The easiest octave pattern ever

When learning where each instance of a note, such as D, is on the fretboard its handy to know the relationship of that note on any string to the all the other occurrences of the note, either the same note or the note in other octaves.

There's an easy to remember pattern that covers the same note over two octaves. The same pattern can be used to cover strings 5-3-1 (A-G-high E) as a group and 6, 4 and 2 as the second group (low E-D-B). Here it is with its lowest note (A#) on the A string:



And here it is with its lowest note (A#) on the low E string:



You can see that the notes (and your fingers) maintain the same relationship in each pattern so it's easy to remember. I list the 5-3-1 version first because the note on the 1st string will set you up for the 6-4-2 version which starts on the same fret. Here's the whole pattern with the notes on strings 1 and 6 highlighted:



Next, to get between the notes on strings 2 and 5 (the B and A strings), the note on the 5th string is two frets higher. Here's the pattern (using F this time) with that relationship highlighted:



Best of all this covers every string and every instance of the note within a 12 fret span. The only catch is where the nut lies in relationship to the notes you're looking at, so you need to be familiar with using this pattern from any note within it.