Note Reader: Staff & Fretboard Trainer
Name notes on the staff, the fretboard and the keyboard until reading them is automatic.
What it trains
Note Reader drills the link between a written note, its name, and where it lives on your instrument. Notes appear one at a time on the treble or bass staff, on a guitar fretboard, or on a piano keyboard, and you answer with a tap, a click or a key press. Every answer gets immediate feedback.
- Naming notes on the treble staff, the bass staff, or both mixed together
- Naming fretboard positions in standard or alternate tunings
- Finding a named note on a chosen guitar string
- Naming piano keys, and finding the key for a note written on the staff
Exercises
- Staff notes
- A note appears on the treble, bass or grand staff. Name it.
- Fretboard notes
- A position lights up on the fretboard. Name the note.
- Find it on the string
- You get a note name and a string. Tap the matching fret.
- Keyboard notes
- A key lights up on the piano keyboard. Name the note.
- Staff to keyboard
- A note appears on the staff. Press the matching key at the right octave.
Try it
A short interactive demo built from the same code as the real tool.
Settings you can change
- Clef: treble, bass or both
- Note range: set the lowest and highest note for each clef, from ledger lines below to ledger lines above
- Include sharps and flats, or stick to natural notes
- Fret range and which strings are included
- Note names as letters or fixed-do solfège; sharps or flats on the keyboard and fretboard
- Guitar tuning (standard, drop D, half step down, DADGAD, open G, open D) and left-handed fretboard
- Session length and keyboard or guitar tone
Instruments and clefs
Treble and bass clef, guitar fretboard (12 to 15 frets, six tunings, left-handed option) and piano keyboard.
Reference view
Tap any key or fret to see that note on the staff, every place it appears on the fretboard, and its name, without being quizzed.
Who it’s for
- Guitarists who know shapes but want to name every note on the neck
- Pianists and keyboard players building reading fluency in both clefs
- Anyone starting music theory who wants note names to be second nature
Who it isn’t for
- Players who already read both clefs and know the fretboard fluently
- Anyone looking for song arrangements or lessons in technique
What you need
- A modern web browser on a computer, tablet or phone
- Speakers or headphones
About the sound: all instrument sounds are synthesized in your browser. They are not recordings of real instruments.
In every tool
- Instant feedback on every answer, with ✓ and ✗ marks and the correct answer shown.
- Settings that save themselves, plus named practice sets you can switch between.
- A session summary when you finish, with your accuracy and the items to review.
- A reference view for looking things up without being quizzed.
- Progress and streaks: accuracy over time and your weakest items, stored only on your device.
- Progress backup: move your progress to another device with a backup code or file.
- Works offline once unlocked, and installs to your home screen or desktop.
- Keyboard shortcuts, visible focus, a larger-interface setting, and dark mode.