Frettler - the interactive fretboard explorer and notebook

Frettler is a macOS application dedicated to enabling players of fretted instruments to visualise, experiment, and explore scales, modes and chords using a document-based canvas.

Think of Frettler as Pages, not for text but for fretboards.

Frettler isn't just a scale and chord library - it's a persistent, document-based workspace designed by a player, for players. Whether you are composing a complex jazz piece, teaching a student, or exploring a new tuning on your banjo, Frettler organises your theory explorations into easily read, playable, shareable and saveable documents.

Frettler macOS workspace showing interactive guitar fretboards, scales, modes and chord diagrams — Explore scales, modes and chords in a persistent, document-based macOS workspace.

Supporting guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, banjo and ukulele , each document you create can show multiple scales, chords and modes for the document’s chosen instrument, and each instrument type supports multiple possible tunings.

The roadmap for future Frettler enhancements is brimming with features. If you have suggestions for features or improvements, need support or advice, contact us at:

hello@frettler.app

Built for: teachers and players who want to explore relationships between notes and intervals, train their ears, and record and annotate their discoveries in reusable documents.

What you can do with Frettler

Build visual music documents from fretboards, scales, modes, chords and chord organisers, all arranged on a flexible document canvas
Switch instruments, tunings or handedness at any time and watch every fretboard and chord panel adapt to the new context
Keep separate documents for lessons, songs, theory explorations, practice routines, alternate tunings or ideas you want to return to later
Listen to notes, scale patterns, modes and strummed chords with pitch-perfect, instrument-specific playback as you explore the fretboard
Focus your learning by showing notes, intervals, marked notes, or only the parts of a pattern you want to study right now
Highlight important notes and intervals, add your own panel notes, and capture teaching points, discoveries, reminders and practice ideas
Rearrange, duplicate, copy and move musical ideas freely, both within a single Frettler document and between different documents
Personalise the look of your workspace with fretboard backgrounds and note colour themes, making documents clearer and more enjoyable to use

Feedback or ideas on Frettler workflows, visualisation, usability or improvements are very welcome — please drop us a line.

Frettler is a product of Efford Studio Limited

Efford Studio Limited is an independent UK software studio focused on thoughtfully crafted tools for musicians and creatives.