Rock soloing and improvisation and be daunting without knowing how to begin. It’s best to learn all the notes on the fretboard so that you can easily find your way. This can also be a daunting task, but a little simple theory applied to the chords you already know can make it easy.
- The first basic idea is that the “open chords” or “cowboy chords” (C, A, G, E, D) you already know can be moved up the fret board to easily change the chord without changing your fingering.
- The second basic idea is that each of these open chords is comprised of only three different notes. (1-3-5).
- Third, once you learn the (1 note, root) for each chord, you can easily work your way up the neck to learn all the notes on that string.
- Finally, when you’re ready for your solo, this will help you easily find the ‘root’ note of the key, or the ‘root’ note of the chord that is being played.
This system is often called the CAGED system and is just one way to use what you already know to expand your understanding of the guitar fretboard.
