Bass Guitar Fretboard Chart
4-string bass (E–A–D–G) · map any scale or arpeggio across the neck
How to play
- Pick a root and a pattern (scale or arpeggio). Every note of that pattern lights up across the whole neck, each labelled by its interval (1 = root, 3, 5, ♭7…), with the root in purple.
- Tap any lit note to hear it. Play pattern runs the notes up from the root so you hear the shape. The dots under the fret numbers are the neck markers (3, 5, 7, 9, 12).
- Bass patterns are movable: the same shape works for any root — just slide it. An octave is always 2 frets up and 2 strings across.
- Strings read top-to-bottom G D A E (thick low E at the bottom), like bass tab. Vol sets volume. Keyboard: Tab + Enter/Space.
This is an interactive chart that represent arpeggios and scales for a standard four-string bass guitar. A simple control system use your computer’s keyboard or mouse to click on notes. Each note can also be heard, connecting how it looks to how it sounds. Commonly used patterns is mapped out over the first twelve frets allowing you to view shapes moving up and down the neck.
By default, interface will be set for a standard (E-A-D-G) tuning. That means that the low E string are on the bottom and high G string is on the top. This corresponds to the way bass tablature is usually notated on paper. On the board, there are fret number markers running along the top so that you can keep an eye on where you are located. There are also little dots below some of these fret numbers that represent the inlays on a real neck. These are on the third, fifth, seventh, ninth and twelfth frets to help you know your position.
How to Use the Bass Chart Tool
Firstly, you select your root note from the first row of buttons. That will give you the key in which you plan to play whatever arpeggio or scale you decide upon next. Then you select pattern you want from top row (e.g. These include major, minor, pentatonic, etc. When you do this it lights up all the instances of that pattern on each of the four string. Root notes appear in purple and the other notes are a slightly darker color. Each note highlighted is then numbered according to its interval to help with understanding its place in scale or chord.
To play a note, just highlight it on the fretboard by clicking on that particular note. It will then sound through your device’s speakers so you can check the pitch and how the notes sounds with the other strings. There is also a Play pattern button that will play the full run of the scale starting from lowest note to the highest note. This provides audio feedback that helps train your ear since you do not have to look at musical notation to hear what the intervals are. Use the volume slider in the lower right-hand corner to turn the volume up or down if you find it is too soft or too loud.
The widget also has some support for navigating it with your keyboard (rather than mouse). The Tab key will move focus around from one note to another and then from button to button. Just as if you were clicking with a mouse, hitting space/Enter on the currently focused control will activate it. That makes this an accessible option too for anyone who wants to explore the fretboard map without needing only pointer input. Note that audio engine needs to be started by a user action, such as a click or press of a key, before it will play anything.
Included, in case you have forgotten, there’s a help pane that gives an overview of labeling of the intervals. Clicking the How to play button at the very top of the widget opens (or closes) the Help panel. Here it quicky describes visual clues like the shapes of octaves and explains why certain notes are color coded from their root note. There’s also a Fullscreen button which enlarges the interface so it uses more space on your monitor. This is great if you have smaller screens and want a clearer look at the fretboard.
These are called moveable bass scales, which means they has a fixed interval pattern but a free root note. The widget below illustrates this in that it will allow you to change key at the click of a button while maintaining the exact pattern. Try it out; for example, choose C major then switch to G minor and see where the dots now fall on the pattern. It is interesting, isn’t it? Even though the actual notes have changed, the relative position of one string to another has not. That makes it good visual reinforcement for muscle memory with your fretting hand.
Avoid just using the auto-play option and try clicking out a simple melody note-by-note. It will help you get used to where each note is placed under your fingers. By rapidly switching between patterns you can also compare how different scales look. For example, it’s easy to see how the Major and Minor pentatonic scale differ on the grid giving you a clear picture of their special structure of intervals. The notes that make up the pattern you select appears in the readout below.
Before you dive straight in with your practice try to take the time to explore what’s available. Spend a little time familiarising yourself with a couple of common scales that you might use regularly; knowing their location across the fret board can make complex patterns far more manageable once you’re aware of the location of the fifths and root notes. Think of the tool more like a study aid rather than something that would of serve as a tool for performance. Click on any note now to begin to see and hear how bass lines is built.