Free Guitar Fretboard Notes Chart

The guitar fretboard notes, every one from open to the 12th fret, on three fretboards: all the notes, just the natural notes, and just the sharps and flats with both their names. Free in eight sizes, in US or UK music terms.

Guitar fretboard notes chart (Guitar Fretboard Notes Chart), Letter: Every Note on the Fretboard, The Natural Notes, Sharps and Flats — Make it yours: see it in another style
Dark Modern Minimal

The Guitar Fretboard Notes Chart poster in the Dark style — Make it yours: see it in another style
Dark Modern Minimal

All sizes and files

Size	Dimensions	Sections	US terms	UK terms
Letter	216 × 279 mm · 8.5 × 11 in	3	PDF, 124 KB	PDF, 124 KB
A4	210 × 297 mm · 8.3 × 11.7 in	3	PDF, 124 KB	PDF, 124 KB
11 × 17 in	279 × 432 mm · 11 × 17 in	4	PDF, 141 KB	PDF, 141 KB
A3	297 × 420 mm · 11.7 × 16.5 in	4	PDF, 139 KB	PDF, 139 KB
A2	420 × 594 mm · 16.5 × 23.4 in	4	PDF, 148 KB	PDF, 148 KB
18 × 24 in	18 × 24 in · 457 × 610 mm	4	PDF, 146 KB	PDF, 146 KB
A1	594 × 841 mm · 23.4 × 33.1 in	4	PDF, 224 KB	PDF, 224 KB
24 × 36 in	24 × 36 in · 610 × 914 mm	4	PDF, 224 KB	PDF, 224 KB

What’s on the guitar fretboard notes chart

Every note on the fretboard: all six strings in standard tuning (E A D G B E), open to the 12th fret. Natural notes are white; sharps and flats are colored and carry both names, so F♯ is also marked G♭.
The natural notes: just the letters A to G, the notes to learn first. You can see where E–F and B–C sit on neighboring frets, with no fret between them.
Sharps and flats: just the notes between the letters, five in every 12 frets on every string.
How to learn the fretboard (11 × 17 in and larger): five ways to find any note, from the low E and A strings and the fret dots to octave shapes and the 5th-fret rule guitarists tune by.

Every note is worked out from standard tuning and checked, fret by fret, and so is every example in the tips.

How to use it

Learn the low E and A strings first. The roots of most barre chords sit on them. Say the note names as you play up each string to the 12th fret.
Use the fret dots as landmarks. On the A string, the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th frets are C, D, E and F♯.
Find octaves: from the low E or A string, the same note an octave up is two strings higher and two frets on.
Remember the 12th fret: each string is back on its own note, so frets 13 to 24 repeat frets 1 to 12.
Name a shape you found: tap it into the chord identifier, which reads the notes off the fretboard and names the chord.

Learn it step by step

The poster is a reminder; these free lessons and guides teach each part, with notes you can play and hear.

Every Note on the Fretboard: Lesson 26: Half Steps and Whole Steps · Lesson 27: Sharps, Flats and Naturals
The Natural Notes: Lesson 26: Half Steps and Whole Steps
Sharps and Flats: Lesson 26: Half Steps and Whole Steps · Lesson 27: Sharps, Flats and Naturals
How to Learn the Fretboard: Lesson 26: Half Steps and Whole Steps · Intervals in Music

New to reading music?Start with lesson 1: free, in your browser, no account.

Start lesson 1

Questions

Is it really free? Yes. Download it, print as many copies as you like, and share the link. No email or account.

Why do some notes have two names? A sharp and a flat can be the same note: one fret above G is G♯, and one fret below A is A♭, the same fret. Which name you write depends on the key you’re playing in.

Does it work for drop D or other tunings? It’s drawn for standard tuning. In drop D, only the low string changes: every note on it is two frets higher than shown.

Which size should I print? Letter or A4 has all three fretboards. 11 × 17 in and larger add the five tips for learning the notes.