Fret board

I have been spending a lot of time trying to learn the fret board... Is it necessary to memorize every note or just to be able to find it quickly? Should you be able to close your eyes and fret a note and automaticly say that's a "A" or "C" as soon as you look at it?

Depends on what you're trying to achieve. I believe in learning 'as you go' on a 'need to know' basis. That way you're not clogging your brains up with crap!

edit: but then, I have no writing ambitions. If that's your objective, you probably need to know more than me.

I would like to write my own stuff.

In that case have a look at:-

http://www.justinguitar.com/

Justin Sandercoe is a real class teacher both for theory and practical. His site is free but it's well worth considering the odd little contribution.I find his teaching invaluable so I give what I can when I can.

I'd just memorize the naturals C D E F G A B cuase the sharps and flats are always right by the natural in respect to the pitch signature -# sharp or b flat

i havent memorized it, and i think lp and me are about at the same stage, i have found its starting to "come together". root notes are the name of bar chords, power chords, chords, everything. scales are based on those notes. i should prob memorize it. maybe not to find a note quicker, but to be more familiar with it and will prob make u a better player. idk so correct me if im wrong.

I think that you should know every note on the fret board. One thing I do in most practice sessions is every day I pick a different key usually in order ( A,Bb,B,C,D,Eb, and so on) one key each day, I work in that key, I start with all the scale fingerings in ALL positions up the neck and then back down, moving back and forth in between them. Major scale first then minor then Dorian and so on. Then I do the Pent scales the same way.

Now one thing I have found to help me with knowing all the notes quickly is what ever the scale is for that day, lets say Ab, I play from the low E to the High E every Ab note on each string from the nut to the 12th fret as fast as I can while sweep picking. I put a metronome on 100 beats per minute and aim for 2 notes per beat. Then I do the same thing from the 12 fret up but without the metronome. After you do this for a few weeks you WILL know every note on the fret board BTW I got this idea from a player named Lee Ritenour in a video I saw. If its good enough for him-----

Absolute Fretboard Trainer

I've been using this for a while now. It has a great graphical representation of the fretboard and several memory and ear training exercises. It's drastically improved my knowledge of the fretboard, and it's well worth going pro.

As stated above, it's a good idea to learn "naturals." So if you just learn the C Major scale on every position on the neck you'll be able to (with a little thought) figure out the sharps and flats, and eventually memorize where they are as well.

I bought a poster at the local music store that showed all the notes on the fretboard and it hung on my wall for years, i would still have it but there was a house fire and it got damaged. I would find something cool and i would reference the chart to find other ways of playing the same thing. when i did that i learned other places these notes were hiding at. it did help my learning the fretboard, when i got stuck just stair at the wall.

I do the same thing with scales that you did tele. 'cept i make mine, right now i only have A harmoin minor cuase i played that one once and i liked the sound but i'm having a hugley hard time memorizing it, i keep slipping back into the key of C, playing G instead of G#...