Low Notes in First Position

Lesson 2.1 · First Position

There are seven natural low-octave notes located on the first three frets of the low E, A, and D strings. Play them with the fretting-hand fingers that match the fret numbers — fret 1: index, fret 2: middle, fret 3: ring, fret 4/5: pinky.

Learn to identify the low notes on the staff, find their locations on the fretboard, then apply rhythms to play melodies. Tap a step number to mark it done.

Low Notes on the Staff

The lines below the staff spell the word FACE. Use this and the musical alphabet to identify the low notes.

Note Locations

Find the low notes in first position by using the chromatic scale and the musical alphabet.

Say & Play

Apply your knowledge of the low notes in treble clef and their locations on the fretboard by saying and playing notes on the guitar.

Melodies

Add rhythm to the notes: identify the pitches, clap or play the rhythm, count and play without time, then count and play with a steady beat.

TranscriptionEnrichment

Use your ear to find the pitches of the recording in this example.

CompositionEnrichment

Write your own melody to #8. Use repetition to make your melody memorable.

Mystery SongsEnrichment

Figure out the song title by reading these famous low-note licks.

Lesson 2.1

Open in a new tab ↗