Suck at Navigating the Fretboard? Practice This.

[@edwardmackinnon2685]

I watched this video 4 months ago and have been practicing these exercises since and my knowledge and skills have improved MASSIVELY. Thank you Ross for sharing your expertise in a easy to understand manner.

[@MichaelRoxalot]

For anyone struggling with this exercise, you can start with your pentatonic scale shapes instead of the full major scale. Removing those 2 notes really helped me find my footing on the fretboard a lot faster. And once you've got that down, you can add the other 2 notes back in to increase the challenge and your mastery!

[@joshtpa]

This is the way. All the best notes are in the pentatonics and you chunk it down to a more manageable activity. Win win.

[@xBlitzerx]

Do you happen to have a link to doing this with the pentatonic scale? I'm struggling to recognize the shapes/patterns to know which one for each note/key.

[@keokiheller4351]

@@joshtpa if Mando played guitar (and I believe he does) … “This is the Way” 🦾

[@acook213]

Genius. Thanks for this suggestion!

[@FabrizioPeretti]

This is hard guys but it's totally the right method! This is how pros think, that's it.

[@dommirra5429]

You're right this is extremely hard and there's more than one way to bake a cake my friend the five octave shapes are the best way to learn all the notes on the fretboard with in the five octave shapes are the patterns and the chords five for major five for minor five for dominant seventh five for major 7th and five for minor 7th you need to learn the major scale first in the five patterns up and down the fretboard after you know this is very easy to move things around also learn the relative minor of every major scale once you start doing this way everything becomes very easy

[@wethecreatives1040]

@@dommirra5429 i'd rather like to learn how to become a master baker than just a baker. when you learn shapes that's all you learn... shapes. Sure you'll probably learn how to improvise but... Take Stevie Ray Vaughn for example. His string broke mid concert. He kept playing because he knew how to work around it. When you learn notes you learn the guitar. you learn music. you understand it. I want to break everything down to the root not take shortcuts

[@bwjtsa]

I have played for years off and on. For the majority of my life I’ve spent all efforts on just learning other people’s songs. I’m almost 42, love music and can’t put the guitar down. I have spend countless hours practicing scales/modes and have made a tremendous amount of progress. There was something missing. I’ve seen this video before but purchased part 1 of this last night. Within a short time today I’m halfway through really knowing the fretboard. I’m going to stick with this course heavily until completion then get part 2 at full price. I did take advantage of a discount for part 1 and regret it. This method is worth its weight in gold. I’ve been on Jam Play for months, Artistworks with Paul Gilbert for about the same and have picked up a lot but this is going to really open up doors nothin else has so far. Thank you for the awesome information! Anyone on the fence about purchasing the courses? Don’t be! The information he has presented in just the first 20 minutes or so is worth so much more for what you will pay.

[@xpost92]

Agree. Shapes are a dead end. Learn the notes, intervals and you have a solid foundation. I think this will give you the biggest aha moment in your life 💥🎸

[@keithremedy]

We The Creatives that’s how I’ve gotten too where I am in my playing. Every song I learn I learn what it is that I like about that song. The root note, then I can always play that song differently and solos different each time. I try to write my music the same way. So I can always play things new while staying in the same key. John Mayer/ Joe Bonamassa/ SRV/ CLAPTON where and are prime examples of people that can do this effortlessly

[@adiseshkr]

Love your stuff Ross. Id give a shout out to all self taught guitar players to buy your course : bullet proof guitar player . I feel free while improvising and while collaborating with musicians now , I have more tools to express myself and my playing has improved 10 fold since I started the course . Great work for the musician community man! Keep it coming :)

[@RossCampbellGuitarist]

I love this comment. Thank you so much!

I've been practicing my triads like this, inspired by this video. For example, today I'm going through first inversion triads, from bottom strings to top, and through the cycle of 4ths. Since they are first inversion, it forces me to think both about the chord structure as well as the location of the major third throughout the neck. It's hard at first but it gets you working.

[@manfredbazarov6417]

Man...its seems every time I start to get into one method, another comes along and blows it out of the water. Its so overwhelming. Wish I had some sort of detailed practice schedule for learning this approach. Looks like the holy grail, but also a hell of a lot of work.

[@adamjeffery764]

Time to get some pen and paper out and work it out!

[@ddog23]

This is just another application of all the other methods.

[@chrisw5742]

@Daniel Drago YUUUUUUP. I use the sweeping scales all the time. :-)

[@shannonconrad4988]

Learn the 12 major scales. Do this with A pencil and paper! If you can'twrite them down....then how can you play them? Once you know them...then and only then you can apply them to the fretboard. Name notes in conrext to the key. Learn the whole notes ABCDEFG. Then learn each key in context to the fretboard. Is F sharp the same as G flat? Sounds the same but one must call it by two different names! Confusing for sure. However if viewed in context to a key....much easier.

[@DadRockKid]

@@shannonconrad4988 one of the most sensible thing I've heard in a long time (from a music perspective)

[@rocdok4713]

Thanks!

[@sentientfootwear]

I'm really impressed with your style of explanation and teaching - it's the clearest, most no-nonsense approach I've found online.

[@RossCampbellGuitarist]

Thank you!

[@juanantoniomusic]

Love the 4ths on each string exercise that you do! I'm going to use that with my students!!!

[@alexandermilne5585]

Have to admit, it looked like it would take me a year to be able to do but after roughly 40.-50 hours practise got the hang of it. What a great way of understanding fretboard and to use shapes with notes. Thanks for sharing this.

[@RossCampbellGuitarist]

Good on you for sticking with it! It's boring as hell but the results on the other side are more than worth it.

[@alexandermilne5585]

Going to be joining your course again after I have absolutely drilled this stupid. Looking forward to learning modes.

[@jahjah67]

Imo, this is the most concise, to the point method that makes total sense. How I wish I’d had this many years ago. Thank you, Ross

[@claudiopetruci]

This is the way i see it ( by diatonic modes) B (ionian)major-mixolydian-doric-(aeolian) minor-phrygian-locrian- Bb lydian...Bb major and keep going till your head and body hurts, no pain no game

[@MrSRV94]

Best lesson on KZbin about mastering the fretboard (and there are many)

[@johnmac8084]

Great lesson Ross. Teaching guitarists what they need to know, instead of what they think they need

[@msolbakken]

There is a only one pattern to the 12 scales starting form the notes B and Bb. A little tough to visualize on a six string guitar. Diagramming the scales on a 7 string guitar makes the pattern clear. The scale pattern shifts by one string each time as you work through the circle of fourths. The string shift follows the 7 church modes in order: Ionian, Mixo, Dorian, Aeolian, Phyrigian, Locrian, Lydian and repeats till you get to 12.

[@KaninTuzi]

At 9:55 you have the same F# repeating in your diagram (at 3rd and 2nd string).

[@alexpowers2899]

I got your bulletproof course a while ago. Gotta say, dude, the production quality here is outstanding. Glad to see you progress! Great teacher with genuine passion

[@RossCampbellGuitarist]

Thank you so much!

[@Csar-wj3od]

Your didactics really works for me. You are a great teacher. Ant the right one for me! Keep It coming, and I wish you all the success in the world!

[@RidiculousFlightSimmers]

That's a great lesson...I've been playing guitar for many years... I know a decent amount of theory and patterns, circle of fifths, scales, modes, etc.... But have never until now thought to apply this concept... This lesson is gold! Thank you, looking forward to the new practice style. I wish I had come across this concept years ago.

[@taliesinmusic]

amazing video Ross ,tahnkyou. I want your course!

[@jeffteza682]

Outstanding video! Ross nails the framework of thinking that is critical to developing fluidity and becoming a professional on the instrument.

[@ReeWebster]

I reckon this will work. Makes perfect sense, aside from how important the 4ths are in Jazz, each string within a fret is a 4th apart, b string can talk a walk.

[@electricwally]

Ross, perhaps I missed it but why the circle of 4ths? Why not the circle of 5ths or some other random interval (circle of 3rds, 6ths etc.)? They all provide the same objective in that they prevent you from moving/thinking chromatically (C, C#, D, D#, E ,F etc.) in regards to learning the notes of the fretboard. Awesome video! Thank you!

[@frankmoody-thefrank-9473]

If you do the maths or guitar workout you’ll soon notice that not all intervals provide the same thing. If you try with minor thirds you’ll find out that you are stuck in 5 notes. If you use the major ones they'll be 4 ecc

[@frankmoody-thefrank-9473]

Going through 4th (or 5th they’re the same interval) allows you to navigate the fretboard through the caged sistem and creates a map on the fretboard. I think 5th are better for theory and for single notes but in chord changes and in the guitar chords structure the 4th are the most used, just think to dominant7

[@sruliprero5712]

I have the bulletproof guitar course and it's great! If you want more lessons like this definitely get involved with this course.

[@HHJoshHH]

I think one of the coolest things IS that I’ve played 20 yrs and it hasn’t been wasted. It sucks that I didn’t know this sooner but catching up comes faster than a beginner! I’ve watched this like 10 times...lol...along with the Eric Johnson and Mateus vids! Very grateful Ross! Ty bro

[@RossCampbellGuitarist]

Glad to hear it! Thank you :)

[@shuplitz2257]

I can already see myself swearing at you while doing this each morning in the next quarter. Thanks a lot!

[@joneric_music]

I subscribed to your course, but this video is especially clear. I wish I'd seen it earlier because it's really the introduction to "Master the Fretboard" and makes the course even more clear and purposeful. I'd add that MTF is simply the best course out there to get past the intermediate plateau (where most of us wallow indefinitely) by allowing you to fill in the gap of all those shortcuts you invariably took along the way (like not memorizing the fretboard because you couldn't fine the right approach). It does so without making you start from scratch. It's been the missing puzzle piece for me and I'm grateful that I found it early in my guitar studies (I took a 2 decade break from guitar playing and had been looking for something like this for a while). One thing I'd been wondering about in the course, that you mentioned here but didn't go into explicitly: why use the circle of 4ths? Why not the circle of 5ths? Is it just because of standard tuning?

[@RossCampbellGuitarist]

Thanks! I'm sure I do mention this in one of the videos (if not, one of the PDF attachments) but it's just because it's easy to memorise the word 'BEAD' like the beads of a necklace. That gives you 8 out of the 12 notes in the circle - B E A D (followed by G C F) Bb Eb Ab Db (followed by Gb).

[@joneric_music]

@@RossCampbellGuitarist Got it. I thought there was some guitar-centric reason for focusing more on 4ths rather than 5ths, but I see what you mean now. Thanks for the great course and videos!

[@RossCampbellGuitarist]

@@joneric_music Yeah man you could get the same results going round in 5th's as well for sure. Thank you!

[@msolbakken]

I love the idea of playing the 12 maj. scales from the same area of the fretboard. The circle of fourths seems like a great way to learn the fretboard. I take it the 7 positions you mention refer to intervalic theory and the 7 church modes. It will take me some practicing to do the 12 scales in under a minute, lol.

[@daganael]

man, your approach and method is great. love your lessons even though we're from very different guitar style. good job mate !

[@RossCampbellGuitarist]

Thank you!

[@GMS8201]

Good video! It's not one of those lessons that you master and or see results in a day or a week, but something that, with months of practice, makes sense!

[@JohannDaart]

Great vid! Hal Galper and Carol Kaye mentioned that for old jazz cats, Co4ths was "the cycle" and Cof5ths was the back cycle, obviously because II-V-I chord progression used in jazz improv.

[@cupidsweddingchapel]

This is the video that should be in the Udemy Part 1 Master the Fretboard Course. It is communicated much clearer here.

[@jeromemanyema9868]

this is the stuff that makes you elevate as a guitar player man, thanks so much for this!!!

[@awkipintee]

Superb lesson! This is incredibly useful information and I’m so glad you’re working with major scales as the format. Cheers 👌

[@patrickkirby7612]

I dig his personality. He has a very in inviting tone that makes it comfortable to learn.

[@troymattingly3071]

Ross, very often, after becoming, clear, on learning something, I realize that I feel that I should have known that. It helps to watch your instruction. Thank you!💯

[@alexpepper91]

This is really good! Very clever. Another wee fun method I came up with was going up and down some basic scales like C, F and G major but playing them 1 note per string

[@Ronno4691]

I'm lucky in that I was an early adopter of young Ross's Udemy based adventures way back in 2017. The Major/Minor/Dominant 7th Triad exercises is fun to revisit too.

[@wagonet]

Yeah this definitely helped me. Jumping around has helped do this a lot faster. Its tough at first though. Great lesson 🎉

[@DestinMcWhorter]

I am really impressed with your channel Ross, the content is superb. I noticed you wearing a shirt from a music store right down the street from me. Keep up the stellar work brother, you are having a huge impact! cheers from Nashville

[@RossCampbellGuitarist]

Thank you so much!

[@slammerton]

I will practice it every day. It seems like this could bring me up to a new level.

[@stuelimartinez2146]

Any updates?

[@jahjah67]

A great video that is needed by many to see. Thank you, Ross!

[@OtRatsaphong]

Thanks for this lesson and explaining your fretboard learning method. I just discovered your channel this morning and really liked your material. Will be joining your website.

[@nutinurmacaroni]

Bruh.. this might just unlock everything. I've been playing for like 10+ years now and I feel like I've been stuck for like 5. This is a great exercise as it sounds really great, it kind of makes sense in your head and feels good. Thank you! I think I'm going to go hard at this exercise as isn't just droning chromatic notes that feel like it needs to be rote memorization. This makes it rewarding.

[@matunestar]

Hi Ross, nice video. One remark: on 8:15 there are two the double notes (F#) indicated on the fretboard (on the G and B string) although you are playing it on the G string. Might be confusing :-)

[@WeyounSix]

I'm right in that intermediate level and you're spot on.

[@stephenoliver321]

Wow thats a good way of looking at it. I'll draw this and practise this. But never forget the harmonic minor.

[@waffleshadow6840]

watching this reminded me of every math class I ever had, my brain just shuts down, I watched it a couple of times, im still confused with the while thing. I'll stick to rhythm guitar. But still a good video

[@johngenebruceband7512]

Learn A minor pentatonic at the 5th fret. Then play that against an A blues backtrack on KZbin. Then play the same scale against heart and soul or Zeppelin's Dire Maker (C major songs). The notes of the A minor scale are the same notes as C major- just a different background (Root note sets the tone/mood in your brain).

[@will.isnull]

So I know this video is one that is supposed to eliminate patterns for the player and allow them to see the fretboard in a way of the notes, but this helped me out in a great extent in knowing scales and fretboard layout including for that way of visualizing. How I see what you played is no matter which scale position you start with, you move up four scale positions. So it is (when playing 2-3 notes per string) the following pattern: 1-5 2-6 3-7 4-1 5-2 6-3 7-4 1-5 (repeat) This just helps me realize the notes to a key no matter where I am at, chord progression, and also to change keys (matching the chord that is played say in a backing track) in a song so that my soloing is much better. kinda cool! let me know if that observation is actually valid. So far it is working well for me!

[@Deauxtje]

I tried to learn all notes on the fret board by heart. I failed. This method makes sense, is more musical and easier. I needed this years ago!!!

[@sharadsemilo]

Havent seen videos from you for a long time. Glad youre back. Great tutorials. Please create more

[@HHJoshHH]

This is so awesome Ross! Great content! Your killin it! Been playin 20yrs and this is it! CAGED is familiar and TNPS is closer but this is it! You’re awesome man! Cheers!

[@remcbride2008]

Why doyou have the graphic inverted and backwards? Wouldnt it be better to have it match the guitar as we look at the video. Thats my only criticism. Great lesson

[@jomesias]

Great topic Ross!! Its a shame this info is not as popular for us guitarist

[@InTonalHarmony]

You just blew my mind with that all 12 scale exercise.

[@Maurozg91]

In order to be able to do this exercise I need to previously know all the different patterns for a scale and where the root notes are right? If that is not the case then I am missing something, I don't quite understand this.

[@michaelestrumse8531]

This video was absolutely amazing. Have no clue how i never tried this myself to be more familiar with the fretboard but i haven't. Thanks dude for real

[@kristopherarvey320]

Ive been playing guitar since 12 but never actually learn a lot. As a metal guitarist, I really lack creativity and knowledge regarding musical theories. Right now, im not gna continue planning to make my own music first. Ive just subscribed to your course and just starting out. Im feeling good about this, will work hard and strive to become a better musician.

[@janmurph]

Ross, I recently told a friend of mine to check out your channel as I assume you are neighbors since you both hail from Edinburgh. He then tells me Campbell is a clan name and that I should "never trust a Campbell." I'm not up on my Scottish history, being that I'm an American living in Cleveland Ohio, but it's interesting nonetheless. Obviously my friend is a bit of a joker and we have a good time going back and forth about the differenced between our 2 countries. I hope to make it over there sometime and visit him and maybe get to see you play live. Your playing and knowledge is inspiring to say the least. Thank you for all these great videos.

[@TheTimeProphet]

Yes this would be useful. At the moment I know all the patterns but I find it hard to just change keys. I know you can just move the patterns down, but if I had to change key I would really have to think where I am on the fretboard.

[@will-i-am5374]

Just bought your course a few weeks ago. Fucking amazing man!!

[@jamessbca]

Dude. You are killing it. Thank you for this video!!! I've done some of my own methods for this. You're approach is blowing my mind / opening up new ideas / sections of my brain!

[@martinrhodes1619]

In my view the best lesson on this topic on KZbin. Thanks! Also for your two bullet courses. Brilliant.

[@alexcarter2542]

It is worth pointing out that it depends on which circle you're working with. Some circles start with C at the top, and to the left of C is F, and to its right is G. In such a circle, moving clockwise would mean that we would be counting tones by 5ths, and moving counterclockwise would mean that we were counting tones by 4ths. In such a circle, the tones would be depicted the opposite way as how they are listed here. Everything said in this video still proves true, I just wanted to point this out for anyone confused about which direction means counting by 4ths or 5ths 😁

[@xriz8409]

started doing that as well... its actually helping tons of! learning notes on strings with it, and i continued with the pentatonic going around the circle of 4ths... thanks so much.... and for everyone reading this: check out his page... he charges 12$/month and u get full access to all his courses where goes into those methods as well!

[@vincenttanguay4198]

I really like your aproach, i will try this practice routine from now on. Thanks you so much. I wish i had had acces to this knowledge 25 years ago!

[@RossCampbellGuitarist]

Thank you!

[@Snostrebla1]

Been diving into visualizing all the pentatonic shapes. Might have to try this but use the pentatonic shapes instead.

[@onefm1]

Powerful lesson! I’m glad I’m at a point that I understand the viability of it.

[@JimmyWatfordGuitar]

I like that your teaching to play all keys if the major scale in any position, however the circle of 4ths aren't needed to do this. You just demonstrated it. After playing guitar for 20 years, I've only heard of people defending the circle, never showing any reason to need it.

[@fraserwing8744]

Excellent video, Ross. It's so nice to see someone actually providing substance, instead of clickbait, it's evident you actually have something worthwhile to teach and genuinely want to see enthusiasts get "it". Solid, man. All class. WIll definitely be checking out your website.

[@HeilanPiper]

Great stuff Ross, awesome material and clarity. I will consider buying your subscription material. Thanks!

[@birthcertificate7223]

Thanks Ross you have connected the dots and i`m hungry to pick up the Axe again when i can afford to spend money i aint got for a guitar, perhaps an acoustic so i can busk up some change for a vintage V100 & Roland Cube. I gave up because i got fed up playing by myself and being let down by empty arrangements to collaborate. It be a shame to waste the years i put into the skill. Thanks again pal

[@redelk2974]

thank you Ross. very powerful. i will pursue

[@bongocharm1332]

Working on your Bullet Proof course. How about covering some AWB?

[@craniofacialsurgeon]

Fabulous clarity…

[@StratsRUs]

Fantastic lesson and demo.Thank you very much.

[@julschong]

This has been a great lesson to help improve my knowledge around the notes on the fretboard. Really makes me think right now but looking forward to it all becoming automatic one day.

[@greggriffiths9053]

I know the notes on the fretboard and I'm new to the circle of fourths where I struggle is the different patterns for each key.Thats the part that makes it hard for me.

[@johncharal1698]

I think this perspective of visualizing the root notes in one area of the fretboard will also be the key to mixing the major and minor pentatonic in that position, and that's only one benefit.

[@asssscats]

That's EXACTLY how I'm planning on using this new information.

[@DCFGuitar]

Dude this was LEGENDARY info! It makes SO MUCH sense to me and I'm gonna woodshed the shit out of it. Thank you again Ross.

[@eliemitshiabo2233]

I’ve watched many of your videos. you always have great advices... much thanks !

[@Blue_3rd]

I got this from your Udemy course, very helpful! Oh, I was the first ‘like’ too :) Regards from Madrid!

[@Nikoo033]

I have to say that the iPhone app from “Justin guitar” (I think it’s called JustinGuitarNoteTrainer) is really good to learn notes across the fretboard.

[@belo1971]

How to enhance blues scales without any music theory like me ? I usually have the impression to play up and down position after position especially the first one...Can I do more ?

[@skinnykarlos710]

We guitarists are definitely victims of "patterns" when learning scales, triads, arpeggios etc. This is a great way to practice our scales etc (which will inevitably take on 'patterns') so that although we may, through muscle memory, see the pattern for a scale, we aren't handcuffed into moving a pattern around the fingerboard when the underlying harmony changes. This was a great lesson, Ross and I'm practising this way from now on. It's just totally logical. Thank you.

[@nicorentzsch9946]

so good. finally on my journey to get all the notes memorized. why the circle of 4ths tho? wouldnt the circle of 5ths be more useful, especially when improvising? like moving from E major to A Major instead of the other way around.

[@jansley13]

Thank you. This is a great method for me Subscribed 😊

[@wagonet]

Thanks 👍. Fun exercise

[@RedBeret27]

I learned this from your course last year, helped me improve waaay more than I expected it to. Now that I'm almost done with part 1 of your course I'll get started with part 2 soon. Amazing work as always, thank you Ross!

[@TheSeanCreagh]

Once I sort out my studio, I'm getting BPGP. It's about time I get some theory under my belt.

[@PhoShzel75]

This is crazy helpful! Can't wait to start working on this. Thanks Ross!

[@twareProductions]

Loved this video man, a really helpful lesson that is just what I needed to learn next. Thanks for the great content!

[@MyTube4Utoo]

I play *A LOT* of 'jazz!!' Thanks Ross, always great videos.

[@eagles_s]

This is brilliant. Forget about learning just the tones You learn all the major scale patterns.

[@Srobinson102]

I really wish you'd consider a subscription vs a one off payment for your course. Your videos are consistently the best value I get from online instruction. The Triads stuff is just next level and after drilling this once it really solidified a lot of things for me.

[@japhetzila6235]

Very helpful video! A lot of thanks to you!

[@wonder6789]

Excellent. Just what I needed. Thank you!

[@MyGuitartime]

Wow this is perfect for where I am at! I am going to work on this right away. Thank you for this!

[@ReeWebster]

Back after a week. This was a missing link that helped me understand a lot more than just 4ths. I found using the CAGED system to visualise what chord fits in with each scale in the position, that really helped give me better anchor points than just the root notes. *if that made any sense. Big thanks! Giant steps seems a lot less giant now.

[@JohnDoe-td2xe]

Okay,I understand now. I just haven’t seen that before. I think there is really something for me in this lesson. Thanks!