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Guitar fretboard notes

The note on every fret of every string, in standard tuning or thirteen others. Tap a fret to hear it, or light up one note or a scale wherever it sits on the neck.

Frets

Tap any fret to hear its note.

Notes on each guitar string

In standard tuning, from the 1st string, the thinnest, to the 6th. Each string’s notes run a half step a fret and reach its own note again at the 12th fret.

Notes on each guitar string in standard tuning, open to the 12th fret
StringOpen to the 12th fret
1st string (high E)E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E
2nd string (B)B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B
3rd string (G)G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G
4th string (D)D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D
5th string (A)A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A
6th string (low E)E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E

A bass’s four strings are the guitar’s lowest four, an octave down: see the bass guitar notes.

How to learn the notes on the fretboard

Seven letters, A to G

Notes run A B C D E F G and start again. Between each pair is a sharp or flat, one fret, except B to C and E to F, which sit next to each other.

Each fret is a half step

One fret up raises a note a half step: A, then A♯, then B. Two frets is a whole step, so G on the 3rd fret of the low E string is A on the 5th.

The 12th fret starts over

Twelve half steps make an octave, so the 12th fret plays the open string’s note an octave higher, and frets 13 to 24 repeat 1 to 12.

Five frets to the next string

In standard tuning the 5th fret of a string is the next string’s open note, except on the G string, where the 4th fret is B. It is how a guitar is tuned by ear.

Octaves: two strings, two frets

The same note an octave up is two strings higher and two frets further along: G on the low E’s 3rd fret is G on the D string’s 5th. Across the B string it is three frets.

Learn the dots first

The 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 12th frets carry dots. Learn the notes on those frets on the low E and A strings, and the rest are a fret or two away.

Guitar string notes and frequencies

Each open string’s note with its octave, and the frequency a tuner looks for, with A4 at 440 Hz.

Open string notes and frequencies in standard tuning
StringNoteFrequency
1st string (high E)E4329.63 Hz
2nd string (B)B3246.94 Hz
3rd string (G)G3196 Hz
4th string (D)D3146.83 Hz
5th string (A)A2110 Hz
6th string (low E)E282.41 Hz

Every other note’s frequency is on the note frequency chart.

Guitar tunings

The tunings the neck above can show, each string’s note from the lowest, and how far each string moves from standard.

Tunings, lowest string first
TuningNotesFrom standard
StandardE A D G B EStandard
Drop DD A D G B E6th string down a whole step
Half step downE♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭Every string down a half step
D standardD G C F A DEvery string down a whole step
Drop CC G C F A D6th string down two whole steps; the other 5 down a whole step
C standardC F B♭ E♭ G CEvery string down two whole steps
Drop BB F♯ B E G♯ C♯6th string down two and a half steps; the other 5 down a step and a half
Drop AA E A D F♯ B6th string down three and a half steps; the other 5 down two and a half steps
Open DD A D F♯ A D6th, 2nd and 1st strings down a whole step; 3rd string down a half step
Open GD G D G B D6th, 5th and 1st strings down a whole step
Open EE B E G♯ B E5th and 4th strings up a whole step; 3rd string up a half step
Open CC G C G C E6th string down two whole steps; 5th and 4th strings down a whole step; 2nd string up a half step
Open AE A E A C♯ E4th, 3rd and 2nd strings up a whole step
DADGADD A D G A D6th, 2nd and 1st strings down a whole step

Each tuning’s strings to hear, and how to tune to it, are on the guitar tunings page.

Questions about guitar notes

What are the notes on a guitar’s strings?

In standard tuning, from the lowest, thickest string: E A D G B E. Players remember them as “Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie”. The two E strings are two octaves apart, E2 and E4.

How many notes are on a guitar fretboard?

Twelve different notes, repeated. A 22-fret guitar has 138 places to play one, 6 strings of 23 including the open string, from E2 on the low E to D6 on the high E’s 22nd fret.

Which string is the 1st string on a guitar?

The 1st string is the thinnest, high E, nearest the floor as you play. The 6th is the thickest, low E. Tab draws the 1st string at the top.

Why is there no sharp between B and C, or E and F?

They are already a half step apart, the same distance as one fret. So B on the A string’s 2nd fret is followed by C on the 3rd, with nothing between.

What note is the 12th fret?

The open string’s note an octave higher: E on both E strings, A on the A string, D on the D string, G on the G string and B on the B string. That is why the 12th fret has two dots.

How do I find a note fast on the fretboard?

Learn where it sits on the low E and A strings, then use octave shapes: two strings up and two frets along. Pick “One note” above to see every place a note sits at once.

Play along with a beat

Open the free editor with a beat playing, then add a guitar part, a bass line or your voice, part by part. No account needed to start.

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