Lesson 03

Lesson 3: Fret Math

Knowing fret distance lets you predict note movement quickly.

Every fret changes the pitch by one half-step. Two frets equal one whole-step. This simple math works everywhere on the guitar.

String order: E B G D A E
Open strings shown in gold

Focus notes

EFGA

Open-string notes are highlighted differently from fretted notes, and this lesson highlights its key notes in green.

Main ideas

  • One fret = one half-step.
  • Two frets = one whole-step.
  • Move right to go higher.
  • Move left to go lower.
  • Once you know one note, you can calculate nearby notes.

Visual fretboard

open string note
regular fretted note
focus/octave note

Examples

Half-step: Low E open to fret 1 goes from E to F.
Whole-step: A string fret 3 to fret 5 goes from C to D.

Quick self-test

Q1. How far is one fret?
One half-step.
Q2. How far are two frets?
One whole-step.