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Show HN: I created a game to memorize the fretboard

fretboardfly.com

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Re: Show HN: I created a game to memorize the fretboard

#31

Post by lowercased »

udit99 wrote: post #28
troupe wrote: post #26

You might consider starting with learning the open strings, then the first fret, then second, etc. The way it works now requires a level of expertise beyond what beginners are likely to have. But the idea looks great!

you're totally right. I'm an intermediate player myself so I kindof built it with an intermediate bias. Did you try the practice mode? There's no timer there and you can filter it by strings and frets so you can focus on a small area of the fretboard at a time. But yeah, as I mentioned in a couple other comments here, I plan to build a gradual learning module using spaced repetition that starts with a few notes at a…

You've mentioned practice mode a couple of times to folks. I don't see one. I see level 1a, then the rest of the levels are 'coming soon'. That's it. No practice mode.

EDIT: it's only after you choose a level - you can 'start' or 'practice'. gotcha.

EDIT2: alternate tunings seems to be a logical step. is that on your roadmap?

Re: Show HN: I created a game to memorize the fretboard

#32

Post by spondylosaurus »

I was gonna ask about a bass version but poked around in settings and found the option to toggle it—glad you didn't forget about us :)

My one suggestion there, then, is to perhaps make the guitar/bass toggle more prominent to grab the attention of four-string aficionados.

Re: Show HN: I created a game to memorize the fretboard

#33

Post by i_c_b »

udit99 wrote: post #25
i_c_b wrote: post #23

I like the general idea - I would like a game tool like this. (and before I give my feedback, I should say, I spent a year or two working on a solo indie Zelda/Diablo mishmash focused on teaching guitar fretboards and music theory back in 2006-2009. A video of that incomplete game is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6O32PFGZCE . It relied on players playing intervals and chords to cast spells, for both fighting…

your video of the game looks pretty awesome. I assume you're a game dev. Not being one myself, it looks very....elaborate and hard to build for someone with my skills. Regarding your feedback...yeah, I've gotten that feedback a lot. Thats part of the reason why I built the practice mode. Did you get a chance to try it? It doesnt have the timer and you can take your time counting notes to get better. And my favorite p…

Yeah, I have a deep game development background (both in industry and as an indie dev), but I've also worked closely for a number of years on building learning game prototypes with education professors from UW-Madison and CMU. So this is a space I'm super interested in.

I actually had added a comment that I ended up deleting about Duolingo (and Dragonbox, another educational game that I think structures learning pretty nicely). I was going to add the reference specifically because of their spaced repetition and incremental addition of skills, but then I deleted the comment because, well, those games are pretty elaborate, too, and I was mindful of the scope you looked like you were aiming for.

Re: Show HN: I created a game to memorize the fretboard

#34

Post by jessmartin »

udit99 wrote: post #22
pstuart wrote: post #15

I like the idea but one small UI request -- allow inverting the string layout please. I visualize from the top down (EADGBE) and it would be easier (for me) to practice in that mode.

ooohh...thats a new one. Are you left handed? Have you tried the left handed mode? Would that help? Is there anything unusual about how you play the guitar? Honestly, on first thought I'll keep this one on the backburner until more people ask for it

Same request. I really struggled to use it because I’m only ever looking “down” at my fretboard with the low E at the “top”. When I tried to hold my iPhone in that orientation, it flipped on me.

I had trouble mapping from your visual to my actual guitar. (I’m an intermediate player as well)

Re: Show HN: I created a game to memorize the fretboard

#35

Post by indigoabstract »

udit99 wrote: post #9
indigoabstract wrote: post #4

I like it, it's a great idea, at least in theory. I did something similar to the 'practice mode' some years ago, just for myself, did not publish it. I used the The Synthesis ToolKit (STK) C++ library for the guitar sounds. In the end, I didn't use it all that much, but I still believe in the idea. Maybe it's just hard to find the best expression/execution. One idea that comes to mind is to highlight or find the diff…

Thats a great idea about the voicings...I might build that as a separate module I think you should publish it if you still have the code...make it open source on Github and see if other people are interested in taking the idea forward

Yes, that could be an idea. Thanks for the encouragement.

Re: Show HN: I created a game to memorize the fretboard

#36

Post by udit99 »

spondylosaurus wrote: post #32

I was gonna ask about a bass version but poked around in settings and found the option to toggle it—glad you didn't forget about us :) My one suggestion there, then, is to perhaps make the guitar/bass toggle more prominent to grab the attention of four-string aficionados.

Glad you found it!! Noted. Once I have more time, I might build a bit of a new user walkthrough. Keep me posted it if you have more feedback Thanks

Re: Show HN: I created a game to memorize the fretboard

#37

Post by udit99 »

i_c_b wrote: post #33
udit99 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

your video of the game looks pretty awesome. I assume you're a game dev. Not being one myself, it looks very....elaborate and hard to build for someone with my skills. Regarding your feedback...yeah, I've gotten that feedback a lot. Thats part of the reason why I built the practice mode. Did you get a chance to try it? It doesnt have the timer and you can take your time counting notes to get better. And my favorite p…

Yeah, I have a deep game development background (both in industry and as an indie dev), but I've also worked closely for a number of years on building learning game prototypes with education professors from UW-Madison and CMU. So this is a space I'm super interested in. I actually had added a comment that I ended up deleting about Duolingo (and Dragonbox, another educational game that I think structures learning pret…

TBH, Im so high off of building something that finally gets some traction instead of sinking into oblivion that I'm freely making grand plans of building elaborate features instead of aggressively limiting scope like I really should. Oh well...this will fade anyways, let me have my dream roadmap for now.

Re: Show HN: I created a game to memorize the fretboard

#38

Post by udit99 »

aendruk wrote: post #27

What I see when trying to play the game: https://0x0.st/Hqgk.png

oh man....its somehow triggering the mobile device check to enforce landscape mode. Easiest fix is to drag the bottom edge up to make it more "landscapey" and it'll go away. I really should check for the desktop before I enforce the tilt device thing

Re: Show HN: I created a game to memorize the fretboard

#40

Post by udit99 »

lowercased wrote: post #31
udit99 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you're totally right. I'm an intermediate player myself so I kindof built it with an intermediate bias. Did you try the practice mode? There's no timer there and you can filter it by strings and frets so you can focus on a small area of the fretboard at a time. But yeah, as I mentioned in a couple other comments here, I plan to build a gradual learning module using spaced repetition that starts with a few notes at a…

You've mentioned practice mode a couple of times to folks. I don't see one. I see level 1a, then the rest of the levels are 'coming soon'. That's it. No practice mode. EDIT: it's only after you choose a level - you can 'start' or 'practice'. gotcha. EDIT2: alternate tunings seems to be a logical step. is that on your roadmap?

alternate tunings have been requested quite a bit and honestly its not super hard to build for this module but things get really wonky in the further levels. I really want to pareto-prioritize and right now alternate tunings are not making the cut.

To anyone else reading this, if alternate tunings are your thing, please leave a +1 to the parent comment or write to me on Twitter/reddit/discord, that ways I can gauge interest more accurately

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