Frequently asked questions

What is NeckSight?

NeckSight is a free browser tool for guitar and bass players. Pick any scale, mode, triad, or chord and it maps every occurrence of those notes across the full neck. No account or download required.

How do I use it?

Choose a root note, pick a type (Scales, Modes, Triads, or Chords), then select the specific pattern from the dropdown. The fretboard updates instantly. Toggle between Degrees and Notes to switch between interval labels (R, 2, ♭3…) and actual note names (C, D, E♭…). The fret slider adjusts how much of the neck is shown.

What is the Highlight feature?

Highlight lets you mark specific intervals within the current pattern. Open it from the controls, choose a base note (any degree of the scale or chord), then tap the interval buttons to turn those notes amber. The most useful case: visualising chord tones inside a scale. Pick the ii degree of C major, highlight R, ♭3, 5, and you see every D minor arpeggio position at once.

What tunings are supported?

Guitar: Standard (EADGBe), Drop D, Half-step Down, Full-step Down, Open G, Open D, and DADGAD.
Bass: Standard (EADG), Drop D, 5-String (BEADG), and Half-step Down. Pick your tuning from the Tuning dropdown after choosing your instrument. More tunings, including custom per-string tuning, are in the works.

What's the difference between a scale and a mode?

In practice, they use the same notes. A mode is a scale viewed from a different starting point. C major and D Dorian use the same seven pitches, but D Dorian treats D as home, giving it a different character and feel. NeckSight shows each mode as its own pattern so you can see it from its own root.

Why is the root note highlighted in cyan?

The cyan circle is the tonal centre: the note everything else in the pattern leans back toward. Keeping it visually distinct helps you stay anchored, wherever you are on the neck.

Does NeckSight work on mobile?

Yes. On narrow screens the fretboard rotates to a vertical layout, with strings running across and frets running down. The controls collapse into a tappable panel to free up space.

Is NeckSight free?

Completely. No accounts, subscriptions, or paywalls. NeckSight is supported by unobtrusive advertising.

Can I suggest a feature or report a bug?

Please do. Go to the Contact page and send a message. Everything gets read.

What is the CAGED system?

CAGED is a fretboard navigation system for guitar. It divides the neck into five overlapping scale positions, each anchored to the shape of an open chord: C, A, G, E, and D. Every major scale — and by extension every mode and arpeggio — can be played in all five positions. NeckSight's Highlight panel includes a CAGED mode that shows which shape you're in for any root and pattern.

What is the pentatonic scale and why is it so common?

The pentatonic scale uses 5 notes instead of the usual 7. The major pentatonic removes the 4th and 7th degrees from the major scale; the minor pentatonic removes the 2nd and 6th from natural minor. What's left are the most consonant notes — no half-step clashes — which means almost every note sounds good over the underlying chord. That's why it's the first scale most guitarists learn and the backbone of blues, rock, and country soloing.

How do I use NeckSight to practice scales effectively?

Start by loading a scale and playing every highlighted note from the lowest string to the highest, one position at a time. Then use the Highlight panel to isolate the root and 5th — the most stable tones — and make sure you can locate them instantly anywhere on the neck. Next, load the same scale from a different root and notice how the shape shifts. For a more musical workout, use the play button to hear the scale, then try to match it on your instrument before looking at the fretboard.

What's the difference between triads and chords on NeckSight?

Triads are 3-note structures: root, 3rd, and 5th (plus sus2 and sus4 variants). Chords in NeckSight refer to 4-note extended harmonies — major 7, dominant 7, minor 7, half-diminished, fully diminished, and extended voicings up to 13ths. Triads are the building blocks; chords add the 7th and extensions on top. Knowing where triads live within a scale is the fastest way to understand chord construction.

What is a chord progression and how do I find chords that go together?

A chord progression is a sequence of chords built from the notes of a single scale. In any major key, each of the 7 scale degrees produces a chord: the I, IV, and V chords are major; the ii, iii, and vi are minor; the vii° is diminished. Because all seven chords share notes from the same scale, they naturally sound good together. The most common progressions — I-IV-V, I-V-vi-IV, ii-V-I — all use this diatonic relationship. The Chord Progressions guide covers the functional logic behind each movement.

Can I use NeckSight for bass guitar?

Yes. Switch to Bass using the instrument selector and choose your tuning: standard 4-string (EADG), Drop D, 5-string (BEADG), or half-step down. The fretboard recalculates for the correct string count and note layout. All scales, modes, triads, and chord arpeggios work exactly the same way on bass — the theory is identical, only the range changes.

How does the play button work?

The play button (▶) below the fretboard plays the notes of the current scale ascending from the root, synthesised in your browser using the Web Audio API. No internet connection is required after the page loads. The sound uses a filtered sawtooth wave to approximate a guitar-like tone. It is purely a reference tool — useful for internalising how a scale or mode sounds before you play it.