Guitar exercises and notation - Riffonic

Play exercises from tabs and notation — Riffonic hears your guitar through an audio interface and shows hits in real time.

Riffonic is an interactive platform for learning guitar and bass, creating tabs and riffs, and training rhythm, chords, and technique directly in the browser.

How note recognition works

The exercise's notation and tab are compared with what you play. During a take, Riffonic listens to the incoming audio, identifies the pitch, and checks it against the expected note in the exercise. This helps you see not only where a note sits on the fretboard, but whether you played it at the right point in the phrase. Connect an instrument and check the selected audio input in Settings to receive a score. Without an input, you can still play along with the metronome, but note recognition cannot score the take. The most accurate recognition comes from connecting your guitar by cable through an audio interface (sound card); microphone input is not the main mode yet and is still being tested.

Recognition depends on the quality and level of the incoming signal. Select guitar or bass, make sure notes come through clearly, and reduce background noise. If the result often disagrees with what you played, check the input source and signal level before trying to compensate by playing faster.

Exercises in tab and on the fretboard

Choose a prepared exercise from the library or generate a new phrase. Exercises are grouped by scale and playing pattern, so you can work through positions and rhythmic variations rather than scan an unstructured list. Each exercise can be shown as tablature or on an interactive fretboard. Switch views to connect string and fret numbers with note names and their locations on the neck.

The library covers guitar and bass, with options depending on the selected instrument. Start with a short scale or familiar position before moving to a more complex phrase. If the material is new, inspect its notes and fingering first, then play it at a comfortable tempo.

How to train accuracy

Notes are marked as you play, and after a take you can review the accuracy percentage and see where notes were hit or missed. Treat the score as a way to spot recurring technical problems, not as a measure of musicality. If mistakes cluster around a string crossing, slow down that small section and practise the movement on its own.

Work in short sets. First aim for a clean sound at a tempo that gives your fretting and picking hands time to prepare. Repeat the passage several times, and raise the speed only after the result is stable. Compare not just the number, but also note consistency, attack accuracy, and how relaxed your hands feel.

Practising with feedback

Choose a one- or two-bar count-in, or start immediately. Loop a phrase when you want to repeat a difficult passage without manually returning to the beginning. Follow the cursor and note markings in the tab as you play; afterwards, revisit the missed notes instead of replaying the whole exercise unnecessarily.

If real-time scoring is distracting, play through once and review the result at the end. Then repeat the exercise with one focus in mind: rhythm, a string crossing, or clean tone. This turns feedback into a concrete plan for the next take.

Guitar and bass

Switch between guitar and bass in the player. Each instrument has its own exercise library and remembers its selected material, so changing to bass does not replace your current guitar exercise. Choose the instrument before you start and make sure the audio input is set up for the instrument you are holding.

A practical self-study loop is simple: choose a short exercise, read it in tab or on the fretboard, play with the count-in, review the result, and repeat only the difficult passage. For the next step, explore the guides to fretboard notes, finding notes quickly, and hand synchronization.