Learn
Fretboard notes chart for guitar and bass
Every note in the first twelve frets, standard tuning. Natural notes are in pearl, sharps are dark.
Guitar, standard tuning (E A D G B E)
Bass, standard tuning (E A D G)
Natural notes on each guitar string
| String | Natural notes (fret) |
|---|---|
| 1 (high E) | E 0 · F 1 · G 3 · A 5 · B 7 · C 8 · D 10 · E 12 |
| 2 (B) | B 0 · C 1 · D 3 · E 5 · F 6 · G 8 · A 10 · B 12 |
| 3 (G) | G 0 · A 2 · B 4 · C 5 · D 7 · E 9 · F 10 · G 12 |
| 4 (D) | D 0 · E 2 · F 3 · G 5 · A 7 · B 9 · C 10 · D 12 |
| 5 (A) | A 0 · B 2 · C 3 · D 5 · E 7 · F 8 · G 10 · A 12 |
| 6 (low E) | E 0 · F 1 · G 3 · A 5 · B 7 · C 8 · D 10 · E 12 |
How to read the chart
- The strings are drawn thinnest at the top, as in tab and in the app. The bottom line is the thickest string.
- The note names run A to G. Between each pair there is a sharp, except between B and C and between E and F.
- Fret 12 is the open string again, an octave up. Everything past it repeats the chart.
Knowing the chart isn't knowing the neck
A chart tells you where a note is. Playing needs the note to be there without looking it up. The quickest way from one to the other is to find notes on your own instrument, over and over, until you stop counting. See how to memorize the fretboard, or let Fretrune run the drill: it names a note, you play it, and it listens.
Coming soon for iPhone and Mac
Questions
- How many notes are on a guitar fretboard?
- There are 12 different notes. They repeat every 12 frets, so frets 0 to 11 on every string hold every note on the neck, and fret 12 starts the pattern again an octave up.
- Why is there no sharp between B and C or between E and F?
- Those pairs are a half step apart, the smallest step in Western music, so they sit on neighbouring frets. Every other pair of natural notes is a whole step apart, with a sharp (or flat) on the fret between them.
- Are the bass notes the same as the guitar notes?
- Yes. A bass in standard tuning (E, A, D, G) has the same notes at the same frets as a guitar’s four thickest strings, one octave lower.