GUITAR FRET SPACING An overview by Oliver Robinson1. Introdu This paper answers the question; why are the frets on a guitar spaced in the way they are. This topic is not usually covered in guitar books to any great extent and hence the motivation to write this paper. 2. Musical Scale The starting point for the answer is the musical scale [or temperament] used in Western music known as the equally tempered scale or the chromatic scale. In this system, which became the standard from around 1850, keyboard instruments are designed so that between each octave are twelve intervals which define, excluding the octave notes, 11 other notes. These 11 taken with the lower octave note define a 12 note system which can be repeated higher or lower in frequency as required. The frequency of each note is related to the note before it by a constant number which we will call k. As shown in the table below, if we start with the note NOTE Cc c c Interval 1 cH kc KC Interval 2 D KC [kA2 C] kC# Interval 3 KRKC [KAS C] kD Interval 4 E KRKKC Tk™4 C] KES Interval 5 F KRKKKE [k*5 CJ KE Interval 6 Fe KRKKKKC [k*6 CI KF Interval 7 G KERKKKKKC [kA7 C] kre Interval 8 Git KRKKKEKKC [k*8 CT kG Interval 9 A KRKKKKKKKC [k*9 CT kGi Interval 10 Ba KERKKKKKKKKC TK*10 C]_[ kA Interval 11 B KRKKKKKKKKKC [kA 11 C]_[ KBE Interval 12 c KKKKKKKKKKKKC [k* 12 C] | KB C then the next note in the sequence has a frequency of k times that of C. The next has a frequency of k times k times that of C and so on. To find out what number k is. all we need to know is that when we get to the end of the pattern, ie the octave higher C, the frequency of this note must be twice that of the starting C. In otherwords k*12 must equal 2. If k*12 = 2 then k must be equal to the 12th root of 2, using a calculator it is found that k = 24[1/12] = 10594631. This number is at the foundation of the equally tempered scale. It is also the number that leads to the answer to our question Anather way of looking at this is to take the ratio of the multiplying factors for two adjacent notes. For example taking kkkkC/kkkC we get k. For any adjacent pair of notes this ratio will always be equal to k. This is why it is often stated that the chromatic scale has “equally spaced” notes, or a “constant ratio” between each note of the scale. Constant ratio means the ratio of the frequencies of adjacent notes in the scale is a constant factor, k. Why are the ratios of frequencies important? Because in any vibrating system it is the frequency of oscillation and multiples thereof which determine the properties of the system 3. Intervals We can now repeat the above table, this time entering actual numbers for the frequencies of each note and the multiplying factor relative to the root C note. NOTE Frequency [Hz] | Multiplying Factor c 261.6256 1.0000 Interval 1 Ci 277.1826 1.0595 Interval 2 D 293.6648 11225 Interval 3 3 311.1270 11892 Interval 4 E 329.6276 1.2599 Interval 5 F 349.2282 1.3348 Interval 6 7 369.9944 Taiz Interval 7 G 391, 9954 1.4983, Interval 8 GH 415.3047 15874 Interval 9 A 440.0000 16818 Interval 10. Ba 466.1638 17818 Interval 11 B 493.8833 1.8877 Interval 12 Cc 523.2511 2.0000 If we look at the multiplying factor for the interval from C to & we notice that it is close to 1.25 or 5/4. For C to F it is close to 1.3333 or 4/3 and the interval from C toGis very nearly a factor of 1.5 or 3/2. This is no coincidence, previous tuning systems had these exact ratios as they have been considered “perfect” ratios producing the most pleasing or consonant sounds to the ear. These systems were, in chronological order: Tuning System | Limitation Pythagorean Doesn’t work for enharmonic tones Just Intonation | Needs new tuning for every change of ke} Mean Tone. OK if keys with less than 3 # or 3 3's but out of tune in more complex keys. Equal No interval except the octave Is perfect but the differences are too Temperament__| small to hear. Can play music in any key without retuning. A det -d discussion of these tuning systems is beyond the scope of this paper. 4. Analysis Of Fret Spacing The fret spacing on the guitar must be designed so that the ratios of adjacent tone frequencies are equal to k = 24[1/12] = 1.05946. What determines the fundamental frequency of a vibrating string? There are two parameters involved; the length of the string [L] and the velocity of propagation [v]. They are related as follows F /2L The velocity can be reduced to two further parameters, tension in the string [T] and mass per unit length of the string [rho]. They are related as follows v = SQRT[T/rho] So the frequency increases if either the velocity increases or the length decreases. The velocity can increase if the tension increases or the mass/unit length decreases. This explains why the higher pitch strings on the guitar are thinner [low mass/unit length] and have a higher tension. It also explains why the pitch increases as a string Is fretted higher and higher on the neck, the effective length of the string is being reduced. For the purposes of this discussion it is this shortening of length when a string is fretted that is most important. If we assume that v does not change for a given guitar string then the frequency of its [fundamental] vibration is F 4/2t. In other words F is in inverse proportion to L. This means F changes by the same amount that L changes but in the opposite direction, if L decreases by an amount x then F increases by the same amount x. Since we want to make F change by a factor of k [1.05946] each time we move up one fret on the guitar then we need to make L change by an amount k as well. In the same way that k is a ratio of frequencies it must also be a ratio of lengths. The length from the bridge to the nut [L] and the length from the bridge to the first fret [Li] must have a ratio of k. That is L/L1 must or put another way L1 = L/k. This relation is shown in the diagram below.Fret 9 nut Fret? Bridge The ratio of the distance from the bridge to the first fret [L1] and the bridge to the second fret [L2] must = k. That is L1/L2 = k or L2 = Li/k. Since L1 = L/k we can write L2 = Uk/k or Vk? If we keep repeating this pattern we find that LB = L2//k = Lk /k = YkA3 L4 = 13/k UkA3/k UkA4 and so on In general for the Nth fret: LN LON-1)/k = L/kAn, 5. Discussion From the above we have seen that the formula for the distance from the bridge to the nth fret is L/k”n. There are two other distances that can be considered which are the Nut to Fret distance and the Inter Fret distance. Consid \9 the diagram above the distance from the Nut to the first fret is given by: L-Uk‘And the distance from the Nut to the second fret is L - L/k? and so on. In general the distance from the Nut to the nth fret is simply L - [distance from bridge to nth fret] which is L = L/k4n, Counting the nut as fret 0, the Inter fret distance from the nut [zero th] to the first fret is L~ L/k or L(1 - 1/k). If we take the term (1 - 1/k) and take the reciprocal of this and cail it m, ie m =_1/(1 ~ 1/k) then we can write this same distance as UL1/(1 ~ 1/K)] oF L/m. Given the value of k above the value of m works out to be: m = 17.8172 Considering the distance between fret 1 and fret 2: D = Uk ~ L/k? = [L~ L/kI/k = [L/m]/k = L/km = (L/k)/m Repeating this process we find that the distance between any two frets is always the bridge to fret distance of the previous fret divided by the factor m 6. Summary The following table summarizes all of the above formulae: Fret | Bridge - Fret Nut = Fret distance | Fret - Fret distance distance 0 [60 = /kx0 NO = 1-60 = 0) DO=0 1 Bl = W/kAL Ni = LB BO-B1, Ni-NO, BO/m 2 [B2 = /kA2 N2 = L-B2 B1-B2, N2-Ni, B1/m N_[6n = 1/k*n Nn = L-Bn B(n-1)-Bn, Nn-N(n-1), B(n=1)/m. The following table and chart shows numerical values for a typical value of L = 25.5in. All values are in inchesFretto | Nutto | Inter Fret | Inter Fret ] Inter Fret | Nut to Fret Bridge __| Fret Fret Spacing | Spacing | Spacing 1 | Spacing 2 | Spacing 3 | Normalized to 12th oO 25.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 (0.0000, 1 24.07 1.43 1.4312 [4.4312 | 4.4312 _| 0.1123 2 22.72, 2.78 1.3509 [1.3509 | 1.3509 | 0.2182 3 21.44 4.06 1.2751 [1.2751 [4.2751 | 0.3182 4 20.24 5.26 1.2035 [4.2035 [1.2035 _| 0.4126 5 19.10 6.40 1.1359 [4.1359 [4.1359 | 0.5017 6 18.03 7.47 1.0722 [1.0722 [1.0722 | 0.5858 7 17.02 8.48 1.0120 [1.0120 | 1.0120 | 0.6652 & 16.06 9.44 0.9552 [0.9552 | 0.9552__| 0.7401 9 15.16 10.34 0.9016 [0.9016 | 0.9016 | 0.8108 10 14.31 11.19 0.8510 [0.8510 | 0.8510 | 0.8775 1 13.51 11.99 0.8032 [0.8032 | 0.8032 _| 0.9405 12 12.75 12.75 0.7582 | 0.7582 | 0.7582__| 1.0000 13. 12.03 13.47 0.7156 10.7156 | 0.7156 | 1.0561 14 11.36 14.14 0.6754 [0.6754 | 0.6754 __| 1.1091 15 10.72 14.78 0.6375 | 0.6375 | 0.6375 __| 1.1591 16 10.12 15.38 0.6017 | 0.6017 | 0.6017 _| 1.2063 17 9.55 15.95 0.5680 [0.5680 0.5680 | 1.2508 18 9.02 16.48, 0.5361 [0.5361 | 0.5361__| 1.2929 19 8.51 16.99 0.5060 _|0.5060__|0.5060__| 1.3326 20 8.03 17.47 0.4776 | 0.4776 | 0.4776 _| 1.3700 21 7.58 17.92 0.4508 [0.4508 [0.4508 | 1.4054 22 7.16 18.34 0.4255 [0.4255 | 0.4255 _| 1.438825.5 in Guitar Fret Spacing 30.00 25.00 20.00 1.00 Fret to Bridge length (in) a8 ° 5 10 5 20 25 Fret Number 25.5 in Guitar Fret Spacing 30 2 20 6 10 5 ° Fret to Bridge Distance (in)7. References John R Pierce, All About Waves, MIT Press 1974, ISBN 0-262-16055-2 Sir James Jeans, Science & Music, Dover Press, 1968, ISBN 0-468-61964-8 arthur H. Benade, Horns, Strings, And Harmony, Dover Press, 1992, ISBN 0- 468-27331-8 Alexander Wood, The Physics of Music 6” Edition, University Paperbacks, 1965 John R Pierce, The Science of Musical Sound Revised Edition, W.H Freeman 1992, ISBN 0-7167-6005-3 Christine Ammer, The Harper Collins Dictionary of Music 2" edition, Harper Collins 1991 ISBN 0-06-461014-4