Reading fretboard diagrams

You’ve seen fretboard diagrams already — in the explorer on chapter 1, and implicitly in this chapter and the ones to follow. This is the formal reference for how to read them.

Horizontal orientation

The diagrams on this site default to horizontal orientation — strings running left to right, headstock on the left. This mirrors what you see when you look down at the instrument in playing position.

Here’s a D minor chord, horizontal:

Reading it:

• The four horizontal lines are the four courses. The highest-pitch course (D) is on top; the lowest (C) is on the bottom. This matches standard tablature convention: high notes high on the page.
• The labels on the left (D, A, F, C) name the open-string note of each course.
• The vertical lines are frets. The thick black line on the far left is the nut — fret 0, the open string. Numbers under the diagram count the frets from left to right.
• The dots on the strings are notes you play. The rust-colored dot is the chord’s root note (D in this case). Teal-colored dots are other chord tones (F and A — the other notes of D minor).
• Hollow circles before the nut indicate that you should play that string open — without fretting it.
• The small grey dots below the strings are fret markers — they appear at frets 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 on a real bouzouki’s neck, helping you locate position visually.

Vertical orientation

The same chord, vertical:

Reading it:

• The four vertical lines are now the strings, running top to bottom. This time the lowest-pitch course (C) is on the LEFT and the highest (D) on the right.
• The horizontal lines are the frets. The thick black line at the top is the nut.
• Everything else — the colored dots, the open-string indicators, the markers — works the same way as in horizontal mode.

Vertical orientation matches the way chord diagrams are traditionally printed in songbooks and on the web. It’s also more compact on phone screens, which is why most chord references use it. Use the orientation toggle in the explorer to switch whichever feels more natural.

Reading note names vs. fingerings

On this site, position dots show the note name (D, F, A) — useful for understanding what you’re playing. Other resources show finger numbers (1 = index, 2 = middle, 3 = ring, 4 = pinky) — useful for knowing how to play.

The explorer’s “Show fingerings” mode (a Phase 3 addition we haven’t yet built) will let you toggle between the two. For now, when you see a position dot, read it as “play this note” — and look up the suggested fingering separately when you need to.

Compact chord diagrams in lyrics sheets

In bouzouki song sheets, you’ll often see chord names with tiny diagrams beside them, especially the first time each chord appears in the song. These compact diagrams are always vertical, usually show only 4-5 frets (starting from the nut or from a specific fret marked “fr5” or similar), and include numbers showing which fingers to use.

Once you can read the diagrams here, you’ll read those without trouble.

A second example

Here’s A minor, the most common chord in rebetiko, in both orientations:

The next two chapters introduce specific scales and chord shapes — which means you’ll be reading a lot of these diagrams. Make sure you can fluently read both orientations before moving on.

Recap

• Horizontal diagrams: strings run left-to-right, high pitch on top, headstock on left. Matches playing-position view.
• Vertical diagrams: strings run top-to-bottom, low pitch on the left, headstock at the top. Matches printed chord-chart convention.
• Rust dot = root note. Teal dot = other chord/scale tones. Hollow circle before the nut = play the open string.
• Fret markers (small grey dots) appear at the conventional fret positions on the real bouzouki — landmarks for finding your position.