Learning the Fretboard

The 2+2 Rule

In this lesson we introduce the 2+2 Rule. The 2+2 Rule only applies to the lowest 4 strings. It says:

The same note an octave higher is found 2 strings over and 2 frets higher on the neck.

This is another of the rules that arise from the way the guitar strings are tuned. Each string is tuned 5 frets higher than the lower one (except the B string). To make a long story short, that means that you find the same note (an octave higher) two strings over and two frets up. You find C, for example, at E8 and D10; D at E10 and D12; G at E3 and D5, and so on.

2+2 Exercise - The E and D Strings

This exercise is pretty straightforward. We focus on the way the same note (an octave higher) is found on the E and D strings two frets higher. We'll see that the same rule applies to the A and G strings. This is especially helpful because often the D and G strings are the last ones you end up learning. Relating them directly to what are often more familiar strings (E and A) makes them less mysterious.

In this exercise we focus on the E to D strings, and in the second we work backwards on D to E. So be on your toes.

2+2 Exercise - The D and E Strings

2+2 Exercise - E-D

Play this exercise on the E and D strings. It will help you establish the relationship between the two strings.

These exercises are taken from the PraxTrax.org Complete Fretboard Course.
More Free Exercises