Introducing the Seven-String Neck

One of the toughest steps in adapting to the seven-string is getting a feel for the lowest notes and learning not to think of E as your baseline. If you're an experienced six-stringer, remember that this is not completely new territory -- you already know the high B-string. You need only to translate your thinking two octaves down.

Notes on the B string

The Grid

One thing that's nice about learning guitar: There are fixed patterns that make up intervals, scales, and chords. The seven-string is no exception. You can shift these patterns all over the neck, and while the notes may change, the patterns and intervallic relationships remain the same. We can, for example, identify all the D notes on a seven-string neck and use them as a navigational landmark.

Positions of D

Once you have memorized a position, you can move it around to find new sets of notes. Move your fingers up two frets to play E.

Positions of E (green square is the root on the D string)

Here's a tip: Relate the notes on the new string to those you already know. That will make it easier to incorporate the seven-string's extended range into your repertoire. If you apply the patterns above to each note on the B string, you should get a handle on the seven-string's geography in no time at all.

Next Page: Segue into Chords....