If you’ve ever looked at a scale diagram and thought,
“I have no idea what to do with this,”
you’re not alone.
That’s exactly why I created FretDeck™.
It's a physical deck of cards that guitar players use to visualize the fretboard, unlock scales, and finally break out of the “box shape” trap.
In this guest post, I’ll show you 10 specific ways you can use FretDeck to make real progress—whether you're a beginner or a seasoned player who feels stuck.
Let’s get practical.
1. Shuffle and Draw a Scale a Day
Pull one card each morning. That’s your focus.
One pentatonic position. One root note. One key.
Practice prompt: Improvise using that shape for 10 minutes. Loop a chord or backing track. Make it musical.
Why it works: You’re not overwhelmed by a full book or lesson. You’re focused.
2. Target Intervals (Not Just Patterns)
Every FretDeck card highlights intervals—not just scale notes. That means you can:
- Find the root instantly
- Hear where the 3rds and 5ths land
- Learn how phrasing works
This is what separates players from noodle-ers.
Prompt: Choose two intervals (like b3 and 5) and build licks only using those two from your drawn card.
3. Play Horizontally, Not Just Vertically
Most guitarists play up and down a scale box.
FretDeck encourages you to connect notes across the neck, using one string, then two, then across the full shape.
Try this:
- Play the A minor pentatonic shape from the 5th fret (Pattern 1)
- Use only the G string
- Find all notes from that shape across the G string only
The fretboard starts to open sideways—just like solos do.
4. Write a Lick From Every Card You Pull
That’s right—compose.
Every card can become a lick lab.
Pull a card. Choose two strings. Find a bend, a slide, a double stop.
Build a 2–4 note phrase and repeat it in time. Then move it to another position.
This is how real players develop a vocabulary—not just technique.
Log it in a lick journal.
5. Use FretDeck to Practice Call and Response
Soloing isn't just playing notes—it's a conversation.
Here’s how:
- Pull a card
- Play a short phrase (the “call”)
- Repeat it with a twist (the “response”)
This builds your phrasing muscle and takes you far beyond just running up and down a scale.
Want to get better at guitar solos? This is how you think like a soloist.
6. Link Two Cards to Learn Transitions
Instead of memorizing five scale shapes all at once (overwhelming), use two cards at a time.
- Pull Pattern 1 and Pattern 2 in A minor pentatonic
- Practice moving from one to the other
- Focus on the shared notes
This method makes transitions visual and repeatable. You’re not guessing—you’re mapping.
Now you know where you are and where to go.
7. Use the Cards to Practice With a Jam Track
Don’t just “practice scales.”
Make music.
Here’s what works:
- Pull a card (let’s say C major pentatonic)
- Open a C major jam track
- Set a 5-minute timer
- Phrase ONLY using that one card shape
The limitation = creativity.
The musical context = learning that sticks.
This is how the pros practice—even if they don’t call it that.
8. Build a Solo Using the FretDeck Roadmap
Want to write a full solo?
Here’s the secret formula:
- Intro: Start with a lick from one card
- Middle: Transition to another position (pull a second card)
- Climax: Use bends and double stops (marked on the cards!)
- Outro: Return to your first phrase (resolution)
This is solo structure. Not guesswork.
It’s the kind of thinking you hear in Clapton, Mayer, and B.B. King.
9. Teach With It (Yes, Really)
Guitar teachers: FretDeck isn’t just a personal tool. It’s a teaching system.
Show your students how shapes connect Assign “Card of the Week” homework Use it during lessons to anchor scale discussions
It makes abstract theory visible. And students get it.
One teacher told me:
“I used to draw scale shapes on paper. Now I pull a card—and they finally understand it.”
10. Join the Discord and Level Up Together
Yes—we’ve got a Discord.
It’s called Guitar Freaks Hangout and it's where FretDeck users:
- Share videos of their licks
- Get feedback
- Join practice challenges
- Win free bonus cards
You don’t have to learn alone anymore.
And you don’t have to guess what to practice next.
Join the Guitar Freaks Hangout Discord
WRAP-UP: This Is More Than a Deck—It’s a System
You don’t need another course.
You need a map and a way to use it every single day.
That’s what FretDeck is.
No fluff. No theory overload.
Just guitar scales to practice that make sense and make you better.
Want One?
The FretDeck Kickstarter is now live.
All 60 pentatonic scale shapes Built-in modes Practice prompts, interval diagrams, and more No screen required
Click here to back the FretDeck campaign
If you're a guitar blog, YouTube channel, or gear site and want to share this post—or feature the FretDeck system—I’d love to collaborate.
Let’s get guitar players mastering the fretboard together.
Site: www.guitarfreaksblog.com
Author bio:
Justin Comstock
Hello and welcome! My name is Justin and helping people learn the guitar is my passion. In 2015 we created a product called FretDeck and launched it on Kickstarter in 2016. It was a successful campaign reaching thousands of aspiring guitar players, giving them a brand new view into the fretboard. From the young age of 11 I have been obsessively immersed in the techniques and theory used by legendary guitarists.
