Fretboard Explorer
Chords & scales on any neck
$0.99 · Designed for iPad. Not verified for macOS.
See the pattern. Hear every step. Play scales up, down, or both, set your tempo, and loop a run while each sounding note lights up on the fretboard.
Find a chord. See where it lives.
Fretboard Explorer is a chord, scale, and practice companion for guitar, bass, ukulele, mandolin, and banjo. Pick your instrument and tuning, then explore clear diagrams without an account or internet connection.
PROGRESSIONS AND STRUM PATTERNS
Build a progression in a major or minor key, start from a preset, and choose a shape for each chord. Practice with downstrokes, alternating eighths, or a syncopated strum on guitar and ukulele. Hear synthesized chord playback, set your tempo, add a count-in, and loop your progression. Save setups on your device to return to later. Bass, mandolin, and banjo use a steady chord pulse.
CAGED SHAPES AND OTHER VOICINGS
Start with familiar CAGED forms in standard guitar tuning. Explore selected major, minor, seventh, and suspended chord forms across the neck. Switch to Other voicings for alternate shapes and inversions.
HEAR THE FRETBOARD
Play the exact displayed chord voicing or tap individual chord and scale notes to hear their pitch. Open strings ring out; muted strings stay silent. Playback uses synthesized sound and works offline across all five instruments.
CHORDS UP THE NECK
Choose a root and chord quality to see compact shapes at different fret positions. Suggested finger numbers, open and muted strings, barre markings, and bass notes help you read each shape. Switch between fingers, note names, and scale degrees.
PLAY SCALES, ONE NOTE AT A TIME
Hear the selected scale map or pattern ascend, descend, or travel up and back down. Set 40–200 BPM, loop a run, and follow the sounding note on the fretboard. Playback works offline across all five instruments. High-G ukulele follows per-string runs; banjo playback uses its four long strings.
SCALES THAT MAKE SENSE
Pick a key and scale, then explore all notes or two- and three-note-per-string patterns. Root notes stand out in coral. Move through positions and see when a pattern calls for a hand shift.
FIVE INSTRUMENTS, FIFTEEN TUNINGS
Explore standard and alternate guitar tunings, four- and five-string bass, high-G and low-G ukulele, baritone ukulele, mandolin, and five-string banjo. Diagrams account for doubled mandolin courses and the banjo's short fifth string.
ROOM TO EXPLORE
Use a compact layout on iPhone or keep controls beside the fretboard on iPad and the expanded iPhone Duo display. Left-handed diagrams and light and dark appearances let you make the view your own.
13 chord qualities. 12 scales. No ads, subscriptions, or tracking. Your last selection stays on your device.
Fingerings are suggestions. Choose shapes and stretches that suit your instrument and your hands.
Ratings & Reviews
- This app hasn’t received enough ratings or reviews to display an overview.
• Play the selected scale map or pattern up, down, or both.
• Follow each sounding note on the fretboard.
• Set your tempo from 40–200 BPM and loop a run for practice.
• Works offline across all five instruments, with per-string runs for high-G ukulele and four-string melody playback for banjo.
The developer, John Toms, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- John Toms
- Size
- 1.4 MB
- Category
- Music
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 18.0 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 18.0 or later. - iPad
Requires iPadOS 18.0 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 15.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later. - Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 2.0 or later.
- iPhone
- Languages
- English
- Age Rating
4+
- 4+
- Copyright
- © 2026 Vincent Toms
