Octave Identification System for the Guitar Octave Identification Note Ranges in Positions I Note Ranges in Position V Observations Test Yourself Copyright 2008 Kevin Vigil and John Graham Octave Identification - 1 Octave Identification • An octave is the distance between two notes that share the same letter name. Start on any letter of the musical alphabet and count the number of notes until you reach the same letter. They are eight notes apart (8 = “oct”). • The note range of the guitar is nearly four octaves. To minimize confusion, an octave identification system was introduced in Guitar 101. Octave 1 Octave 2 Octave 3 Octave 4 Copyright 2008 Kevin Vigil and John Graham Octave Identification - 2 Note Range in E1 A1 D1 G2 B2 E3 Position I A1 D1 G2 F1 B1 E1 A2 C2 F3 • A Position is a - four finger to four F1 C2 F3 G1 B1 E2 A2 D2 G3 fret relationship - that is named after the fret that the first finger is on. A2 G1 C1 F2 B2 D2 G3 • * Enharmonic Equivalents are two notes with the same pitch but G1 C1 F2 D2 G3 different names. For example: F and A1 D1 G2 B2 E3 A3 G Copyright 2008 Kevin Vigil and John Graham Octave Identification - 3 Note Range in V Position V A1 D1 G2 C2 E3 A3 A1 D1 G2 C2 A3 B1 E1 A2 D2 F3 B3 B1 E2 A2 D2 F3 B3 • An Extended Position allows for G3 either the first or fourth finger to extend by one fret temporarily to A2 D2 C1 F2 B2 E3 G3 C3 reach a particular note. C1 F2 G3 C3 D1 G2 B2 E3 A3 D3 Copyright 2008 Kevin Vigil and John Graham Octave Identification - 4 Full Range of the Guitar Observations E1 A1 D1 G2 B2 E3 • There are multiple locations for A1 D1 G2 F1 B1 E1 A2 C2 F3 notes above G (A). For example, F1 C2 F3 A1 can be played in two locations, G1 B1 E2 A2 D2 G3 while E3 can be played in five A2 location. G1 C1 F2 B2 D2 G3 G1 C1 F2 D2 G3 • Unisons are notes that are the exact A1 D1 G2 B2 E3 A3 same pitch. Notice that when you V A1 D1 G2 C2 E3 A3 play E3 anywhere on this chart, the pitch is the same (assuming your A1 D1 G2 C2 A3 B1 E1 A2 D2 F3 B3 guitar is in standard tuning). F3 VII B1 E2 A2 D2 G3 B3 • Knowing where to play the same A2 D2 pitch in more than one location is C1 F2 B2 E3 G3 C3 often necessary. In this example, D2 C1 F2 B2 E3 G3 C3 and B2 must be played on two D1 G2 A3 D3 different strings. These two notes D1 G2 C2 F3 A3 D3 cannot be played simultaneously on D1 G2 C2 F3 A3 D3 one string (@). E1 A2 D2 G3 B3 E4 XII E2 A2 D2 G3 B3 E4 A2 D2 G3 F2 B2 E3 A3 C3 F4 *❍ F2 C3 F4 G2 B2 E3 A3 D3 G4 • *The technically correct clef for the A3 guitar is a treble clef with the G2 C2 F3 B3 D3 G4 number “8” written below it. This G2 C2 F3 B3 D3 G4 represents that the guitar sounds an A2 D2 G3 E4 A4 octave lower. Many guitarists who XVII A2 D2 G3 C3 E4 A4 also play piano are surprised when A2 D2 G3 C3 A4 they play a Middle C on the guitar B2 E3 A3 D3 F4 B4 and it sounds an octave lower. This XIX F4 is because most published guitar B2 E3 A3 D3 G4 B4 music is written without the “8” below the staff. Copyright 2008 Kevin Vigil and John Graham Octave Identification - 5 Octave Identification Test ❑ test yourself Part 1: Write the note names with octave identification. Part 2: Write the requested notes on the staff. Copyright 2008 Kevin Vigil and John Graham Octave Identification - 6.