A simple way to explore guitar

Guitar chords, scales and fretboard tools

Explore guitar chords, scales, fretboard notes and capo tools with clear diagrams, reference sound and printable views.

Explore references →

Clear diagrams. Reference sound. No account needed.

Try an open chord

EADGBENumbers show finger positions

C major

Open chord

Open reference

Synthesized reference tones.

A good place to begin

Pick a small collection. Follow your curiosity.

Explore the cards →

Something worth playing

Keep a few references close. Come back when you need them.

A focused set of references

Start here

CE A D G B E

Chords · C · E · G

Meet your C chord

Finger positions, notes and a clear starting shape.

Open chord

AmE A D G B E

Chords · A · C · E

Get to know A minor

A familiar shape with a different sound.

Capo at fret 2

shape → sound

Same fingering. Two semitones up.

Tools · Forward + reverse

Same shape. New key.

Find the chord you hear with a capo.

Chord reference

Chords · 8 open shapes

Eight shapes to keep close

Compare common open chords at a glance.

A scale, one step at a time

Hear the steps.Notes · degrees · reference sound

Scales · Notes + scale degrees

Hear the steps

Connect each note to its scale degree.

C majorONE OCTAVE · C3 → C4

Scales · C3 → C4

Follow C major

A one-octave path, with notes and degrees.

Keep two fingers in place

CAm

One shape. One small change.

Chords · Chord-change practice

A small move: C → Am

Keep two fingers down. Move the third.

Printable reference

GUITAR CHORD CHART

8 open shapes · standard tuning

Print →

Chords · Print from the chart

For your music stand

Open the chart, then use its print view.

Standard tuning

LOW E → HIGH E

Fretboard · Standard tuning

Know your open strings

Six strings. One useful place to begin.

Find your notes

012345

Fretboard · Explore 0–24 frets

Find C, anywhere

See the same note in different positions.

You’ve reached the end of this little collection.

Choose a guitar tool →

How the references connect

Connect the shape to its notes

A chord is a few notes. Find those same notes on the fretboard and inside a scale.

C major on the fretboard

The C guitar chord contains the notes C, E, G.

EADGBEBlue marks show sounding notes

Open the C guitar chord →

The notes in C major

The chord uses three notes from the C major scale.

C major scale

The highlighted notes are chord tones. The full scale gives you the wider seven-note set.

C, chord tone
D
E, chord tone
F
G, chord tone
A
B
C, chord tone

Use the guitar fretboard to find the same notes in other positions across standard tuning. Compare the C major scale to see how the chord tones sit inside the wider seven-note scale.

Use the reference pages together instead of treating each chart as a separate dead end.

WHAT JOYSTRUM COVERS

A focused set of guitar references

JoyStrum currently focuses on eight open chord shapes, one C major scale path, standard-tuning fretboard notes and capo transposition. Start with the reference you need, then use related links to move between chords, scales and the fretboard.

Choose the reference that matches your task

Use guitar chord charts, scale patterns, fretboard notes and capo tools with clear diagrams, reference audio and printable views for focused practice. Go straight to the chart or tool you need, or browse all guitar tools.

Find a chord

Open the chord chart to compare eight common open shapes, check fingering and notes, hear reference tones, and print the chart.

Play a scale

Follow the C major path across fretboard and TAB views, then switch between note names and scale degrees as you practice.

Find a note

Pick a note and see where it appears in standard tuning, from the first few frets through a full 24-fret reference.

Transpose with a capo

See what a chord shape sounds like with a capo, or work backward from the chord you need to a shape and fret.

Learn one chord and one scale in context

These pages go beyond a lookup and show how the same data connects to practice. The C guitar chord includes finger positions, three voicings, string checks and C → Am practice. The C major scale has one starting path with matching TAB, notes, degrees and reference sound.