The notes on the low E string, with tab
The seven natural notes on the low E string, E F G A B C D and E again at the 12th fret, up the string and back down, then in thirds as a little tune. Knowing these by name is the first step to knowing the neck: every power chord and barre chord with its root on the low E is named by the note under the 1st finger, and the A at the 5th fret and the G at the 3rd are landmarks you'll use for years.
Opens in the player looped and counted in, with drums playing along, and speeds up 5 % every 2 loops to 80 bpm. No account or microphone needed.
- Goal tempo
- 80 bpm
- Starts at
- 48 bpm
- Length
- 4 bars, looped
- Tuning
- E standard
- Time
- 4/4
- Level
- Beginner
- Plays with
- Drums
How to play it
Say each note's name out loud as you play it; B to C and E to F are a fret apart, every other step two.
The natural notes are the white keys of a piano, A to G. On the low E string they sit at the open string (E), the 1st fret (F), the 3rd (G), the 5th (A), the 7th (B), the 8th (C), the 10th (D) and the 12th (E again, an octave up). Between E and F, and between B and C, there's one fret; between every other pair, two.
Play up the string and back down, one note an eighth, saying each name as you play it. Then the third bar plays them in thirds, E-G, F-A, G-B, A-C, and the fourth carries on up to the 12th before landing on the open E.
Use whichever finger is closest, sliding the hand along the string; the point here is the names and the places, not the fingering.
Mistakes to watch for
- Playing the notes without saying them: the hand learns the frets but the names don't stick.
- Mixing up the two half steps: there's no fret between B and C or between E and F.
- Looking for every note from the open string; use the 5th and 12th frets as landmarks and count from there.
A speed plan
The player starts at 60 % of the goal and plays each tempo twice before stepping up:
- 48
- 52
- 56
- 60
- 64
- 68
- 72
- 76
- 80
That's 16 loops and about 4 minutes before you're playing at 80 bpm. If it stops being clean on the way, stop the ramp there and loop that tempo until it is. With a microphone or an audio interface you can record while you play instead: Demiurg checks every loop and steps up only after two clean ones in a row, and back down after a poor one.
Questions
How fast should I play Notes on the low E string?
The goal is 80 bpm in eighth notes, which is 2.7 notes a second. Start wherever every note is clean: the player begins at 48 bpm. Signed in, you can set a goal of your own, slower or faster, on the Exercises page.
What about the sharps and flats?
They sit on the frets between: F♯ (or G♭) on the 2nd fret, G♯ on the 4th, A♯ on the 6th, C♯ on the 9th, D♯ on the 11th. Once the natural notes are known, each sharp is the fret above a note and each flat the fret below.
Why learn this string first?
Because power chords and E-shape barre chords have their root on it, so knowing it names every one of those chords at a glance. It's also the same as the high E string, so you learn two strings at once.
How do I check myself?
The fretboard trainer on this site shows a fret and asks for its name, or names a note and asks you to find it, and keeps a score for each string.
More fundamentals exercises
All 22 fundamentals exercises · Fretboard notes trainer · Scales on the neck · All 107 exercises