How to Number Guitar Frets

Co-authored by Nate Savage

Last Updated: October 5, 2020

Frets are the small metal tabs inlaid to the neck of the guitar. They are specifically placed to differentiate notes, each fret "cutting" the note when pressed on, which changes the length of the string, and thus the note played. They are easy to number and get used to.^{[1]
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Steps

1
Number frets from the head of the guitar down to the body. The head of the guitar is where the strings are tied into the tuning peg. The first fret, then, is the one right after the head. For a right-handed guitarist, this means fret number one is the fret the furthest to the left on the guitar.
2
Always play behind the note you’re supposed to be fretting. By the “back,” this means the side closest to the headboard. If you want to play the 3rd fret, you would need to put your finger on the string between the 2nd and 3rd frets. You are always playing the fret closest to your body -- so the 5th fret would be between the 4th and 5th frets, right up to the back of the 5th.
- A quick pro tip – getting your finger as close to the back of the fret as possible
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3
Know that fret numbering is the same on any string. It doesn’t matter if you’re fretting a note on the sixth string or the second – the fret numbering stays the same up and down the strings.
- To talk about certain frets, you usually give the string and fret number – saying, for example, “5th string, 2nd fret,” to explain which note you’re playing.
4
Consider unfretted, or open strings, to be on the “zero” fret. Any tab or song that notes a “0” for the fret is not talking about a hidden zero fret, it simply means you play the string openly, without fretting. These are called "open notes."^{[2]
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5
Read the dots on the guitar to help your locate frets. The dots on a guitar aren’t random – they are largely standardized guidelines to help you move quickly along the fretboard. Usually, there are single or double dots on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, and 15th frets.^{[3]
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- There are almost always double dots on the 12th fret, as this tells you where the frets reset. Anything played on the 12th fret is an identical note (though higher-pitched) to the same open string. The 13th fret is identical to the 1st, and so on.

Community Q&A

Question

Where do I put side dot fret marker stickers?

Community Answer

Place them on the side of the fretboard that faces upward when you're holding your guitar so that you can see them.