The Ultimate Guitar Reference Tool - Pocket GuitarRef Elite 2.0.1

Pocket GuitarRef Elite provides a comprehensive reference for chords, scales and modes. It also provides the ability to add and organize your favorite chords, scales and modes. There's even a chord discovery mode, in which you can tap on the fretboard for different notes and it will discover and display the chord name.

In addition to these features, which also exist in the original Pocket GuitarRef, this version adds sounds and progression composition ability.


Need help? The Frequently Asked Questions and troubleshooting section is here.

See Version History

Online help


Key features

Tuning

Includes the most common tunings for guitar. They are:

Name String Notes
Standard E EADGBE
Open E EBEG#BE
E Minor EBEGBE
Standard Eb EbAbDbGbBbEb
Open A EAEAC#E
Standard D DGCFAD
Open D DADF#AD
Standard Db DbGbBEAbDb
Open G DGDGBD
Standard C CFBbEbGC
G6th DGDGBE
Standard B BEADF#B
G Wahine DGDF#BD
Drop D DADGBE
Name String Notes
G Major GBDGBD
Double Drop D DADGBD
Open C CGCGCE
D6th DADF#BD
C6th CACGCE
D6/9 DADF#BE
C6th Mauna Loa CGCGAE
D Suspended DADGAD
Cmaj7/9 CGDGBE
Drop Db DbAbDbGbBbEb
Cmaj7 (Gabby) CGEGBE
C6/9 (Crafty) CGDAEG
Cyril C CGEGCE

Tunings can be set for left and right handed players, so that the strings and chords will look the same as on your guitar.


Four useful operational modes

Chord Discoverer

A free-form mode in which you can click on the fretboard to form your own chords. After each click, the program will try to determine what chord you have formed and displays it in the box at the bottom of the screen. Note: this feature is still in beta.

Chord Plotter

Displays chords according to the selection in each of the note, type and variation fields. There are 36 chord types, so for common chords, there are 2,592, while dynamically generated chords show up to 21,600 chords!

Standard Tuning (EADGBE) has the option to use dynamic chord generation (via the Tools menu) or static reference. There are 6 of the most common variations for each chord type stored in an internal reference table. When not in dynamic chord generation mode, the program will use this to reference and display chords. When using dynamic chord generation, the program uses an algorithm to find 50 variations of the chord and allows the user to see those. Only Standard Tuning chords have been put into the internal reference table. All other tunings use dynamic chord generation.

Display chords however you like. You can highlight the open and muted strings, show an icon or both. PGRef Elite is completely customizable according to your preferences.

Scales

Displays scales according to the selection in the note and type fields.

• 11 scale types:
Major
Natural Minor
Minor Harmonic
Minor Melodic
Minor Diatonic
Major Diatonic
Minor Pentatonic
Major Pentatonic
Blues
Whole Tone
Diminished

Option to show for max finger span or on entire fretboard
Option to scroll screen to scale to ensure its visibility
Option to exclude open strings from scale display

Modes

Displays modes according to the selection in the note and type fields.

• 7 mode types:
Ionian
Dorian
Phrygian
Lydian
Mixolydian
Aeolian
Locrian

• Option to show for max finger span or on entire fretboard
Option to scroll screen to scale to ensure its visibility
Option to exclude open strings from scale display


Favorites

Allows you to save specific chords, scales or modes. These favorites are shown for their respective mode. In other words, the favorites you have set for your chords while in Chord mode will not appear when in Scale mode. You are also allowed 10 favorites per tuning in each of the program modes.


Sounds

Sounds are a new and exciting feature of PGRef Elite. Sounds allow:

• Strumming of chords right on the screen in Plotter and Discoverer modes.
• Unlimited extensibility from free sound packs.
• Play button that plays strings in a picking pattern (or simple strum) that you define with loop ability.
• Unlimited pick pattern definition ability.
• Scales have 4 patterns (ascending, descending, ascending then descending, descending then ascending) with looping ability.
• Separate visible BPM (beats per minute) for chords and scales/modes. Can test BPM within options to hear what it sounds like.

Sound Packs

Sound packs are files that you can download and reference in PGRef Elite. The program senses and makes the sounds available once the program starts up. This allows the program to cater to every type of user, from those with limited memory to others that have much more room to play with.

There are currently basic sound packs, that have medium-quality, moderately-sized sound files for those that just want basic sound. Future packs will have high-quality, larger sound files, for those that want the highest quality sound available.


Progressions

Ever have a chord progression that you want to work on, but don't have the time, or it's just inconvenient? PGRef Elite allows you to play with chord progressions on the go. You pick your chord, string picking pattern, and # of times to play. This results in a pattern, which group together into progressions. You can even import and export your favorite progressions to share with others.

Progression Manager

The Progression Manager holds all over your progressions for easy viewing and access to editing. Progressions are categorized by their tuning. From here, you can add, edit and delete progressions, as well as see their details and even sample what they sound like.

The Progression Manager also allows import and export of progressions so that you can share your creations with the world.


Progression Editor

The Progression Editor allows easy editing and reordering of patterns.

All patterns and their relevant information is displayed clearly so you can get on with the important business of creating the next big hit!


Pattern Editor

The Pattern Editor shows all of a pattern's details:

  • Name
  • Strum or Pick Pattern
  • # of times to play

You can even test what the pattern will sound like before you commit to using it. All note information is displayed on the screen, so you're always kept informed.

 

Demo mode restrictions

All chords, scales & modes are restricted to the key of C.

 

Downloads

Choose the download below that's appropriate for your device. Purchased keys unlock both versions.

 

Installers (includes acoustic sound pack)

Additional Sound packs

File Version Size Description
1.0
2,015 KB
Acoustic guitar soundpack
spk_dirty.zip 1.0 2,056 KB Slightly distorted guitar soundpack
spk_heavy.zip 1.0 2,181 KB Heavily distorted guitar soundpack
spk_nylon.zip 1.0 2,034 KB Nylon-stringed guitar soundpack

Installation instructions

Sound packs can be uncompressed anywhere and pointed to by Pocket GuitarRef Elite in the Sound Settings.

Space requirements

The size required on your device for the installers above is 4.60 MB. Since sound is such an important element for Pocket GuitarRef Elite, the acoustic sound pack has been included with the install.

If your device cannot handle an installation of this size, you may want to consider evaluating Pocket GuitarRef, since its installed size is much lower.

 

Upgrading from Pocket GuitarRef

Please contact sales@pdainitiative.com with your complete order information to find out more.


Purchase

Note: When paying via PayPal, please include your device name, found under Settings->Owner Information so that we can generate you a key. After we have this value, you'll have your key within 24-48 hours.