Valerie
Well-known member
A chunk chain is a quick and dirty way to "memorize" the fretboard.
The point of the chunk chain is to make memorizing the fretboard simple, quick and easy: if you can memorize the chunks (which string and how many steps away from current string) then you will have practically memorized the fretboard by memorizing 4 relative positions rather than 156+ individual positions.
There are 4 chunks in the chunk chain:
How it works is simple: note X is the same pitch as the # note. To form a chain you pick a note, (for this example I'm going to use A) and play it as close to the nut as possible.
For the example of "A" this would be Open 1st string. Since it is 1st string, we start with chunk one and this tells us that the next note will be found on the fourth string 2 steps/fret positions up (or 4th string 2nd fret)
Then, moving on to chunk two, we know the next place the note appears on the fretboard is 2nd string 3 steps up (or 2nd string 5th fret).
Using chunk three, the next place the note appears is 3rd string 4 steps up (or 3rd string 9th fret).
The next place it appears (and now an octave higher) can be found with chunk four- which says you go from 3rd string to 1st string 3 steps up (or 1st string 12th fret).
If you fretboard has more than 12 frets- you can find the next note by continuing the chain and using chunk 1 again: 1st to 4th string 2 steps up- and so on down the chain till you run out of fretboard.
Another example: The "F" note
-Lowest place on the fretboard is 2nd string 1st fret. 2nd string means you start with chunk 3.
-Chunk 3: 2nd string 1st fret to 3rd string 5th fret.
-Chunk 4: 3rd string 5th fret to 1st string 8th fret
-Chunk 1: 1st string 8th fret to 4th string 10th fret
-Chunk 2: 4th string 10th fret to 2nd string 13th fret
-Chunk 3: 2nd string 13th fret to 3rd string 17th fret
If people are confused I could make a demo video... I'm not horribly good at explaining things...
But chunk chains are wonderful!!!
The point of the chunk chain is to make memorizing the fretboard simple, quick and easy: if you can memorize the chunks (which string and how many steps away from current string) then you will have practically memorized the fretboard by memorizing 4 relative positions rather than 156+ individual positions.
There are 4 chunks in the chunk chain:
Code:
Chunk One: 1st to 4th string, 2 steps up
1st|-X-|---|---|---|---
2nd|---|---|---|---|---
3rd|---|---|---|---|---
4th|---|---|-2-|---|---
Chunk Two: 4th to 2nd string, 3 steps up
1st|---|---|---|---|---
2nd|---|---|---|-3-|---
3rd|---|---|---|---|---
4th|-X-|---|---|---|---
Chunk Three: 2nd to 3rd string, 4 steps up
1st|---|---|---|---|---
2nd|-X-|---|---|---|---
3rd|---|---|---|---|-4-
4th|---|---|---|---|---
Chunk Four: 3rd to 1st String, 3 steps up
1st|---|---|---|-3-|---
2nd|---|---|---|---|---
3rd|-X-|---|---|---|---
4th|---|---|---|---|---
How it works is simple: note X is the same pitch as the # note. To form a chain you pick a note, (for this example I'm going to use A) and play it as close to the nut as possible.
For the example of "A" this would be Open 1st string. Since it is 1st string, we start with chunk one and this tells us that the next note will be found on the fourth string 2 steps/fret positions up (or 4th string 2nd fret)
Then, moving on to chunk two, we know the next place the note appears on the fretboard is 2nd string 3 steps up (or 2nd string 5th fret).
Using chunk three, the next place the note appears is 3rd string 4 steps up (or 3rd string 9th fret).
The next place it appears (and now an octave higher) can be found with chunk four- which says you go from 3rd string to 1st string 3 steps up (or 1st string 12th fret).
If you fretboard has more than 12 frets- you can find the next note by continuing the chain and using chunk 1 again: 1st to 4th string 2 steps up- and so on down the chain till you run out of fretboard.
Another example: The "F" note
-Lowest place on the fretboard is 2nd string 1st fret. 2nd string means you start with chunk 3.
-Chunk 3: 2nd string 1st fret to 3rd string 5th fret.
-Chunk 4: 3rd string 5th fret to 1st string 8th fret
-Chunk 1: 1st string 8th fret to 4th string 10th fret
-Chunk 2: 4th string 10th fret to 2nd string 13th fret
-Chunk 3: 2nd string 13th fret to 3rd string 17th fret
If people are confused I could make a demo video... I'm not horribly good at explaining things...
But chunk chains are wonderful!!!
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