What’s a good method to learning notes by ear for the guitar?

I want to know a method to learning how to play the guitar by ear, and memorizing the notes.
Like, how long will it take to memorize the fretboard? How many hours a day should I practice a guitar for immediate improvement?



2 Responses to “What’s a good method to learning notes by ear for the guitar?”

1. kevinmark75 says:

   September 9, 2010 at 22:21

   The best way is to PRACTICE. If you are quick you can memorize the fretboard in a few months. It’s all math anyway. When I started playing, 3-4 hours a day was my average practice time. Even after many years, I can get rusty if i don’t play at least an hour a day. PRACTICE.
2. Rob B says:

   September 9, 2010 at 23:01

   The best way is to sing. While singing you not only produce the note from no where, but you vibrate your head, better instilling the particular frequency. What was told to me, by an amaizing guitarist was this:

   Do simple scales first: major and minor
   Take a C scale for example.
   Play the C note on guitar, then sing it, play the D then sing it, and so on. Do this up and down the scale, both minor and major. When you get comfortable with that, play the C note, then sing the D note or next note of the scale. Then play that note after you’ve started singing and see how far off you are. Singing is the best way to train your ear. The more you can vocalize the instrument, the better you’ll get at learning by ear.

   You can damage your hands if you play for more then 5 hours a day. The point isnt to practice long, but to practice smart. I practice for an hour a day. First 20 is right hand technique, the second 20 is for music reading, the third 20 is for scales and chord workouts. Then after that i play whatever till i get tired. But i practice an hour before i dick around on the guitar. As far as learning the fretboard. Learn the two lowest (frequency) strings first. I did this by learning the standard bar chords that are formed from the strings. Then i learned all the octave shapes on the guitar. If you can play a C note on the low E string (C is at the 8th fret) then you can determine all the C notes on the guitar by just going through octave shapes.

   Good luck, hit me up if you have any more questions.