Pick a root note and a scale — the notes light up on the fretboard below. Tap any note to hear it. Works for major, minor, the pentatonics, blues and the modes. Free, no sign-up.
Start with the minor pentatonic. Five notes, the backbone of blues, rock and metal soloing. Learn the shape with the root on the low E string and you can solo in any key by sliding it.
Match the scale to the song’s key. A song in A minor? Use A minor pentatonic or A natural minor. In a major key like G? G major pentatonic or G major.
The blues scale is the minor pentatonic plus one extra “blue note” (the ♭5) — that single note is the whole blues sound.
The modes (Dorian, Mixolydian, Phrygian…) are the major scale started from a different note, each with its own flavour — Dorian for funk/jazz, Mixolydian for blues-rock riffs, Phrygian for metal.
What scale should a beginner learn first? The minor pentatonic — five notes, one moveable shape, and it works over blues and rock instantly.
How do I know what key a song is in? Find the chord it resolves to / feels like “home.” That root, plus whether it sounds happy (major) or sad (minor), tells you the scale.
Are these notes the same in any tuning? The note names are, but the fretboard positions here assume standard tuning (E A D G B E). Re-tune and the shapes shift — see the tuning chart.
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