The Fifth and Sixth Strings Guitar Lesson

Chapter 1: (07:48) The Fifth and Sixth Strings Lesson Introduction

In the past several lessons, Jim has explained where the natural notes are located in first position. You have learned where these notes are located on the fretboard as well as how they are written on the staff. Jim finishes this process in the current lesson. This time around he explains where the natural notes are located on the fifth and sixth strings. He also explains how these notes are written on the musical staff. Your comprehension of lesson material is tested by a few reading exercises that Jim has written.

Ledger Lines

So far, the lowest note that Jim has discussed is the note D. Playing the fourth string open produces this note. This D note is written in the space just below the lowest line on the staff. As you will soon learn, there are plenty of lower notes played on the fifth and sixth strings. So, how are these notes written on the staff? Notes below this D note are written with "ledger" lines. Ledger lines are short lines that are drawn parallel to the staff. They are placed above or below the staff to indicate a continuation of the staff in either direction.

All of the notes discussed in this lesson must be written below the staff with ledger lines. At first, reading notes with ledger lines can be more difficult than reading notes on the staff. However, you will begin to recognize these notes on site with a little practice.

Notes on the Sixth String

Memorizing the notes on the sixth string is an easy process. The notes on the sixth string are identical to the notes on the first string. The notes on the sixth string are simply in a lower range.

The open sixth string (fattest string) produces the pitch E. This is the lowest note possible on guitar without changing to an alternate tuning. On the musical staff, this note is written in the space beneath the third ledger line. Take a look at Jim's Marker board to see how E is notated.

The next note in the musical alphabet is F. This note is played at the 1st fret of the sixth string. F is written directly on the third ledger line below the staff.

The next note, G, is played at the third fret of the sixth string. This note is located in the space beneath the second ledger line. Notice how a ledger line is not drawn below this note. If a note is written in a space below the staff, no ledger line needs to be written below the note to identify it.

Notes on the Fifth String

The open fifth string produces the note A. This note is located directly on the second line of the staff. Once again, refer to Jim's marker board for a visual representation of this note. The next note in the musical alphabet, B, is played at the 2nd fret of this string. B is written in the space beneath the first ledger line. Finally, C is located at the 3rd fret. It is written on the first ledger line.

Review

Once you have learned the note names and locations for all strings, review them to make sure you haven't forgotten anything. Jim will only continue to expand on this information in this lesson and the following lessons. He provides a review of all first position notes at 04:05 in the lesson video.

Octaves

Jim has discussed three different G notes in first position. The 3rd fret of the sixth string produces the note G. The open third string is also an example of a G note. Finally, the 3rd fret of the first string produces a G. These notes are the same pitch. However, they are played in different ranges or octaves. The prefix "octa" means eight. An octave occurs every eight notes within a diatonic scale.

The Key of C Major

All of the notes that Jim has demonstrated on guitar are played with white keys on the piano. When the white key notes on the piano are grouped together, they form the key of C major. This key contains no sharp or flat notes. All of the notes in the scale are "natural" notes.

The C Major Scale

A scale is a collection of pitches consisting of a set pattern that begins and ends on a root note. The root note refers to the title of the scale. Thus, the root note of the C major scale is C. Earlier in this lesson, you learned that the note C can be played at the 3rd fret of the fifth string. A C note is also located at the 1st fret of the second string. To play the C major scale, begin with the C note on the fifth string. Then, ascend through the natural notes on each string until you reach C at the 1st fret of the second string. This scale spans one octave. Watch and listen carefully at 06:05 as Jim plays through the scale.

Note: Notation / tablature to the C major scale in first position is listed under the "Supplemental Content" tab.

When practicing any scale, always remember Steve Eulberg's mantra, "what goes up, must come down." Once the high C root note is reached, descend the scale back down to the low root note that you started with. Chapter 2: (01:38) Fifth and Sixth String Note Exercise Jim has written a short exercise that tests your reading abilities with the fifth and sixth strings. There are no new surprises such as difficult rhythms. However, you will experience some difficulty with this exercise at first due to the ledger lines. Don't worry! After practicing this exercise several times, you will be able to identify each note by site.

Note: Open "Fifth and Sixth String Notes" in the "Supplemental Content" section.

When playing through the exercise, do not cheat yourself by reading the tablature! Print out this exercise. Then, cover the tablature with a piece of scrap paper. It is only acceptable to peak at the tablature if you get stuck and cannot decipher a specific note.
Chapter 3: (02:06) Six String Exercise At this point, you must have the locations of all the natural notes in first position memorized. You must also be able to identify each of these notes on the musical staff. In this scene, Jim puts your knowledge to the test with a new exercise.

Note: Open "All Six Strings" in the "Supplemental Content" section.

Practicing the Exercise

The first two lines list all of the natural notes in order. In the last two lines, the order of the notes is broken. Consequently, you cannot rely on finger patterns when playing through these lines. You must actually read the music.

The entire exercise is played in 4/4 time. Count the beat out loud as you play through each measure. Tap your foot along with the beat to reinforce your counting. Test your rhythmic accuracy by playing along with the JamPlay metronome. Set the tempo as slow as you need to. You can increase the tempo as you become more comfortable with the exercise.

Note: The metronome can be accessed from the "Teaching Tools" button on the left side of the homepage.

The next time you play through the exercise, do not count the beat out loud. Instead, say each note name out loud while tapping your foot. Combining multiple brain functions will enable you to learn this material in the most efficient manner possible.

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