Scale library
Choose a scale type and a key: the diagrams below show where its notes sit on the fretboard, at 5 different spots. No position is pre-recorded: each diagram is computed on the fly from the scale's theoretical formula.
This library is for anyone who knows the name of a scale (minor pentatonic, major scale, dorian mode...) and wants to see exactly where to play its notes on the neck, as much as for anyone exploring different scale types to understand what sets them apart. Every scale is computed live from its theoretical formula — no position is stored in the database — which guarantees full consistency across all 12 keys of a given scale. What you gain is a complete, reliable view of the neck for any type + key combination, without having to memorize dozens of separate diagrams.
root note other scale note
Full fretboard
How to read the 5 positions
Once a scale type and key are picked, five diagrams appear: those are the five positions that, placed end to end, cover the entire neck for that specific scale. Each position can be played on its own (a single four-to-five-fret zone), or linked to neighboring positions to improvise across the whole neck without dropping back to open position.
The "full neck" view, which appears once both fields are filled in, assembles these five positions into a single continuous picture: it's the clearest way to see how they connect and slightly overlap from one position to the next, rather than treating them as five independent blocks.
Pentatonic box (neck position) →
Practical tips and common mistakes
- Don't learn all 5 positions in the order shown without distinction: position 1 (often called the "home" position) is by far the most used in practice — master it alone before adding the others.
- Spot the root note (highlighted differently from the rest) in each position before playing it: it's what anchors the position to the chosen key, and what lets you get your bearings immediately if you lose track mid-play.
- Don't limit yourself to a single position when improvising: staying stuck in one zone of the neck is the most common mistake for beginners at improvisation, when neighboring positions are within immediate reach once the first one is solid.
- If you're trying to identify a scale from notes you've already picked out by ear rather than from its name, use the scale finder, which works in the opposite direction from this library.
Concrete example
Pick "minor pentatonic" and the key of A minor: the position 1 that appears is exactly the pentatonic box most used in rock and blues, the same one that structures most improvisation sheets in the catalog. Then compare with the 5 CAGED positions on the same key: the two logics overlap, each CAGED position's root matching one of the five scale positions here.