What is Guitar Fretboard?

Guitar Fretboard is an interactive tool that displays every note on a guitar neck. Select scales, chords, or individual notes to highlight them on the fretboard — perfect for learning music theory and finding fingering patterns.

The fretboard shows every note from the open strings across an adjustable neck length (pick 7, 12, 15, or 22 frets), with optional sharps or flats notation. Choose a root note and any common scale or chord and the matching positions light up across all six strings; flip on the triad overlay to isolate the root, third, and fifth. Each fret is clickable and plays the note through the Web Audio API so you can hear what you're seeing.

How to use

1. Step 1 — Choose a root note and a scale or chord type from the controls to highlight matching notes.
2. Step 2 — Click any fret position to hear the note played. Toggle between sharps and flats notation.
3. Step 3 — Switch between standard and alternate tunings to see how note positions change across the fretboard.

When to use

• Learning where the five pentatonic shapes connect across the neck.
• Working out chord voicings in Drop D or Open G before retuning your guitar.
• Quizzing yourself on note names by clicking and listening before peeking at labels.

Result

A beginner guitarist selects root note 'A' and 'Minor Pentatonic' scale to see all five positions highlighted across frets 0-12, then clicks each note to hear the scale tones.

FAQ

Which scales are included?

Major, minor, harmonic minor, melodic minor, the three pentatonics, blues, and the seven church modes. Each one is built relative to whatever root you pick, so the same shape moves with the root.

Does the tool show chord fingerings?

It highlights all positions where the chord tones live on the neck, not a single fretting hand shape. That's better for understanding the chord across the fretboard, but you'll still need to choose which notes to actually play.

Can I switch to bass or seven-string tunings?

Built-in tunings now cover Standard, Drop D, Drop C, Open G, Open D, Open E, and DADGAD — enough for most rock, blues, metal, and acoustic playing. Dedicated bass and seven-string tunings aren't there yet, but the visual logic is identical, so you can mentally read a four-string subset.

Why does the audio sometimes lag on the first click?

Browsers block audio until the user interacts with the page, so the first note triggers AudioContext setup. Subsequent clicks play instantly. If the lag persists, check that your tab isn't muted at the OS level.

Do I need to know music theory to use this?

No. Pick a key you've heard of, choose Minor Pentatonic or Major, and start clicking. The visual feedback teaches you which notes belong to which scale faster than reading a theory book.

Related Tools