Every note in FretsNotes can be practiced in multiple ways. Not because we wanted a big number on the marketing page, but because each exercise mode builds a different dimension of musical understanding. Here’s what each one does and why it matters.

Notes & Staff

Read the Staff — You see a note on the treble clef and name it. This is the foundation: can you look at sheet music and know what note you’re seeing?

Place on Staff — The reverse: given a note name, place it on the staff. This builds the mental model in both directions.

Identify on Fretboard — A position on the fretboard is highlighted. What note is that? This connects the physical instrument to note names.

Find Position — Given a note name, tap the correct fret on the fretboard. Now you’re going from abstract knowledge to physical location.

Fretboard Mastery

Find All Positions — A note appears in multiple places on the guitar. Find every occurrence across all six strings. This builds the spatial awareness that advanced players rely on.

Enharmonic Match — F-sharp and G-flat are the same pitch. This exercise builds fluency with both spellings, which is essential for reading in different keys.

Listen & Learn — A no-stakes introduction mode. You hear a note, see the answer immediately on the staff and fretboard, and click next. No grading, no pressure. It’s how every new concept is introduced in the curriculum.

Play the Note — See a note, play it on your real guitar. The app uses microphone input to detect the pitch. This is where theory meets your fingers.

Ear Training

Hear & Name — Hear a note, identify it by name. Pure ear training: can you recognize pitches without visual cues?

Hear & Find — Hear a note, then find it on the fretboard. This connects your ear directly to the instrument.

Higher or Lower — Two notes play. Which one is higher? Simple concept, but fundamental to understanding melodic movement.

Melodic Contour — Hear a short sequence and identify its shape: ascending, descending, or mixed. This is the foundation of melody reading.

Intervals & Reading

Hear Interval — Two notes play. Name the interval: perfect fifth, major third, minor second. Interval recognition is what lets musicians play by ear.

Staff Interval — See two notes on the staff and name the interval between them. The visual counterpart to ear-based interval recognition.

Play Interval — See an interval, play it on your guitar. This is where interval knowledge becomes a physical skill.

Sight Read — Read notation and play in real time. The ultimate integration of staff reading, fretboard knowledge, and physical playing.

Why Multi-Modal Practice Works

The key insight is that knowing a note isn’t one skill — it’s many. You can know that the 3rd fret of the 2nd string is D without being able to hear D when it plays. You can read D on the staff without knowing where to find it on the fretboard. Each exercise mode addresses a different gap.

The mastery engine tracks your performance across all modes. If you’re great at reading the staff but struggle with ear training, the scheduler gives you more ear training prompts. You don’t waste time drilling what you already know.

Adaptive Difficulty

As you demonstrate mastery, the engine adapts. It might expand the fret range, add accidentals, include octave designations, or introduce time pressure. When you struggle, it dials back. The goal is to keep you in the zone where practice is challenging but not frustrating.

This combination — 16 modes, mastery tracking, and adaptive difficulty — is what makes FretsNotes different from drilling random flashcards. Every practice session is designed to close your specific gaps.