it’s the same thing in the opposite direction). Because the strings have a perfect 4th between them, not a 5th (with the exception of the third and second string.)
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.
This is SO FAR the best instructional video on the MOST Practical way of applying the Circle of 5ths to the Guitar , it is perfect marriage between the Cicle of 5ths and the guitar in Music Heaven when in comes to Quickly mastering the Fret board !!! Excellent job in producing this Great Video !!!
This video, by far, has best helped me understand the interval relationship of the guitar. Yes you can memorize the fretboard. Yes you can learn by tabs. Yes you can "just play by ear and who needs theory". However, simply pointing out that the guitar effectively is tuned to the Circle of Fifths (aka spaced in 4ths) really helped break me out of the "let me count the frets up to know what note this is" mentality. This helps me now determine what is under my fingers without using slow "addition", I can now use algebra (a formula). I now can know where to find all the root notes in any key, and use that to build further muscle memory. I can play a note randomly in the middle of the guitar, and know much quicker the surrounding intervals. Now none of this will make me shred faster, or strum Margaritaville better. However, from a fretboard mapping standpoint, as an advanced beginner / early intermediate player, this is really valuable. It helps explain WHY the pentatonic box 1 shape is the way it is, for example. I am looking forward for additional practical applications, but I sincerely am grateful that instead of just brute-force memorizing, or slow counting, I have a way to understand the relationship of how the guitar is ordered. Thank you for posting this, it was incredibly helpful for me compared to all the snake-oil guitar course videos that get advertised.
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
In thirteen minutes you've explained what I've been struggling with for nearly two years. I've watched countless videos with tips and techniques to learn the fretboard, but none of them helped. This is the only lesson I've seen that makes perfect, logical sense. THANK YOU!
Omg. This is the beat explanation anyone has ever given me. I'm self taught and could just never understand the circle of 5ths. Watched many videos and read things on it but nothing ever clicked with me. You however just explained in a way that is much easier to understand. Still don't fully understand it but I have much stronger grasp on it now. Glad I clicked on this video, you're a good teacher. New subscriber here
Might be helpful to have the circle of 5th’s on a split screen for those of us who don’t have it memorized. You say the notes as if they’re easy to retrieve. What you were claiming to be easy didn’t make a lick of sense to me. I guess this is too advanced for me.
@@MrAcid45 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 UA-camr has a video somewhere teaching the circle of fifths
I was a self taught guitar player but played concert instruments my whole life. I only started to truly recognize these patterns on the fretboard once I got through college music theory. This was presented beautifully!
Well it's an interesting way to look at it, and it's a useful string to have to your bow, but in my view there are even more effective ways of actually learning the notes without counting. One thing I would recommend trying is to take a note, say A, and play all the A notes on each string, from bass to treble, but avoid using open strings or going beyond the 12th fret - there's only going to be one per string! Then play them back down again, until you can do that, up and down, 3 times, and at a reasonable speed (over 60 bpm) without making a mistake. OK, you have to think at first, but because you're not just thinking but playing and saying and hearing, a muscle memory type of effect kicks in - then you can move on to the next note. Once you've got them all you can try going up on one note, and down on another, until whatever note anyone says, you can find it on every string. For me, this is also easier, and more useful when playing lead - try it!
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.
I read a theory book and saw the circle of 5ths , and tried to memorize it, but never seen it like this on fret board. Thank you. I just learned them by bass strings then used octave chords to find notes. Wow, wish i would had this explained 20 yrs ago.
As some in their 40s who has played guitar on and off for 30years and never progressed beyond a decent intermediate level because I watch too much guitar crap on UA-cam. I've finally watched video that has opened my eyes and made all that wasted time worthwhile. Thank you
For the longest time I was trying to memorize it just as he explained. I would move laterally. I knew that the standard tuning was base on the circle of 5th but i never applied it all thought the neck of the guitar. Thank you sooooo much!
Wow, I have watched endless videos on the circle of fifths, learning the fretboard etc. I have never ever seen this connection made and my goodness- everything makes complete and total sense now!!! Just like that. Thank you so much for clarifying what so many people can’t seem to make clear sense of.
Wow! I’m speechless. I feel like I’ve been on a journey looking for something I’ve had all along. I’ve learned more in this video than I’ve learned in 14 years…. Awesome, Will!
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
Big thanks - you "broke the code" for me concerning the fretboard - and you are the ONLY resource I've encountered that explained why the two highest strings are offset 1/2 tone (easier chord fingering).
This is such a great perspective! I'm a pianist and coming to guitar after plenty of years of Classical and formal music training through keyboards. I've had some moments of understanding the guitar fretboard unlocked and building the relationships just through practice, my ear, and noodling. I guess I probably knew already the relationship with the Circle of Fifths, but now I can CLEARLY see it. These devices will stay with me. I can definitely transfer it to other instruments like ukulele or accordion (buttons for chords are arranged in Circle of Fifths). And honestly, that diagram near the end, with the diatonic scale arranged in the Circle of Fifths to know which chords are major and minor and the diminished -- that was brand new! (Never seen it explained that way in Music Theory classes.) This video deserves a lot more views. Thanks!
I’ve tried a couple of times to understand the circle of fifths without little or no success. You have explained it more clearly than I’ve ever seen or heard. I may take another stand at it now. Thanks!
10:40 Very interesting way to look at it. Using the circle of fifths, pick a key, move one to the left (or counter-clockwise/anti-clockwise), and then as you said it's the 3 Majors, the 3 minors, and the diminished. But I also see the pattern: 4-1-5-2-6-4-7, or more specifically IV - I - V - ii - vi - iv - vii°. Pretty cool indeed.
I’ve been saying the guitar is an abacus for awhile, so nice to hear someone else say it. But I haven’t been able to fully apply the circle of fifths to it, so thank you. Glad I’m subscribed to this channel.
@@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!
I'm a very pattern oriented person which lead to me discovering this within a week of getting a guitar. So far you're the only other person I've seen who looks at it this way. I'm happy you're spreading the view to others
That's an excellent presentation. We all go on about keys but really this is the only key that matters. I'd love to see a digital animation of this with colors for each of those notes & the visual patterns they'd create. What a learning tool that would be! Thanks for this.
I’ve been a guitar owner over 40 years. I’ve taken music theory. This was never explained to me. Never occurred to me. Thank you Sir. I’m gonna figure out the guitar now. 😎
I’ve known that the guitar/bass is tuned in the circle of fifths but never even thought to use it as a guide in this way. Will definitely help with sight reading.
🤔. That's even a better explanation of the importance of the circle of fifths. Instead of looking at this abstract circle you have brought it to the fretboard. We can see where we can use it and now understand how it relates to our fretboard. Good job.
The viola player kept a note in his jacket. It said "viola left, bow right". All these mnemonic tricks to know where notes are, no matter how smart, are still at least one calculating step away from direct memorisation.
You sir, have blown my mind. I have been at a plateau with my guitar playing have never been able to have they eureka moment when the patterns and melodies I know sonically would connect with the theory and allow for greater understanding of what to play to hear what is in my head. You my friend have just pulled back the veil. Seriously, what a revelation. Hats off to you. Legend.
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.
I appreciate this being helpful to so many folks, and I think it's 1 great method. Like knowing how to navigate around yer town, the more ways you know something, the better/more deeply you understand it I think linear thinking cannot be disregarded, bc guitar is essentially 6 lil pianos staggered in 4ths/1 major 3rd/4th again. If a piano is 2d, then the guitar is 3d, adding a z axis to the x/y axis' of the 2d piano Thus, I find a beneficial strategy is after intimately learning 1 string linearly in 1 key, add the neighboring string and learning the two in that same key, then 3 string sets, ect But, as said previously glad to see yer strategy really helping folks! I use this thinking on cello myself
It’s hard for me bc I’ve played my whole life on sound. I didn’t even know the names of the chords I strummed until about 6 months after I figured it out on my own and played with someone else and they asked what chord and I said “idk….this one”! I wanna learn and understand stuff like this so bad but I swear it’s like nuclear physics. to me.
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.
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.
This is FANTASTIC! I have the Father, Charles, Goes, Down, And,Ends,Battle... Memorized since high school. I use it often when playing in the relative minor of a song, since I love the Minor Scale pattern. But I never knew that I could use the same acronym for the notes. This is such a help! Thanks so much
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?
I appreciate another way of visualization and 100% agree that the circle of fifths should be memorized and applied to fretboard navigation..... but, to play devils advocate, if you're navigating around the circle of fifths, you're still thinking in a linear fashion, you just have a a repeating patterns you are traversing linearly. In the end, you still have to memorize the notes of the entire fretboard to master it. My favorite prescription for that is to use a different natural note for every different day of the week. 7 days in a week and 7 different natural notes. Spend 5 minutes each day finding and playing the note on each string in every available location. If you do this for a couple weeks you'll know the fretboard backwards and forwards.
I'm 47 years old, have been playing guitar for 30 of those years and never had it explained this way. It's so simple that I feel frustrated for not figuring it out myself. Definitely a game-changer. Thanks!
Idk, I don’t get it, this just confused me even more. What do you mean by something is “underneath” something? When you’re referencing one note’s position with respect to other ones, how’s that really different from the sequential approach that you’re calling “wrong”?
Great presentation, thank you man. I've been practicing so much, but I was almost putting off wrapping my head around this concept, but you just made it SO much easier to understand.
Good stuff. I've learned this before. I guess it is good to learn the fretboard in many different ways. I have it memorized at this point anyway... Thanks for the video. There is always new stuff to learn in music.
I'm so fortunate that I learned the octave splits and fifths and thirds early on and figured this out. Everyone always wondered how i got good at lead guitar and could move all over the neck. It really is not hard.
I've been trying to play guitar since I was a teenager, and most of what I know was from watching someone else or picking out the notes of one of my favorite songs. I'm now 67 and recently retired. I wanted to start over and learn guitar the right way by building a foundation from the bottom. After watching your video, I now think maybe I should forget the whole thing. I'll watch this video again a few times, but it might as well be Greek to me. I guess maybe I'm too old now to start over.
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.
I must have a learning disability. I'm a moderately successful guitarist, songwriter, etc. and I have no idea how this information is supposed to benefit me. I seem to be the only person who's watched this and not gotten excited, or had an "a-ha moment". What am I missing?
It took me one day to learn and memorise the entire fretboard, and I have a terrible memory for everything else in my life, e.g. ask me what your name is and I will have forgotten, but ask me to learn a piece of music....no problem! I never needed to keep returning to learn the fretboard, once was enough. However I did use multiple techniques that include the ones Will mentions in this video. My few years self teaching myself the keyboard was a huge help, visualising the fourths, fifths etc in my mind and applying that to guitar.
I bought a acoustic guitar 7 days ago. I studied music theory first. I'm a self taught guitar player and I have no shame to say that at the same time, I started seeing the 5th's circle at the fret board, I love to see people like you sharing this tips/information. It opens up a new level of understanding and playing. It's awesome to see that even that some guitar players or teachers don't actually 'share or know or teach us' this information, people like us can actually learn if we stop for a moment and try to look at the fret board from another perspective. Amazing content and congrats from sharing it ! Huge thank you from Brazil ! See ya
I just started playing a few months ago and im so lost with this video, but ill save it nonetheless and hopefully the more I learn the more it'll make sense.
Wow dude you just taught me something new. I’m basically self taught. Never could figure this out, and never really cared. But, it only took the first watch through of your video to understand this. I’m not even all the way done yet and I feel like I’ve become infinitely smarter in regard to the guitar. Hope you get paid for this.
I always get lost when I try to understand the circle of fifths :( Really informative video but I think I would need some pre-knowledge because the circle of fifths part confuses me. The way I learnt the notes on the fretboard years ago (not the best / easiest way at all but it worked for me) was when I was a beginner and I really wanted to learn to play improvised solos and learn the notes on the fretboard. I learned the E natural minor scale this way: first the low E string, every note in the scale up to 12th fret. Then the next string and combine these 2 strings with improvised exercises, next string etc.. Of course I had to use shapes to memorize it all but when I had it all in my head, the "extra notes" (notes outside e natural minor) were easy to figure out. I still needed a reference point from a note next to the one I needed to figure out but I loved this way of learning because it forced me to use my brain. Many of us have our own way of figuring these things out and mine was probably a lot of extra work but It forced me to figure out a lot of things and those things are not easily forgotten once learned. I just figured I should share my story for the fellow guitarists :) Will, I love your videos and they always help me learn more! Even after 25 years of playing but then again, the process is never complete.
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! 🙄
You’re correct. In my experience, 99% of guitar players see the instrument as a calculator or some kind of pattern input/output machine and have absolutely no clue what notes they’re playing at any given time. That isn’t always a bad thing, but it’s a deeply frustrating one. The real issue isn’t the simplicity or difficulty of the concept discussed here, it’s not that people are looking at the fretboard wrong, it’s that they don’t care enough to understand or pursue the knowledge that would make them the player they want to be. I really like this presentation though!
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.
@@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 UA-cam tutorials for them, doesn’t make sense when it’s just a hobby and my life doesn’t revolve around guitar
I see the fretboard like this. and because I do, I understood the other parts of lesson! rewatched it a few times and I will definitely refer back to it. The (Maj,min,&dim) trick... & ...CF/BE 1/2step was explained nicely. Thanks for the lesson!
Ok can I say that as a beginner who hasn't even started playing this is actually really helpful. I don't know really anything about music so those chats that show all the notes on the fretboard always looked awkward and confusing but the way you explained it makes soo much more sense. This is just the beginning of my journey learning music I have a long way to go but you gotta start somewhere. I will most definitely be picking up a guitar as soon as I can!
I've been trying to make sense of the "circle of fifths" for years, but it's never been directly overlaid on the fretboard or explained to me this clearly. Very useful, thank you! I actually "get it" now!
This was quite insightful, I am a self taught guitarist and I had acquired enough knowledge to know what you were talking about but your entire explanation filled the gap and some missing pieces that connected everything I know in relation to the circle of fifths. The light bulb lit quite a few times. Great video, Thank you for your insight!
My philosophy is keep looking at the fret board how you want. It makes you creative, your interpretation is what makes you different from others. The music theory isn’t supposed to make you think a Serrano way, it is to explain not dictate music
This is how I remembered my mode shapes. Phrygian is always above locrian Aeolian is always above phrygian Dorian is always above aeolian Mixolydian is always above Dorian Ionian is always above mixo Lydian is always above ionian Great video 👌
Wow this just opened my mind up. when trying to find what key I wanted I always counted linear like you said because that’s how I learned. Thanks for this video.
That's exactly how I think of a fret board, I just didn't know it, while you were explaining it, I could literally see it all come together as you explained it straight to the point.... I was going to say, but I know every note on the fretboard, and this is why... Thank you brah! 🤘😎🤙
Thank you again for explaining the circle of 5ths. I wish I had this knowledge when I was young. It still takes practice. It still boggles me how some can listen to a song and know exactly how the lead is played.
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.
This just blew my mind. I consider myself a pretty smart dude, who’s a quick study. I can play very well, and I have a very basic understanding of that “linear” thinking you mention. However, I generally play things others have written. Never really developed my own “chops.” Especially for leads. I just kinda lose it when I’m thinking about where to go next. Rather, asking myself “where CAN you go next? What are your options, and where are they?” My brain is aware of certain patterns in the general area I’m playing in, but there’s never a label to attached to those patterns for me. It’s just highlighting a shape. But this…THIS. I’ve watched so many fretboard knowledge/theory videos and I’m sure they’re great for people whose brains comprehend what they’re explaining. My brain just couldn’t comprehend it fully. This just made my brain start working instead of shutting down. Crazy how that works. Thank you so much for this.
I picked up the guitar in 1976.. I saw, but never studied the circle. Had I been instructed on this, the instrument would have been much easier to understand. Great job, young man.
Kind of funny that people have written big fat complicated books trying to teach what you just taught in just under 13 minutes, great job Will!
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 UA-cam
I'm a dear in the headlights - mesmerized, can't look away, but so utterly confused... I'll keep trying!😊
Every teacher told me to 'learn the circle of fifths' but NONE of them explained how it fit on the fretboard. Took me way too long to memorize what is actually pretty simple. Great job with this concept and video!
Exactly !
Guys I don't think any of us truly grasp how much money he gave up offering this info to us. I'm a lifelong musician since practically before I could walk. Hundreds of theory lessons, thousands of hours writing, and playing my guitar. Never ONCE, EVER did anyone (or myself) put 2 and two together. The amount of literal YEARS this would've saved me is astounding. You're a legend. Love and respect from NC. I love you. Like no really I do. Absolute legend.
That's awesome brother that's good to hear, I hope your musical journey is going well!
I am almost embarrassed that after playing for 30+ years I’ve NEVER seen the fretboard like this. Wow and THANK YOU!
🤯
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.
I watch many videos about guitar and after watching I always feel that it's a miracle that some can make sense out of any of this and are somehow able to play music. I pick around on my guitar and I learned a few chords but it's like having a pile of building materials with no concept of how a house goes together.
I feel this so hard
This genius has convinced me to not even attempt to understand this, and to continue playing by ear and by making it up.
But I can appreciate how good this is, even if it's way beyond my ability.
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.🤙
I owe you my life, genuinely 😭 I'm a pianist so not knowing where the notes on the guitar are for the most part has been hell, and I really struggled with other memorization methods. I genuinely feel blessed that this ended up in my recommended, thank you!
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)
This presentation is fantastic. I honestly have never seen anyone explain the fretboard in this way. This is probably the best presentation I have seen on this topic. You have given me a whole new way to look at the fretboard. Thankyou very much for this!!
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.
Comparing the fretboard to an abacus or slide rule is a great analogy, it’s a visual tool to help you play music. For me, a revelation has been to realise that the same pattern of notes in the major scale repeats from the root all over the neck,so if you know the key you’re in, you can visually see the 3, 5, 7 etc. couple that with a knowledge of which intervals modify in each mode or scale and you can go a long way.
yup. throw in a little pentatonic shape to be able to jump octaves easy, good to go
Been playing 30 years… this is a really different and logical way to look at it. Great stuff, I appreciate this.
Used to listen to you regularly way back in the early Will's Easy Guitar days and thought your music theory videos were second to none. Then your videos evolved and were about anything but music theory. Glad to see you're back at it because you are an exceptional teacher. No one can turn music theory into simple common sense like you. Truly amazing. Thank you.
I started playing guitar a year ago and I'm so glad that I found this video at the beginning of my journey. THANK YOU!!!
As a bass player for 40+ years. I of course play guitar to a degree. But, this way of looking at the fret board is awesome. Thank you for bringing this thought process to light. Awesome!
Wow. My mind is blown. I've been playing 40 yrs and it has never occurred to me to look at the fret board this way. Why don't anybody teach it this way. I'm always using the circle of fifths when writing songs. This has been hiding in plain sight all this time. Thanks. First video I've seen from you and that's all it took for me to subscribe
This was an awesome look into the fretboard for people who learn visually, this helped so much as well as made it clear how important the Circle of Fifths is. Thank you!
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"
Pro guitar players would never teach this. Theres alot of videos, this is the best, Mr. I never think about it this way. Thank you for showing this. For now on this will be my way of living on the fret board
I think it’s more beneficial to think of it in terms of the circle of 4ths (yes, I know it’s the same thing in the opposite direction). Because the strings have a perfect 4th between them, not a 5th (with the exception of the third and second string.)
*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.
This is SO FAR the best instructional video on the MOST Practical way of applying the Circle of 5ths to the Guitar , it is perfect marriage between the Cicle of 5ths and the guitar in Music Heaven when in comes to Quickly mastering the Fret board !!! Excellent job in producing this Great Video !!!
Figured this out on my own. He put it into a teachable lesson. Will definitely be sharing.
This video, by far, has best helped me understand the interval relationship of the guitar.
Yes you can memorize the fretboard.
Yes you can learn by tabs.
Yes you can "just play by ear and who needs theory".
However, simply pointing out that the guitar effectively is tuned to the Circle of Fifths (aka spaced in 4ths) really helped break me out of the "let me count the frets up to know what note this is" mentality.
This helps me now determine what is under my fingers without using slow "addition", I can now use algebra (a formula).
I now can know where to find all the root notes in any key, and use that to build further muscle memory.
I can play a note randomly in the middle of the guitar, and know much quicker the surrounding intervals.
Now none of this will make me shred faster, or strum Margaritaville better. However, from a fretboard mapping standpoint, as an advanced beginner / early intermediate player, this is really valuable. It helps explain WHY the pentatonic box 1 shape is the way it is, for example.
I am looking forward for additional practical applications, but I sincerely am grateful that instead of just brute-force memorizing, or slow counting, I have a way to understand the relationship of how the guitar is ordered.
Thank you for posting this, it was incredibly helpful for me compared to all the snake-oil guitar course videos that get advertised.
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
In thirteen minutes you've explained what I've been struggling with for nearly two years. I've watched countless videos with tips and techniques to learn the fretboard, but none of them helped. This is the only lesson I've seen that makes perfect, logical sense. THANK YOU!
Omg. This is the beat explanation anyone has ever given me. I'm self taught and could just never understand the circle of 5ths. Watched many videos and read things on it but nothing ever clicked with me.
You however just explained in a way that is much easier to understand. Still don't fully understand it but I have much stronger grasp on it now. Glad I clicked on this video, you're a good teacher. New subscriber here
Might be helpful to have the circle of 5th’s on a split screen for those of us who don’t have it memorized. You say the notes as if they’re easy to retrieve. What you were claiming to be easy didn’t make a lick of sense to me. I guess this is too advanced for me.
Ditto lol
Sounds like skill issue
Not really needed if you just count up 5 notes
@@MrAcid45 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 UA-camr has a video somewhere teaching the circle of fifths
15 yrs of playing and you changed my world man, thank you so much & I will definitely check out the website!!❤️
I was a self taught guitar player but played concert instruments my whole life. I only started to truly recognize these patterns on the fretboard once I got through college music theory. This was presented beautifully!
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
Well it's an interesting way to look at it, and it's a useful string to have to your bow, but in my view there are even more effective ways of actually learning the notes without counting.
One thing I would recommend trying is to take a note, say A, and play all the A notes on each string, from bass to treble, but avoid using open strings or going beyond the 12th fret - there's only going to be one per string!
Then play them back down again, until you can do that, up and down, 3 times, and at a reasonable speed (over 60 bpm) without making a mistake.
OK, you have to think at first, but because you're not just thinking but playing and saying and hearing, a muscle memory type of effect kicks in - then you can move on to the next note.
Once you've got them all you can try going up on one note, and down on another, until whatever note anyone says, you can find it on every string.
For me, this is also easier, and more useful when playing lead - try it!
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!!!
I read a theory book and saw the circle of 5ths , and tried to memorize it, but never seen it like this on fret board. Thank you.
I just learned them by bass strings then used octave chords to find notes. Wow, wish i would had this explained 20 yrs ago.
As some in their 40s who has played guitar on and off for 30years and never progressed beyond a decent intermediate level because I watch too much guitar crap on UA-cam. I've finally watched video that has opened my eyes and made all that wasted time worthwhile. Thank you
For the longest time I was trying to memorize it just as he explained. I would move laterally. I knew that the standard tuning was base on the circle of 5th but i never applied it all thought the neck of the guitar. Thank you sooooo much!
Wow, I have watched endless videos on the circle of fifths, learning the fretboard etc. I have never ever seen this connection made and my goodness- everything makes complete and total sense now!!! Just like that. Thank you so much for clarifying what so many people can’t seem to make clear sense of.
Wow! I’m speechless. I feel like I’ve been on a journey looking for something I’ve had all along. I’ve learned more in this video than I’ve learned in 14 years…. Awesome, Will!
Wow, thankyou. You're spot on, 17yrs self taught, limited theory knowledge, always looked linear! So good, thanks again!
I appreciate this, but the circle of fifths is needlessly confusing for most people. Training it as intervals makes much more sense
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
Big thanks - you "broke the code" for me concerning the fretboard - and you are the ONLY resource I've encountered that explained why the two highest strings are offset 1/2 tone (easier chord fingering).
I'm torn between being more confused and totally enlightened.....
Which just makes me want to learn more.
And thats a good thing.
ive been playing guitar for over 20 years and i have never understood the fretboard. this gets me a little bit closer to achieving that. thank you!
This is such a great perspective! I'm a pianist and coming to guitar after plenty of years of Classical and formal music training through keyboards. I've had some moments of understanding the guitar fretboard unlocked and building the relationships just through practice, my ear, and noodling. I guess I probably knew already the relationship with the Circle of Fifths, but now I can CLEARLY see it. These devices will stay with me. I can definitely transfer it to other instruments like ukulele or accordion (buttons for chords are arranged in Circle of Fifths). And honestly, that diagram near the end, with the diatonic scale arranged in the Circle of Fifths to know which chords are major and minor and the diminished -- that was brand new! (Never seen it explained that way in Music Theory classes.) This video deserves a lot more views. Thanks!
I’ve tried a couple of times to understand the circle of fifths without little or no success. You have explained it more clearly than I’ve ever seen or heard. I may take another stand at it now. Thanks!
10:40 Very interesting way to look at it. Using the circle of fifths, pick a key, move one to the left (or counter-clockwise/anti-clockwise), and then as you said it's the 3 Majors, the 3 minors, and the diminished. But I also see the pattern: 4-1-5-2-6-4-7, or more specifically IV - I - V - ii - vi - iv - vii°.
Pretty cool indeed.
Right? It was a new one on me. Something I'll keep in mind and teach!
I’ve been saying the guitar is an abacus for awhile, so nice to hear someone else say it. But I haven’t been able to fully apply the circle of fifths to it, so thank you. Glad I’m subscribed to this channel.
I'm so glad I got the fretboard course. Made things a lot easier to connect things.
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!
I'm a very pattern oriented person which lead to me discovering this within a week of getting a guitar. So far you're the only other person I've seen who looks at it this way. I'm happy you're spreading the view to others
That's an excellent presentation. We all go on about keys but really this is the only key that matters. I'd love to see a digital animation of this with colors for each of those notes & the visual patterns they'd create. What a learning tool that would be! Thanks for this.
I’ve been a guitar owner over 40 years. I’ve taken music theory. This was never explained to me. Never occurred to me. Thank you Sir. I’m gonna figure out the guitar now. 😎
I’ve known that the guitar/bass is tuned in the circle of fifths but never even thought to use it as a guide in this way. Will definitely help with sight reading.
🤔. That's even a better explanation of the importance of the circle of fifths. Instead of looking at this abstract circle you have brought it to the fretboard. We can see where we can use it and now understand how it relates to our fretboard. Good job.
The viola player kept a note in his jacket. It said "viola left, bow right".
All these mnemonic tricks to know where notes are, no matter how smart, are still at least one calculating step away from direct memorisation.
You sir, have blown my mind. I have been at a plateau with my guitar playing have never been able to have they eureka moment when the patterns and melodies I know sonically would connect with the theory and allow for greater understanding of what to play to hear what is in my head.
You my friend have just pulled back the veil. Seriously, what a revelation. Hats off to you. Legend.
Brilliant. Not seen anyone explain it like that before. Thank you from a complete novice
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.
I appreciate this being helpful to so many folks, and I think it's 1 great method. Like knowing how to navigate around yer town, the more ways you know something, the better/more deeply you understand it
I think linear thinking cannot be disregarded, bc guitar is essentially 6 lil pianos staggered in 4ths/1 major 3rd/4th again. If a piano is 2d, then the guitar is 3d, adding a z axis to the x/y axis' of the 2d piano
Thus, I find a beneficial strategy is after intimately learning 1 string linearly in 1 key, add the neighboring string and learning the two in that same key, then 3 string sets, ect
But, as said previously glad to see yer strategy really helping folks! I use this thinking on cello myself
It’s hard for me bc I’ve played my whole life on sound. I didn’t even know the names of the chords I strummed until about 6 months after I figured it out on my own and played with someone else and they asked what chord and I said “idk….this one”! I wanna learn and understand stuff like this so bad but I swear it’s like nuclear physics. to me.
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.
This is FANTASTIC! I have the Father, Charles, Goes, Down, And,Ends,Battle... Memorized since high school. I use it often when playing in the relative minor of a song, since I love the Minor Scale pattern. But I never knew that I could use the same acronym for the notes.
This is such a help! Thanks so much
This made total sense and I wish someone would have explained this to me sooner. Thank you!
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?
I appreciate another way of visualization and 100% agree that the circle of fifths should be memorized and applied to fretboard navigation..... but, to play devils advocate, if you're navigating around the circle of fifths, you're still thinking in a linear fashion, you just have a a repeating patterns you are traversing linearly.
In the end, you still have to memorize the notes of the entire fretboard to master it. My favorite prescription for that is to use a different natural note for every different day of the week. 7 days in a week and 7 different natural notes. Spend 5 minutes each day finding and playing the note on each string in every available location. If you do this for a couple weeks you'll know the fretboard backwards and forwards.
Thank you for reminding me that i have absolutely NO idea how music works
I'm 47 years old, have been playing guitar for 30 of those years and never had it explained this way. It's so simple that I feel frustrated for not figuring it out myself. Definitely a game-changer. Thanks!
Idk, I don’t get it, this just confused me even more. What do you mean by something is “underneath” something? When you’re referencing one note’s position with respect to other ones, how’s that really different from the sequential approach that you’re calling “wrong”?
I'm totally confused lol
I've been avoiding watching this because I thought it was a click bait title... nope...you just blew my mind, thank you.
Great presentation, thank you man. I've been practicing so much, but I was almost putting off wrapping my head around this concept, but you just made it SO much easier to understand.
Thank you… I was confused before… now I’m thoroughly confused. I will get it but I need to watch it a few more times.
Like he's talking Swahili lol
Good stuff. I've learned this before. I guess it is good to learn the fretboard in many different ways. I have it memorized at this point anyway... Thanks for the video. There is always new stuff to learn in music.
This is great and a must but only for key centers knowing your intervals is the 2cd part to this IMO the 2 together you've got it made
I'm so fortunate that I learned the octave splits and fifths and thirds early on and figured this out. Everyone always wondered how i got good at lead guitar and could move all over the neck. It really is not hard.
I've been trying to play guitar since I was a teenager, and most of what I know was from watching someone else or picking out the notes of one of my favorite songs. I'm now 67 and recently retired. I wanted to start over and learn guitar the right way by building a foundation from the bottom. After watching your video, I now think maybe I should forget the whole thing. I'll watch this video again a few times, but it might as well be Greek to me. I guess maybe I'm too old now to start over.
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 must have a learning disability. I'm a moderately successful guitarist, songwriter, etc. and I have no idea how this information is supposed to benefit me. I seem to be the only person who's watched this and not gotten excited, or had an "a-ha moment". What am I missing?
It took me one day to learn and memorise the entire fretboard, and I have a terrible memory for everything else in my life, e.g. ask me what your name is and I will have forgotten, but ask me to learn a piece of music....no problem! I never needed to keep returning to learn the fretboard, once was enough. However I did use multiple techniques that include the ones Will mentions in this video. My few years self teaching myself the keyboard was a huge help, visualising the fourths, fifths etc in my mind and applying that to guitar.
Buddy i been playing a guitar for 47 years! And i hove no clue what the fuck you was talking about with the pie chart lmao lol lol
I bought a acoustic guitar 7 days ago. I studied music theory first. I'm a self taught guitar player and I have no shame to say that at the same time, I started seeing the 5th's circle at the fret board, I love to see people like you sharing this tips/information. It opens up a new level of understanding and playing. It's awesome to see that even that some guitar players or teachers don't actually 'share or know or teach us' this information, people like us can actually learn if we stop for a moment and try to look at the fret board from another perspective. Amazing content and congrats from sharing it ! Huge thank you from Brazil ! See ya
So you eliminated the need to count by doing twice the amount of counting?
This is more complicated than it would be to just count down the neck.
Yeah, just yeah lol
Good way of teaching Will. I play in Open C Major tuning and it also makes a new guitar player have no fears like your showing in standard.
Me too
Excellent content.
I just started playing a few months ago and im so lost with this video, but ill save it nonetheless and hopefully the more I learn the more it'll make sense.
I've been playing a couple.of years and I cannot make head nor tail of this lol
If you haven't internalized the circle of fifths this video won't be easy
Great perspective change to help master the fretboard
-WHILE PLAYING OR JUST NOODLING AROUND! 👍🏼
This is genius, I’ve never seen anyone explain so simply. Couple rules to remember and it applies universally! Thank you for this!
Wow dude you just taught me something new. I’m basically self taught. Never could figure this out, and never really cared. But, it only took the first watch through of your video to understand this. I’m not even all the way done yet and I feel like I’ve become infinitely smarter in regard to the guitar.
Hope you get paid for this.
Wow, this is WAY over my head.
Kudos to those who actually understand and implement what he's saying!
Lol just confused me more. I'll probably never learn the book stuff. I'll just keep making stuff up.
So many people on the comments alike me, have been messing for 20 years but finally it clicked for me, thanks!
I always get lost when I try to understand the circle of fifths :( Really informative video but I think I would need some pre-knowledge because the circle of fifths part confuses me.
The way I learnt the notes on the fretboard years ago (not the best / easiest way at all but it worked for me) was when I was a beginner and I really wanted to learn to play improvised solos and learn the notes on the fretboard.
I learned the E natural minor scale this way: first the low E string, every note in the scale up to 12th fret. Then the next string and combine these 2 strings with improvised exercises, next string etc..
Of course I had to use shapes to memorize it all but when I had it all in my head, the "extra notes" (notes outside e natural minor) were easy to figure out. I still needed a reference point from a note next to the one I needed to figure out but I loved this way of learning because it forced me to use my brain. Many of us have our own way of figuring these things out and mine was probably a lot of extra work but It forced me to figure out a lot of things and those things are not easily forgotten once learned.
I just figured I should share my story for the fellow guitarists :) Will, I love your videos and they always help me learn more! Even after 25 years of playing but then again, the process is never complete.
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 !
Fuuuuck I have been playing on and off for years, studied music at college and nothing has blown my mind more than this. Absolutely amazing, cheers
You’re correct. In my experience, 99% of guitar players see the instrument as a calculator or some kind of pattern input/output machine and have absolutely no clue what notes they’re playing at any given time. That isn’t always a bad thing, but it’s a deeply frustrating one. The real issue isn’t the simplicity or difficulty of the concept discussed here, it’s not that people are looking at the fretboard wrong, it’s that they don’t care enough to understand or pursue the knowledge that would make them the player they want to be. I really like this presentation though!
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 UA-cam tutorials for them, doesn’t make sense when it’s just a hobby and my life doesn’t revolve around guitar
I've played guitar for almost 17 years and I've never had anyone teach it like this!
I’m stoned .
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! 😂😂😂😂😂
You are unlocking everything that I've never seen before out of all these years.
I see the fretboard like this. and because I do, I understood the other parts of lesson! rewatched it a few times and I will definitely refer back to it. The (Maj,min,&dim) trick... & ...CF/BE 1/2step was explained nicely. Thanks for the lesson!
Glad it was helpful!
Ok can I say that as a beginner who hasn't even started playing this is actually really helpful. I don't know really anything about music so those chats that show all the notes on the fretboard always looked awkward and confusing but the way you explained it makes soo much more sense. This is just the beginning of my journey learning music I have a long way to go but you gotta start somewhere. I will most definitely be picking up a guitar as soon as I can!
I've been trying to make sense of the "circle of fifths" for years, but it's never been directly overlaid on the fretboard or explained to me this clearly. Very useful, thank you! I actually "get it" now!
This is by far the best presentation of the fretboard that I have seen, wish I had seen this a long time ago.
Great presentation.
This was quite insightful, I am a self taught guitarist and I had acquired enough knowledge to know what you were talking about but your entire explanation filled the gap and some missing pieces that connected everything I know in relation to the circle of fifths. The light bulb lit quite a few times. Great video, Thank you for your insight!
My philosophy is keep looking at the fret board how you want. It makes you creative, your interpretation is what makes you different from others. The music theory isn’t supposed to make you think a Serrano way, it is to explain not dictate music
This is how I remembered my mode shapes.
Phrygian is always above locrian
Aeolian is always above phrygian
Dorian is always above aeolian
Mixolydian is always above Dorian
Ionian is always above mixo
Lydian is always above ionian
Great video 👌
Wow this just opened my mind up. when trying to find what key I wanted I always counted linear like you said because that’s how I learned. Thanks for this video.
That's exactly how I think of a fret board, I just didn't know it, while you were explaining it, I could literally see it all come together as you explained it straight to the point....
I was going to say, but I know every note on the fretboard, and this is why... Thank you brah!
🤘😎🤙
Thank you again for explaining the circle of 5ths. I wish I had this knowledge when I was young. It still takes practice. It still boggles me how some can listen to a song and know exactly how the lead is played.
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.
This just blew my mind. I consider myself a pretty smart dude, who’s a quick study. I can play very well, and I have a very basic understanding of that “linear” thinking you mention. However, I generally play things others have written. Never really developed my own “chops.” Especially for leads. I just kinda lose it when I’m thinking about where to go next. Rather, asking myself “where CAN you go next? What are your options, and where are they?” My brain is aware of certain patterns in the general area I’m playing in, but there’s never a label to attached to those patterns for me. It’s just highlighting a shape. But this…THIS.
I’ve watched so many fretboard knowledge/theory videos and I’m sure they’re great for people whose brains comprehend what they’re explaining. My brain just couldn’t comprehend it fully. This just made my brain start working instead of shutting down. Crazy how that works. Thank you so much for this.
Wow, for decades nobody could explain to me why the guitar is tuned as it is. Now, for the first time, I understand. Thank you very much!
Random video for the win, I was once told to remember CF beadG(flat) beadG but only now have I started to learned how to use it. Thanks.
I picked up the guitar in 1976.. I saw, but never studied the circle. Had I been instructed on this, the instrument would have been much easier to understand. Great job, young man.
Thank you. I've been teaching myself the banjo and this makes a lot of sense. No banjo teachers here so I'm on my own:)
5:54 when you said the note was a B and asked what note would be on the thing below it, it all clicked. Thank you!