Scales & Root
PolyBoard keeps you in key by mapping the grid to your chosen scale. The LEDs show you which notes are in scale.
Selecting the Root Note
Section titled “Selecting the Root Note”Hold (bottom-left) to see the circle of fifths:
Tap a note to select it. Release Circle to go back to playing.
Why Circle of Fifths?
Section titled “Why Circle of Fifths?”Adjacent notes are musically related - they share most of the same notes in their scales. This makes it easy to find keys that work well together.
- Moving right = up a fifth (C → G → D → A…)
- Moving left = down a fifth (C → F → Bb → Eb…)
Selecting the Scale Type
Section titled “Selecting the Scale Type”Hold (second from bottom on left) to see scale options on the grid:
10 pads light up, each with a unique color. The current scale is bright, others are dim.
Available Scales
Section titled “Available Scales”| Scale | Sound |
|---|---|
| Major | Bright, happy |
| Minor | Dark, emotional |
| Pentatonic Major | Safe, can’t go wrong |
| Pentatonic Minor | Blues, rock |
| Dorian | Jazzy minor |
| Mixolydian | Bluesy major |
| Harmonic Minor | Classical, exotic |
| Blues | 6-note blues scale |
| Lydian | Dreamy, floaty major |
| Phrygian | Spanish, flamenco |
Tap to select. Release Double to go back to playing.
Visual Feedback
Section titled “Visual Feedback”The grid LEDs tell you what’s what:
| Brightness | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bright | Root note |
| Medium | In-scale note |
| Dim | Out-of-scale (chromatic) |
Root notes are your “home base” - land on them for resolution.
Scale Lock
Section titled “Scale Lock”Tap to toggle scale lock.
When locked:
- Out-of-scale pads are silent (black)
- You can only play notes in the current scale
- Impossible to hit a wrong note
Great for live performance or learning a new scale. The Quantise button turns orange when active.
Note: Scale lock is a global setting that applies to all pages and is not saved to flash.
The Isomorphic Grid
Section titled “The Isomorphic Grid”The 8x8 grid uses an isomorphic layout:
- Rows = Notes in the scale
- Columns = Same note, shifted by the interval
This means chord shapes are consistent. Learn a major triad shape once, and it works in every key.
Changing the Interval
Section titled “Changing the Interval”Hold + tap a page button to change how much each row shifts:
| Button | Interval | Semitones | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|
| + 1 | Minor 3rd | 3 | Compact |
| + 2 | Major 3rd | 4 | Guitar-ish |
| + 3 | Perfect 4th | 5 | Default, balanced |
| + 4 | Perfect 5th | 7 | Wide stretches |
Scale Transposition
Section titled “Scale Transposition”Use the arrow buttons to transpose the grid up or down within the scale:
- (Right arrow): Transpose up one scale degree
- (Left arrow): Transpose down one scale degree
- Both arrows together: Reset to neutral (0)
The range is ±7 scale degrees (one full octave). The bottom row LEDs show the current transposition level - all lit means neutral, LEDs turn off from left for positive transpose, from right for negative. This is scale-relative transposition - the pattern shifts by scale degrees, not semitones.