FretBoard ABCs

by Randall Jackson

Description From Salt Lake City, J D Moffat wrote, "As a jazz educator and professional jazz guitarist for over 40+ years, I have not had more than a handful of students "know" the fingerboard. This book presents a logical approach to overcoming that gap. All of my students are using your book and are making good progress. Your book is a must for any serious thoughtful player who wants to be comfortable with the neck of the guitar.. ....an ongoing pursuit for us all. As you'll agree with me (I'm sure) the ear is the final dictator. As Count Basie once said," If it sounds good, it is good" Your book helps that long journey mastering the fingerboard with all the notes and leading to all the sounds. I thank you for shedding a much needed light on understanding the guitar and its never-ending challenges. And as Tal Farlow said, knowing where all the "sounds " are on the board leads to the freedom to express your soul and tell your story, I agree 100%!! That's my quote, you can use it... please do!
Fretboard ABCs is written for advanced beginners through advanced intermediate guitarists. It presents a structured approach to developing a thorough knowledge of the guitar fingerboard. Knowing where the notes are -- without having to stop and think -- is essential to chordal and soloing mastery, but there are very few structured methods for developing this knowledge. This book fills that gap, and does so by developing an effective set of exercises that will challenge the student, develop a thorough knowledge of the guitar fretboard, and in the process build the foundations of tonal structures that will benefit those who play any style at any level. Audio mp3s for the exercises are downloadable from the book's website at The book begins with brief few sections that lay out the musical theoretic rationale for the books two dozen exercises. Those who already have the necessary understanding of major and minor scale fundamentals and the concept of triads can move directly to the exercises, but nearly everyone will find an informational nugget or two in the early sections that will enhance their understanding and playing ability. The exercises move the student through the cycle of fifths, building triads on each root note in the cycle. The tablature that accompanies the standard notation creates an approach that economizes on left hand movement by selecting fingering patterns that minimize horizontal movement along the fingerboard. The exercises move first through several cycle patterns using major triads, then through the cycle patterns using minor triads. The book concludes with prescriptions for elaborating on and augmenting these exercises by adding 6ths, 7ths, and 9ths to the triads, and includes suggestions for adding variety to the triad extensions. This book will be an excellent resource for advanced beginners looking to accelerate their progress, and for intermediate and even some more advanced players who've never developed a comprehensive knowledge of FretBoard ABCs and the foundations of tonal structures. There are no magic bullets, becoming a good musician takes effort, but students who invest their time in this effectively structured approach will see dramatic improvements in their playing, and be one step closer to guitar mastery!