Fretboard Trainer: Learn the Notes on the Neck
Knowing the notes on the fretboard changes how you play: you find a chord in another position, build a scale without tab and understand why a shape works. Yet most players only know the open strings and the first few frets. This fretboard trainer turns the neck into a fast quiz: a note comes up, you answer, and you see right away whether you got it and how long it took.
How to use it
- Pick your instrument (6-string guitar, 4-string bass or ukulele) and the part of the neck: open to fret 5 to start, or up to fret 12 once it gets easy.
- Pick a mode. In Find the note, tap any fret that holds the requested note; in Settings you can lock it to one string, the best way to learn string by string.
- In Name the note, look at the lit fret and tap the right name. You can also use the keyboard: 1 to 7 or C D E F G A B.
- In Play your instrument, tap Turn on microphone and play the requested note on your real instrument. Any octave counts; hold the note steady for half a second.
- Each round has 10 questions. At the end you see your score, your average time and your personal best; share it to challenge a friend.
Help and explanations
There are three drills. In Find the note you tap the right fret on the neck drawing. In Name the note a fret lights up and you pick its name. In Play your instrument you grab your real guitar, bass or ukulele and the microphone checks the note you played. Audio is analyzed on your device and never uploaded; your best scores stay in your browser.
How notes are laid out on the fretboard
Every fret raises the pitch by a half step. Between natural notes (C, D, E, F, G, A, B) there is always one fret in between, holding the sharp, except in two places: E to F and B to C are next-door frets. Know that and the open-string note, and you can find any note by counting a few frets. In standard tuning the open strings from the 6th to the 1st are E, A, D, G, B and E; in drop D the 6th string goes down to D.
The 12th fret repeats the open string one octave higher and has the double dot. That's why learning up to fret 12 means learning the whole neck: from fret 13 on, the pattern repeats. The dots on frets 3, 5, 7 and 9 are landmarks so you don't have to count fret by fret.
Tricks to memorize the fretboard faster
Start with the natural notes on the 6th and 5th strings, the roots of barre chords: once you know G sits on the 3rd fret of the 6th string and C on the 3rd fret of the 5th, you find those chords instantly. The 1st string has the same notes as the 6th, two octaves up, so you learn two strings at once.
Use octave shapes: the same note appears two strings over and two frets up (6th to 4th string, 5th to 3rd). When the shape crosses the B string, move one extra fret. And remember the 5th fret: it gives you the next open string, except on the 3rd string, where B is on the 4th fret.
Bass and ukulele
The 4-string bass uses E, A, D and G, the same notes as the four lowest guitar strings, one octave lower, so everything you practice on one carries over. The ukulele is tuned G, C, E, A with a high G on the 4th string; its note map matches the top four guitar strings with a capo on the 5th fret.
Tips
- Five minutes a day beats an hour on the weekend.
- Lock one string at a time in Settings before practicing on any string.
- Say the note name out loud as you answer: the position sticks faster.
- When you get almost everything right up to fret 5, switch to fret 12 and turn on sharps.
Frequently asked questions
How do I memorize the notes on the guitar fretboard?
Learn the open strings first, then the natural notes on the 6th and 5th strings, and use the dots on frets 5, 7 and 12 as landmarks. Practice a few minutes a day, one string at a time.
What are the open string notes on a guitar?
In standard tuning, from the 6th (thickest) string to the 1st: E, A, D, G, B and E.
Does it work for electric guitar and bass?
Yes. Electric guitar has the same notes as acoustic. For a 4-string bass, choose Bass: the strings are E, A, D and G.
Does the microphone mode work with any guitar?
It works with acoustic guitar, electric through an amp, bass and ukulele. Play one string at a time, let it ring and avoid background noise. Any octave counts.
Is there a left-handed option?
Yes. Tick Left-handed in Settings and the neck is mirrored, the way you see your own instrument.
Are my scores saved?
Your best streak and best round for each setting are saved in this browser, with no sign-up. Nothing is sent to a server.