# Intervals on the Guitar Fretboard
Here, I'm interested in relative notes, i.e. intervals, rather than absolute note values on the fretboard.
## Intervals
Even though the intervals below are depicted for A Major, you can use the chart for any root.
The fretboard chart helps answer questions like:
If I'm playing a 9th on the g-string, where are the closest 4ths? (Answer: One fret lower on the b-string and one fret higher on the A-string)
fretboard
option width=1000
show string=1 fret=5 text=1 fill-color=black color=white
show string=2 fret=10 text=1 fill-color=black color=white
show string=3 fret=2 text=1 fill-color=black color=white
show string=3 fret=14 text=1 fill-color=black color=white
show string=4 fret=7 text=1 fill-color=black color=white
show string=5 fret=0 text=1 fill-color=black color=white
show string=5 fret=12 text=1 fill-color=black color=white
show string=6 fret=5 text=1 fill-color=black color=white
show string=1 fret=8 text=b3 fill-color=lightcoral color=black
show string=2 fret=1 text=b3 fill-color=lightcoral color=black
show string=2 fret=13 text=b3 fill-color=lightcoral color=black
show string=3 fret=5 text=b3 fill-color=lightcoral color=black
show string=4 fret=10 text=b3 fill-color=lightcoral color=black
show string=5 fret=3 text=b3 fill-color=lightcoral color=black
show string=5 fret=15 text=b3 fill-color=lightcoral color=black
show string=6 fret=8 text=b3 fill-color=lightcoral color=black
show string=1 fret=9 text=3 fill-color=red color=black
show string=2 fret=2 text=3 fill-color=red color=black
show string=2 fret=14 text=3 fill-color=red color=black
show string=3 fret=6 text=3 fill-color=red color=black
show string=4 fret=11 text=3 fill-color=red color=black
show string=5 fret=4 text=3 fill-color=red color=black
show string=5 fret=16 text=3 fill-color=red color=black
show string=6 fret=9 text=3 fill-color=red color=black
show string=2 fret=3 text=4 fill-color=grey color=white
show string=2 fret=15 text=4 fill-color=grey color=white
show string=4 fret=0 text=4 fill-color=grey color=white
show string=4 fret=12 text=4 fill-color=grey color=white
show string=3 fret=7 text=4 fill-color=grey color=white
show string=5 fret=5 text=4 fill-color=grey color=white
show string=1 fret=10 text=4 fill-color=grey color=white
show string=6 fret=10 text=4 fill-color=grey color=white
show string=1 fret=11 text=b5 fill-color=limegreen color=white
show string=2 fret=4 text=b5 fill-color=limegreen color=white
show string=2 fret=16 text=b5 fill-color=limegreen color=white
show string=3 fret=8 text=b5 fill-color=limegreen color=white
show string=4 fret=1 text=b5 fill-color=limegreen color=white
show string=4 fret=13 text=b5 fill-color=limegreen color=white
show string=5 fret=6 text=b5 fill-color=limegreen color=white
show string=6 fret=11 text=b5 fill-color=limegreen color=white
show string=1 fret=0 text=5 fill-color=green color=white
show string=1 fret=12 text=5 fill-color=green color=white
show string=2 fret=5 text=5 fill-color=green color=white
show string=3 fret=9 text=5 fill-color=green color=white
show string=4 fret=2 text=5 fill-color=green color=white
show string=5 fret=7 text=5 fill-color=green color=white
show string=6 fret=0 text=5 fill-color=green color=white
show string=6 fret=12 text=5 fill-color=green color=white
show string=4 fret=14 text=5 fill-color=green color=white
show string=1 fret=1 text=b6 fill-color=mediumpurple color=white
show string=1 fret=13 text=b6 fill-color=mediumpurple color=white
show string=2 fret=6 text=b6 fill-color=mediumpurple color=white
show string=3 fret=10 text=b6 fill-color=mediumpurple color=white
show string=4 fret=3 text=b6 fill-color=mediumpurple color=white
show string=4 fret=15 text=b6 fill-color=mediumpurple color=white
show string=5 fret=8 text=b6 fill-color=mediumpurple color=white
show string=6 fret=1 text=b6 fill-color=mediumpurple color=white
show string=6 fret=13 text=b6 fill-color=mediumpurple color=white
show string=1 fret=2 text=6 fill-color=blueviolet color=white
show string=1 fret=14 text=6 fill-color=blueviolet color=white
show string=2 fret=7 text=6 fill-color=blueviolet color=white
show string=3 fret=11 text=6 fill-color=blueviolet color=white
show string=4 fret=4 text=6 fill-color=blueviolet color=white
show string=4 fret=16 text=6 fill-color=blueviolet color=white
show string=5 fret=9 text=6 fill-color=blueviolet color=white
show string=6 fret=2 text=6 fill-color=blueviolet color=white
show string=6 fret=14 text=6 fill-color=blueviolet color=white
show string=1 fret=3 text=b7 fill-color=blue color=white
show string=1 fret=15 text=b7 fill-color=blue color=white
show string=2 fret=8 text=b7 fill-color=blue color=white
show string=3 fret=0 text=b7 fill-color=blue color=white
show string=3 fret=12 text=b7 fill-color=blue color=white
show string=4 fret=5 text=b7 fill-color=blue color=white
show string=5 fret=10 text=b7 fill-color=blue color=white
show string=6 fret=3 text=b7 fill-color=blue color=white
show string=6 fret=15 text=b7 fill-color=blue color=white
show string=1 fret=4 text=j7 fill-color=lightblue color=black
show string=1 fret=16 text=j7 fill-color=lightblue color=black
show string=2 fret=9 text=j7 fill-color=lightblue color=black
show string=3 fret=1 text=j7 fill-color=lightblue color=black
show string=3 fret=13 text=j7 fill-color=lightblue color=black
show string=4 fret=6 text=j7 fill-color=lightblue color=black
show string=5 fret=11 text=j7 fill-color=lightblue color=black
show string=6 fret=4 text=j7 fill-color=lightblue color=black
show string=6 fret=16 text=j7 fill-color=lightblue color=black
show string=1 fret=6 text=b9 fill-color=lemonchiffon color=black
show string=2 fret=11 text=b9 fill-color=lemonchiffon color=black
show string=3 fret=3 text=b9 fill-color=lemonchiffon color=black
show string=3 fret=15 text=b9 fill-color=lemonchiffon color=black
show string=4 fret=8 text=b9 fill-color=lemonchiffon color=black
show string=5 fret=1 text=b9 fill-color=lemonchiffon color=black
show string=5 fret=13 text=b9 fill-color=lemonchiffon color=black
show string=6 fret=6 text=b9 fill-color=lemonchiffon color=black
show string=1 fret=7 text=9 fill-color=yellow color=black
show string=2 fret=0 text=9 fill-color=yellow color=black
show string=2 fret=12 text=9 fill-color=yellow color=black
show string=3 fret=4 text=9 fill-color=yellow color=black
show string=3 fret=16 text=9 fill-color=yellow color=black
show string=4 fret=9 text=9 fill-color=yellow color=black
show string=5 fret=2 text=9 fill-color=yellow color=black
show string=5 fret=14 text=9 fill-color=yellow color=black
show string=6 fret=7 text=9 fill-color=yellow color=black
Calculations
In order to calculate the intervals from one string to the next within the same fret,
you need to memorize the interval arithmetic:
| for strings E -> A, A -> D, D -> g, b -> e | Interval x + 4th |
| for strings e -> b, g -> D, D -> A, A -> E | Interval x + 5th |
| for string g -> b | Interval x + j3rd |
| for string b -> g | Interval x + b6th |
Intervals 4th, 5th, 3rd, b6th for all 12 intervals
| interval |
+4th |
+5th |
+j3rd |
+b6th |
| strings |
E, A, D, b |
e, g, D, A |
g |
b |
| 1 | 4 |
5 |
3 |
b6 |
| b9 | b5 |
b6 |
4 |
6 |
| 9 | 5 |
6 |
b5 |
b7 |
| b3 | b6 |
b7 |
5 |
j7 |
| 3 | 6 |
j7 |
b6 |
1 |
| 4 | b7 |
1 |
6 |
b9 |
| b5 | j7 |
b9 |
b7 |
9 |
| 5 | 1 |
9 |
j7 |
b3 |
| b6 | b9 |
b3 |
1 |
3 |
| 6 | 9 |
3 |
b9 |
4 |
| b7 | b3 |
4 |
9 |
b5 |
| j7 | 3 |
b5 |
b3 |
5 |
Circles of Intervals
- 4:
1
4
b7
b3
b6
b9
b5
j7
3
6
9
5
1
- 5:
1
5
9
6
3
j7
b5
b9
b6
b3
b7
4
1
- 3:
- 1, 3, b6, 1
- b9, 4, 6, b9
- 9, b5, b7, 9
- b3, 5, j7, b3
- b6:
- 1, b6, 3, 1
- b9, 6, 4, b9
- 9, b7, b5, 9
- b3, j7, 5, b3
Triads
Major