A Scale — Guitar Fretboard
Standard tuning E A D G B E · low string on the left · roots in amber
How to play
- Scale — choose which A‑rooted scale to map: Major, Natural Minor, Major/Minor Pentatonic, or Blues.
- Position — drag the slider (or tap a preset) to focus a 5‑fret window and learn one shape; Whole neck shows every note.
- Labels — switch dot text between scale degrees (1, ♭3, 5…) and note names (A, C♯…).
- Click / tap any dot to hear that note. Amber dots are the root, A.
- Play scale — hear and watch the scale ascend; press again to stop. Vol sets master volume.
- Keyboard — Tab to any control, Enter/Space to activate, arrow keys move the sliders.
- Tip — the amber roots are your anchor; every shape repeats 12 frets higher (the octave).
The A scale is shown in this interactive chart of a typical guitar fretboard. To use it, just click on note dots with your mouse. This will also plays the notes for you. Alternatively use your computer keyboard to move around the interface and then hit keys to trigger sound. It’s all designed to get you hearing scale patterns and seeing them visualy.
In the top row is controls for changing which set of scales is based off A. You can choose between a Natural Minor Scale, Major Pentatonic, Minor Pentatonic, Blues or just plain old major scale. Once selected, it will then redraw the fret board with only notes that apply to that specific scale. So you don’t have any visual distraction from the notes that aren’t relevant to what shape you wish to learn.
How to Use the Guitar Chart Tool
Below that sit the position control. You can choose to isolate a single five-fret window instead of using full neck by dragging the slider to settings like Open, 4, or 7. The ability to isolate positions allow you to focus more clearly on learning certain hand shapes and movable patterns. Having whole neck available gives you a bigger picture of how scale relates throughout instrument.
The option is available to switch the dot labels from note names (e.g. It switches from note names (e.g. A, C, E) to scale degrees (e.g. These are 1, b3, 5. 1, b3, 5). This makes it easy to recognize the pitch with the note names but allows for understanding function of that note in the harmony when using scale degrees.
Amber highlights root notes, providing a visual anchor point on the fretboard at all times. You can listen to each note played via audio playback. Simply click on the dot, which will briefly light up and play that note’s pitch. There is also option to play whole scale simply by pressing the play scale button. This will automatically run up through the chosen scale pattern to support your hearing of what you’re viewing on screen. Adjust the master audio level with the volume slider until it’s comfortabley for you.
Click the fullscreen button to expand the chart to take up your whole screen if you want more room to get a good look at the fretboard. To return to normal mode at any point, just click on the same button. The layout will automatically change to show you the frets and strings in best way.
Want a refresher on what all these controls do? There’s a help panel for that too. You can also use it at any time if you want to share this with others who may find it helpful. To access it, simply hit the how to play button which will bring up a summary of the features. It is handy if you’ve been off the page for a while yourself or if you want to show someone else the tool.
Experiment by changing scales and hear the difference it make to the range of notes you can play in that key. Play around using the position slider to scroll up and down neck and see where pattern repeats at various intervals. This is a far better way to practice, combining seeing the notes with hearing them.
You’re able to control everything via the Tab key (to highlight each control) and the Space/Enter keys (to activate). You don’t need a mouse. Arrow keys works for adjusting sliders, and everything is accessible by keyboard no matter what device you’re using. This lets you play around with the chart easily even if you have a more limited pointing device.
Begin to experiment with different positions and scales. Find the ones that feel most comfortabley to play under your fingers. How you choose to use this tool is neither right nor wrong. Spend some time playing around with a combination that suits you best. Have fun learning about the A scale and how it moves across the guitar neck.