the page initially loads with 6 strings in standard guitar tuning; in most cases you probably won't have to change anything.
you can easily retune any string by typing the desired note-name in its tuning box - the fretboard is automatically redrawn as soon as your cursor exits any of the tuning boxes (by pressing TAB on your keyboard or by clicking anywhere outside the box).
individual tuning boxes can be accessed by clicking on them, or by typing the string's number (as shown left of the box) while holding down the ALT key, at which point the cursor will be lodged in the appropriate box, ready for user input.
if you want to focus only on particular strings, the display of notes for the unwanted strings can be suppressed by clicking the number to the left of a string's tuning box.
displaying notes:
predefined sets of notes are displayed by selecting the appropriate root and scale (and optionally, a mode) from the drop-down lists; when the fretboard is redrawn, the root will be distinguished from other notes via colour highlighting.
the current root of a scale is always displayed leftmost in the flag stream at the top of the page; the enharmonic names of the remaining flags are redefined according to the root, and these are activated according to the current scale or mode.
when manually selecting a new scale, the scale's first mode is loaded by default. Any of the scale's possible modes can thereafter be selected from the modes drop-down list.
you can quickly toggle all notes ON (CHROMATIC) or OFF (BLANK) by selecting the appropriate option from the scales list.
you can also toggle any individual note ON or OFF by clicking directly on its flag at the top of the page: in this way, you can specify any arbitrary scale, or any chord definition or any single note.
whenever an individual note-flag is clicked, the script compares the new configuration against each mode of each predefined scale: if a match is found, the list displays the appropriate scale name and loads the matching mode (you can revert to the original scale simply by unclicking the note just clicked); if no match is found, the list displays USERSCALE and the configuration is saved for future recall (within the same session). The script then creates a list of all possible modes for the USERSCALE.
when the root is transposed, the scale and mode currently in effect are applied to the new root (thus the pattern of relationships defining the configuration is maintained).
note: the enharmonic values here given to each interval follow the conventions normally used in outlining the harmonic chromatic scale, wherein every scale-step but I and V are are allowed two values. Yet in practise, the tritone (represented as an augmented 4th) sometimes functions instead as a flatted 5th (eg, as in locrian), while in artificial or exotic scales the other scale steps may represent augmented or diminished intervals. These enharmonic values are not reflected in the present version of this utility.
note: some of the exotic ethnic scales here presented were culled from third-party sources. While I have attempted to cross-reference scales unfamiliar to me, I cannot vouch for the absolute veracity of the labels given nor of the scale definitions. Even where accurate, it should be understood that their configurations as given here may represent pitchwise approximations, as many ethnic scales are formulated in musical contexts where the temperament used is one other than equal-temperament.
setting the fretspan:
the default fretspan is frets 0-12, but you can set the active fretspan of the fingerboard: this is useful when wishing to narrow the scope of what you'll have to look at.
the fretspan can be changed by clicking the red arrows (you can also hold your mouse down after clicking to scroll through the values), or by typing the desired number (digits only) into the boxes. The fretboard is automatically redrawn when letting go of the mouse or when exiting either of the boxes after typing.
double-clicking a box resets that box to its default fret number.
the minimum allowable fretspan is 2 frets; the lowest fret allowed is 0 (open string) and the highest recognized is 24 (two octaves up the neck).
whichever values you choose, the value for START FRET must of course be smaller than the one for STOP FRET.
if any of the above requirements are not met when making changes, or if either of the boxes is blank when exited, the script recalculates errant values so that the minimum fretspan of 2 is delivered when the fretboard is redrawn.
tips for beginners:
once you've adjusted the general layout, take a quick look at the note-names which now appear on the fretboard: these indicate where to put your fingers on your guitar in order to practise a given scale.
after looking at the fretboard for awhile, you'll begin noticing the same note-names are repeated on adjacent strings at different frets, indicating the alternate locations at which you can target any particular note. The simple formula to remember is this: in standard guitar tuning (the default tuning of EADGBE), on the G and B strings the distance in frets between identical notes is always 4 frets; for any other pair of adjacent strings the distance is always 5 frets.
notice that the 12th fret (which denotes exactly 1 octave above the open string) is indicated with a double-bar: this is the point above which the pattern of notes begins to repeat along the string. The 24th fret (which denotes 2 octaves above the open string) is likewise indicated. For example, the note-names at frets 12-15 are identical to those at frets 0-3.
when practising a scale with this utility, try to avoid looking at your fretting hand on the guitar neck. Instead, look at the onscreen positions and try to let your fingers feel their location on the fretboard purely by touch. If you can do this for only a few notes at a time, that's okay too - combine diligence with patience and you will soon improve.
beginners to guitar will also benefit from reading the sections on SUGGESTED USES and (especially) the GLOSSARY OF TERMS.
suggested uses:
at the most rudimentary level, beginners can be shown how the note to which a string is tuned can be found on the lower strings at specific locations, and the locations can be displayed simultaneously.
building on the previous item, the student soon realizes that any individual note can be easily located on corresponding strings once the intervallic relationships between adjacent strings is understood.
if the displayed notes are limited to chordal intervals (for example, simple triads), beginning students can be made to see the variety of ways in which any given chord can be fretted.
when the root is transposed, the scale or mode or chord currently in effect is applied to the new root, which helps the student see how the pattern of relationships by which the scale is defined is maintained (for example, how the intervallic pattern of I-majIII-V is the same across all major triads).
with respect to modal theory, the scale steps (displayed as roman numerals) above the note-flags can help the student distinguish modes and their derivation. For instance, the distinction between the ionian and mixolydian modes is made obvious simply by flatting the ionian's maj-7th to a min-7th.
with respect to chord theory, having a scale mapped across the fretboard allows the student to visually check whether the triads rooted on each step of the scale are major or minor, and similarly for extended or altered chords.
when using alternate tunings, unfamiliar chord constructions and note locations can be quickly identified or confirmed.
at a more advanced level the fretboard can be used to generate maps for scale practise.
very interesting results can be obtained by taking an existing diatonic scale and omitting (lapsing) one or two of the scale steps (which is of course how pentatonic scales are derived). For instance, try phrygian with a lapsed III and listen to the effect. Then omit VI or VII as well and compare. Each result can have a distinctly different flavour or mood.
by clicking individual notes ON/OFF, you can let the script identify the resulting scale or mode for you.
if you go through every possible permutation, sooner or later you'll come across the lost chord. Be sure to write it down!
glossary of terms:
we can liken a scale to an alphabet: an alphabet indicates which letters are recognized in a given language, but does not require that every letter be used in every word! Similarly, a scale indicates the "right" notes proper to a specific musical context, but does not require that every note be used. However, unlike an alphabet, the scale's fundamental purpose is to delimit a pattern of intervallic relationships among the tones used.
modes transpose the starting point for the pattern of intervals defined by a scale, while keeping the same root. The number of actual modes for any given scale is equal to the number of patterns found in that scale, and is never greater than the number of steps in the scale.
in Western harmony, the octave is divided into 12 available notes. The interval between each successive note is called a semitone (sometimes called a half-step), therefore there are 12 semitones to the octave. A distance of two semitones is equal to one tone (or a whole-step).
on the guitar (and most other fretted instruments), each fret along a string corresponds to one semitone. Therefore there are 12 frets to the octave, and a distance of two frets is equal to one tone.
when all 12 notes are used, the result is called a chromatic scale; all other scales are called diatonic. Most diatonic scales are comprised of exactly 7 notes (which explains how the octave got its name: because it's the "8th" note encountered as you go up through a scale).
the b (flat) and # (sharp) symbols used in note-names are called accidentals. Two other accidentals are less frequently used: bb (signifying a double-flat; sometimes written o) and x (signifying a double-sharp).
in musical notation, each note can be labelled with different names (depending on the musical context) - these are called enharmonics. For instance, D# and Eb both result in the same pitch (when equal temperament is used). I'll leave the technical explanations about why this is so for some later time - here I'll mention only that the label given to any individual note is simply an indicator of how that note functions under a given harmonic center.
the tritone is the interval lying midway between the perfect 4th and perfect 5th of a scale. Its name indicates its distance from the root: exactly 3 whole-tones (6 semitones).
on string instruments, melodies are very often played across the strings (in order to minimize shifting of the fretting hand). However, for reasons of interpretation a melody (or a fragment thereof) is sometimes played all along one string - this technique is called col legno (meaning "along the line").
fretboards are often referred to as fingerboards in guitar parlance, though this second term more correctly denotes those instruments whose neck does not employ frets (as in the violin family, fretless electric basses, etc).
beginners take note: on all stringed instruments, the phrase "higher up the neck" or "higher frets" means in the direction giving higher pitch (i.e. towards your body); conversely "lower down the neck" or "lower frets" means in the direction giving lower pitch (i.e. away from your body and towards the peghead). Playing on the "lower strings" means the lower-pitched strings (not necessarily the ones closer to the floor!); "higher strings" means the ones which are higher-pitched. I'm still surprised at how often these terms are misunderstood.
fretting a string at any particular fret is sometimes called stopping the string, which can be confusing to beginners who may think the expression means to stop the string from ringing (which it doesn't). Two strings played at once are called double-stops.
that portion of the string which rings when the string is plucked is called the speaking length.
that "thing" which seats the strings at the leftmost edge of the fretboard is called the nut, and is most often made of bone, plastic, brass or graphite. The nut fulfills several functions: spacing the strings, guiding the strings toward their tuning pegs, and setting the string height while providing the necessary angled break so that the open strings will sound when plucked. Some guitar designs employ what is called a zero fret (to the immediate right of the nut) which fulfills these last two functions, leaving the nut to act only as a string spacer and guide.
known-issues:
note: where possible, the items listed below will be fixed in forthcoming revisions to this utility.
the enharmonic value given to the tritone does not always reflect its true function in the scale, and similarly for the names of the other scale steps, when these represent augmented or diminished intervals (see the relevant discussion under DISPLAYING NOTES).
after the fretboard is rendered, if you resize either the browser window or your browser's font-size internally, the roman numerals at the top of the page may no longer be aligned with their intended note-flags. You can reload the page to realign them, but your current fretboard settings will be lost.
the page layout was designed at a screen resolution of 1024x768. The layout still works fine at 800x600 if the page's default font-sizes are retained. The limiting factor is the amount of vertical space available to the browser window (the viewport): because the fretboard height is more or less fixed, the space remaining for displaying these help notes may or may not be sufficient.
until I find time to fine-tune the print media styling, attempting to print the page (or a portion thereof) will likely result in misaligned elements and other garbage.
in Mozilla browsers, when adjusting fretspan via the arrows, the browser automatically deposits the cursor into the associated number-box after letting go of the mouse, and attempting to scoll through values with the arrows is impossible unless the cursor is manually removed from the box (by clicking anywhere outside the box), and each increment or decrement requires a separate mouseclick. Presumably the same behaviour is true of other browsers based on the Gecko engine (for instance, K-Meleon).
integration for Opera 7 and Netscape 7 is forthcoming, however as of this writing the utility has not yet been tested in those browsers.
this utility is still in a formative state: it may not function properly in all contemporary browsers and some older browsers may throw errors. Therefore I'll be aiming for a more universal integration while cleaning up the source code to allow graceful degradation. As of this writing the utility has been tested on Win98-SE while running Internet Explorer 5.5 and 6.0, Mozilla Firefox 1.0, Mozilla Firebird 0.7 (pre-release) and Mozilla 1.7 and generally performs as intended on those browsers (any above issues notwithstanding).
future plans:
allowing specification of the number of strings used, in order to accommodate bass guitars, mandolins, banjos, 7-string guitars, etc.
saving the current layout when the page is exited so that the same settings are automatically implemented when the page is subsequently reloaded.
adding more scales and modes to the available library.
adding an interface whereby chords can be directly specified.
possibly adding an interface to select from a list of predefined tunings.
the option to choose whether the note labels on the fretboard indicate note-names (as in the present edition) or scalar relationships.
incorporating a comprehensive overview of scalar theory, modal theory, and chord theory (long-term).
the option to distinguish octaves among notes of the same name on the fretboard display.
an option for scaling the space between frets proportionally (to more closely match the look of a real fretboard).
reverse fretboard layout to accommodate left-handed guitarists.
fine-tuning the print media styling, so that printing the page doesn't result in garbage.
