MUSIC THEORY REFERENCE

Scales and fretboard diagrams

Explore every scale type in the Tunings catalog: major and minor modes, pentatonics, blues, bebop, symmetric scales, and more. Choose a root, compare interval formulas, and see the notes on a free fretboard.

FREE FRETBOARD REFERENCE

C Major on the fretboard

Find each scale tone in a catalog tuning. Filled notes marked R are roots; outlined notes are other tones. Open strings are fret 0.

6-String Guitar referenceStandard tuning and this scaleC Major scale in this tuning

6-String Guitar · Standard · Frets 0–12 · All scale tones

C Major in Standard on 6-String GuitarPhysical string order is preserved, with the first catalog string at the bottom. Read exact frets and pitches in the table below. Roots carry an R marker.0123456789101112E2A2D3G3B3E4String 1, fret 0: E2EString 1, fret 1: F2FString 1, fret 3: G2GString 1, fret 5: A2AString 1, fret 7: B2BString 1, fret 8: C3, rootCRString 1, fret 10: D3DString 1, fret 12: E3EString 2, fret 0: A2AString 2, fret 2: B2BString 2, fret 3: C3, rootCRString 2, fret 5: D3DString 2, fret 7: E3EString 2, fret 8: F3FString 2, fret 10: G3GString 2, fret 12: A3AString 3, fret 0: D3DString 3, fret 2: E3EString 3, fret 3: F3FString 3, fret 5: G3GString 3, fret 7: A3AString 3, fret 9: B3BString 3, fret 10: C4, rootCRString 3, fret 12: D4DString 4, fret 0: G3GString 4, fret 2: A3AString 4, fret 4: B3BString 4, fret 5: C4, rootCRString 4, fret 7: D4DString 4, fret 9: E4EString 4, fret 10: F4FString 4, fret 12: G4GString 5, fret 0: B3BString 5, fret 1: C4, rootCRString 5, fret 3: D4DString 5, fret 5: E4EString 5, fret 6: F4FString 5, fret 8: G4GString 5, fret 10: A4AString 5, fret 12: B4BString 6, fret 0: E4EString 6, fret 1: F4FString 6, fret 3: G4GString 6, fret 5: A4AString 6, fret 7: B4BString 6, fret 8: C5, rootCRString 6, fret 10: D5DString 6, fret 12: E5E

Notes-per-string views select the first matching scale tones on each string at or above the starting fret, within a 12-fret window. These are position studies: crossing strings can repeat or skip pitches. They are not guaranteed continuous ascending runs or finger assignments. Four-note layouts can require stretches or position shifts.

Fret positions and pitches · first catalog string to last
Open stringFretsNotes with octaves
1 · E20 · 1 · 3 · 5 · 7 · 8 · 10 · 12E2 · F2 · G2 · A2 · B2 · C3 · D3 · E3
2 · A20 · 2 · 3 · 5 · 7 · 8 · 10 · 12A2 · B2 · C3 · D3 · E3 · F3 · G3 · A3
3 · D30 · 2 · 3 · 5 · 7 · 9 · 10 · 12D3 · E3 · F3 · G3 · A3 · B3 · C4 · D4
4 · G30 · 2 · 4 · 5 · 7 · 9 · 10 · 12G3 · A3 · B3 · C4 · D4 · E4 · F4 · G4
5 · B30 · 1 · 3 · 5 · 6 · 8 · 10 · 12B3 · C4 · D4 · E4 · F4 · G4 · A4 · B4
6 · E40 · 1 · 3 · 5 · 7 · 8 · 10 · 12E4 · F4 · G4 · A4 · B4 · C5 · D5 · E5

All 66 scale names

Choose a scale type for its formula, notes, and fretboard. Names sharing the same interval pattern in the catalog link to a shared reference page.

Major Modes

Essential Scales

Melodic Minor Modes

Harmonic Minor Modes

Harmonic Major Modes

Pentatonic Scales

Blues Scales

Jazz Scales

Modern Scales

Symmetrical Scales

World Scales

Japanese Scales

Indian Ragas

Other

Major, minor, and pentatonic references by root

C

C#

D

Eb

E

F

F#

G

Ab

A

Bb

B