Bass Fretboard Notes Chart
4-string bass, tuning E–A–D–G · every note, frets 0–15 · tap to hear
How to play
- Tap any note to hear it and see its name, string and fret. The board reads like bass tab: the top row is the thin G string, the bottom is the thick low E.
- Use Highlight to pick a note letter — every place it appears lights up, so you can see how each note repeats (an octave is always 2 frets up and 2 strings across).
- Dots under the fret numbers are the position markers (3, 5, 7, 9, and a double at 12).
- Open strings plays E–A–D–G. Vol sets volume. Keyboard: Tab to any note or control, Enter/Space to activate.
The Bass Fretboard is a virtual instrument that allows you to navigate the frets of a typical four string bass guitar. For learners of bass it can help learn where notes are on the fretboard. Or for experienced bassists it can be used as a way to practice certain intervals.
The interaction comes via your computer keyboard (which allows for a hands-free experience), mouse or trackpad.
How to Use the Bass Fretboard Tool
It follows a tablature chart design with the fret board layout. High strings is at the top of the row. Lowest string (the thick string) is called the E string and it’s at the very bottom of the row. From left to right are the fifteen frets represented in columns. The open string is labeled as fret number zero. Notes played when the finger presses down on that fret are in the numbered columns.
By simply clicking on the circle of the desired note on the fretboard, it will play that note for you. The note will sound and then its name will appear in the readout area underneath the chart. The readout gives you the note name, what string it is on and which fret it is on as well as the frequency in hertz so that you can understand the actual pitch.
Tabbing between controls and notes is possible with keyboard navigation. The Tab key will move focus to the next item. To trigger a button, note, etc. Press Space or Enter to trigger a button or note that has focus. If you like having your hands on the keyboard, this can be an option as well as being useful for those using assistive technology.
The Highlight row illustrates the note patterns you can see above the fretboard. Tap on any letter from B through to C to highlight all the occurrences of that note. It demonstrates the location of octaves and how notes repeat across an instrument. On bass, an octave is always two frets up and two strings over. The filter makes this clear. To remove a filter, simply click Off in the highlight row. This will clear all filters and take the board back to defaults.
This is also a great tool if you want to test a melody in your head before playing it through. It shows you where notes occur across various strings and when those notes share the same name.
This is for you if you want to hear what the four open strings sound like (on an electric bass they are typically tuned E, A, D and G). Simply press it and the notes will be played one after another starting at the bottom of the neck upwards. This is handy if you’re not sure which note goes where.
At the bottom right, you’ll find volume controls for the widget. Here’s where you can set your master output level. If you’re listening via headphones or speakers, it’s a good idea to use this to bring the bass tone down in relation to other sounds.
Fullscreen. The Fullscreen button makes the chart full screen so that you have more space to read note labels and fret markers without being cramped by the window size. This is particularly handy for smaller laptop screens or mobile devices.
Note: The fullscreen button expands the chart to take up your entire screen. Position markers appear under the fret numbers to help with navigation. The single dots indicate where there is a marker, i.e., frets 3, 5, 7, 9 and 15. A double dot indicates where the fret number matches an octave (open string), such as at the 12th fret. This matches the inlay markings on a real bass neck.
These are all explained via the Help panel, which is accessible by clicking on the button in the top right-hand corner. The button lets you open and close the help panel for an easy reminder of how to use keyboard navigation and highlighting, for example.
If you want to use it to its maximum effect, trace the position of a specific note across all four strings and then highlight them to view the geometric shape formed from your tracing. Click each note in turn to listen to the change in pitch as you ascend the neck.
The chart also allows you to play around with fretting speed. Choose a box of four frets that are close together, then select them at random and click on the note names one after another. It trains your ear to be able to pick out semi-tones next to each other. As you do this, you can immediately hear if you’re wrong and correct accordingly.
One feature worth noting about this is that it displays the frequency which is a great way to learn the fretboard. Notice that moving up 12 frets doubles the hertz reading. This shows you the octave relationship in action. This will help reinforce your knowledge of what you’re actualy hearing.
You can mix and match highlights as much as you like. Quickly switch from note to note and make a visual comparison of where they appear on the board. It helps you memorize the fretboard better then just trying to learn it by heart.
As for playing, start by locating all the notes on the fretboard that fall under the letter ‘E’. Next look for the notes marked as ‘A’ and ‘D’. When you’re confident with how the open strings sound, attempt to find their higher octave matches. By taking this structured approach, you’ll develop a strong mental map of the instrument.
Everything in the interface has been designed to