An ear-first playground for guitarists and bassists. Find scales by sound and get around the whole fretboard. You open it and start playing.
Free on Windows and Mac, nothing to install
Free to start. Full version 30 € one-time, no subscription.
Developed with advice from Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry, Meshuggah, Kaipa) · featuring Per's original backing tracks
upScale changes the usual order. You hear a scale, sing it, see it on the neck, then play it. The shapes make sense because you already know how they sound, and the theory comes while you play.
Hit a chord and the fretboard shows you where to go. Chord tones glow, scale notes stay lit and the notes that clash fade back. Dare the grey ones and you hear why.
Choose a vibe and upScale sets the root, scale, chords and tempo for you. Or tap Random Play and get a fresh scale, progression and groove in one roll.
Drop into a backing track and upScale lights up the right scale and the notes that work, live, as the music plays. You never have to work out the key yourself. When a section is tricky, loop it and drill it.
The seven you already use sit up front. The colors and the wild stuff are one tap away when your ear is ready for them.
| Tier | What it is | You'll find |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | The seven scales every player meets in their first years. | Major, Natural Minor, Pentatonics, Blues, Dorian, Mixolydian |
| Colors | A step further out, used in jazz, neo-soul and film music. | Melodic & Harmonic Minor and their modes, Lydian, Phrygian, Locrian |
| Wild | The experimental zone. These scales are meant to sound strange. | Double Harmonic, Neapolitan, Whole-Tone, Diminished, Hirajoshi, Bebop |
Tap any scale for its mood, its uses and the scales it fits inside.
Prefer a big screen? Open upScale on your computer and play straight from the browser, free. You get the whole neck in one view, with more frets and more room to see where everything sits.
The backing tracks are Per Nilsson's original Fretboard Fighters tracks, and upScale was developed with his advice.
upScale is on the App Store and on Google Play. It is the same app as the browser version, on the device you actually play with.
No phone at hand? Play right now in your browser, free, nothing to install.
Honestly, it's perfect. I can't fault it.
Raphael De Stefano, guitar teacher and YouTuber, spent 17 minutes going through upScale. Watch on YouTube (in French).
A place to play guitar and bass, not a course. You explore scales, build progressions and improvise, and the theory sticks because you are playing.
No. You can start from a feeling and play in seconds. Scale names, modes and chord qualities are there when you want them.
Both. The fretboard renders for 4 to 9 strings with any custom tuning, standard, drop or extended range.
Yes. Paying Per Nilsson Patreon members get free access to upScale. Per will tell his members how on Patreon.
Yes, and it's free. upScale runs in your browser on Windows and Mac, nothing to install. The iOS and Android apps take it everywhere with you.
Right now, on every device. Download it on the App Store or on Google Play, or open it free in your browser on desktop, no install needed.
Write to support@upscale.li, or check the support page for what to include in a bug report and how refunds work on each store.
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upScale