SFINX - Xenharmonic Guitar Learning App

 

SFINX - Xenharmonic Guitar Learning App

Stringed Fretted Instruments Notes Explorer

This free web-based app is designed to help you explore and experiment with xenharmonic (micro/macro-tonal) guitars.

Key Features:

• Generate scales and chord diagrams for custom tunings
• Play and find chord progressions on an interactive virtual guitar
• Utilize a built-in tuner and fretboard calculator

Basic Concepts:

• Xenharmonic Tuning: SFINX specializes in exploring tunings beyond the standard 12-tone equal temperament. Users can create custom tunings using decimal ratios or equal division.
• Virtual Guitar: The app provides an interactive virtual guitar interface to visualize and experiment with different tunings, scales, and chords.
• Preset Management: Users can save and load instrument and scale presets for quick access and experimentation.

Help:

Default presets include normal 12ed2 guitar and bass.
SFINX saves presets per browser, allowing you to import and export settings. Overwriting existing presets is possible, but remember to save the instrument preset after creating or modifying scales.

Tuning System

• Strings and Frets: Define the physical parameters of your virtual instrument.
• Decimal Ratio List: The program accepts intervals in decimal ratio, comma-separated. The last ratio represents the octave equivalent.
• Equal Division: Divide the octave into a specified number of equal intervals.
• Tuning Pattern: Determine the open string note of each string relative to the previous one. This allows for various tuning configurations, including drop tunings.
  Each string you add, also adds a control on its left that sets the open string note in relation with its previous string (that is why the lowest string doesn't have one).
  The standard guitar tuning pattern is 5, 5, 5, 4, 5.
  A one step drop tuning pattern is: 7, 5, 5, 4, 5.
• Lowest Pitch: Set the fundamental frequency of the lowest open string.
  In hertz. Sets the lowest possible pitch, that is the lowest open string, the only control for setting pitch directly.
• Interval Rulers: Measure intervals and string lengths for in-depth analysis.
  - The pink ruler marks always the equave.(the last number in the interval list, or the interval used for the division in equal-division systems)
  - The fixed green 12ed2 ruler is useful to measure other tunings, since most musicians are familiar with the role of those tempered 12, is easy to relate new tunings using the ruler for quick comparison. (it can be moved)
  For deeper interval analysis and measurement beyond the basic tools provided, explore my other app, 'Interval Rulers.' It visualizes intervals as an 'abstract guitar' or interval matrix, enabling complex calculations like successive reductions and chroma finding. Unlike SFINX, which focuses on a fixed interval matrix inherent to the guitar, 'Interval Rulers' offers a more flexible and comprehensive approach to interval exploration.

Visualization and Interaction

• Highlights: Select specific notes on the fretboard to focus on particular scales or chords.
  Each interval on the list gets a control, or with the equal-division system, each division gets a control.(Note: with non-integer divisions, this gets truncated, floored. So with 11.66 divisions, it will count 11, this is non-sense, yes).
  Here is where you set the scale to be displayed on the fretboard.
  Each marked note, adds a control for arpeggiate a chord.
  
• Chord Pattern: Define the notes for each chord position.
  Each string added, adds a control for selecting a note for the chord-row.
• Colors: Customize the appearance of notes based on:
  Single: Plain color.
  Class: Notes get a unique color by its class.
  Row: Colorize by chord row, controlled by the chord pattern.
• Arpeggiator: Play notes sequentially in different patterns (up, down, converge, diverge).
• Speed: Arpeggio note separation speed in seconds.
• Synth Sound: Choose from available sounds for the virtual guitar.

Additional Controls

• Width, Length, Zoom: Adjust the visual representation of the fretboard without affecting the tuning or sound.
• Note Length: Control the duration of played notes.
• Volume: Adjust the overall volume of the virtual guitar.
• Calculator ruler: Displays a ruler (orange) with the relative size of the string when hovering a fret.
• Size: Sets the nut to bridge length for calculations. In units.