Yes, it’s really happening!! Linux support is something we get asked about fairly frequently so we’ve been working on creating a build that runs natively on Linux – and not having to use the Windows version via Wine!

Here’s a screenshot in case you can’t believe your ears..

So you’re probably now thinking “When can I have it?!” Well, we’re aiming for this year so keep you’re fingers crossed – why not send us a message to help keep us motivated on this one!

So, does Neck Diagrams run properly on Sonoma? YES!

You’ll be glad to hear that the current 2.3.4 build works fine on Ventura. This MacOS release is less drastic than e.g. the Big Sur release, which was a major pain in the backside for us, as we had to re-engineer a boatload of things due to all the changes Apple made under the hood…

There’s one known glitch though, which is that the startup splash image gets inverted after a couple of seconds then appears upside down! There’s a workaround for this minor issue in the 2.3.5 release coming soon.

The same things apply as with recent MacOS releases:

• you should have the most recent version of Neck Diagrams installed, which currently is v2.3.4
• versions older than v2.2.1 will not work properly, triggering repeated errors
• Neck Diagrams v1 (no longer supported) doesn’t work properly on Big Sur (v11), Monterey (v12) and this probably continues with Sonoma (v14).

The last ND1 release (v1.12) was in 2018 and all effort has been focused on ND2 since then, so if you’re an existing ND1 customer you can take advantage of the discounted ND1 to ND2 upgrade options

So, does Neck Diagrams run properly on Ventura? YES!

You’ll be glad to hear that the current 2.3.4 build works fine on Ventura. This MacOS release is less drastic than e.g. the Big Sur release, which was a major pain in the backside for us, as we had to re-engineer a boatload of things due to all the changes Apple made under the hood…

The same things apply as with recent MacOS releases:

• you should have the most recent version of Neck Diagrams installed, which currently is v2.3.4
• versions older than v2.2.1 will not work
• Neck Diagrams v1 doesn’t work properly on Big Sur (v11), Monterey (v12) and this unsurprising continues with Ventura (v13).

The last ND1 release (v1.12) was in 2018 and all effort has been focused on ND2 since then, so if you’re an existing ND1 customer you can take advantage of the discounted ND1 to ND2 upgrade options

Last year’s Big Sur release was a major pain in the backside for us, as we had to re-engineer a boatload of things due to all the changes Apple made under the hood.

So, is it safe to upgrade to Monterey without Neck Diagrams issues? YES!

You’ll be glad to hear that the current 2.2.1 build works fine on Monterey. This MacOS release is less drastic, fortunately.. The same caveats apply however as with the Big Sur release:

• you need to have v2.2.1 installed
• ND1 doesn’t work well on Monterey, as with Big Sur. The last ND1 release was in 2018 and all effort is in ND2 now, so if you’re an existing ND1 customer you can take advantage of the discounted ND1 to ND2 upgrade options

Apple has released Big Sur 11, the next-generation of the macOS operating system, and you may be considering upgrading your system.

This macOS release includes major changes under the hood – we’ll be keeping this post updated with our progress..

Big Sur compatible ND 2.2 has been released

We’re extremely happy to announce that ND 2.2 has exited beta and is now available for all Macs running Big Sur and any version as far back as and including 10.10 Yosemite, & also Windows systems for 10 as far back as 7!

If you were previously running the ND 2.2 Big Sur beta then please do download the newest build as it contains many changes since the beta release.

The 2.2 release is available from the Download page.

Changes

There’s a lot of changes since the previous release (2.1.4).

The full details are available on the Release Notes page.

Does the old Neck Diagrams 1 run on Big Sur?

Unfortunately not due to the considerable changes under the hood in Big Sur. ND1 is no longer supported – all our efforts are going into ND2!

If you’re running ND1 and plan to upgrade to Big Sur you’ll need to upgrade to ND2.

Frank Gambale’s Online Guitar School

Frank Gambale is hands down one of the best guitar players out there, and has been providing lesson content for several years. These days, Frank operates an online guitar school, and he posted a sweet video on how to practice scales in fun and creative ways.

Thanks Frank for sharing your mad skills, and those snazzy fretboards!!

Be sure to like Frank’s Facebook Page, and also checkout his Online Guitar School website.

Improving Your Workflow

The aim for the upcoming series of tutorials is to help users get the most out ND by understanding features in greater detail, improving workflow and enhancing productivity.

Here’s a short list of the kind of topics that can be expected:

• Preferences Configuration
• Instrument Library & Tunings
• Custom Templates
• Shortcut Commands
• Page Layout & Design Tips
• and much more…

If there’s a particular topic you would like to see covered by all means forward your suggestion to our Support Team.

Left Handed Diagrams

“Can ND create left handed fretboards?”

A question we often receive from both left handed guitarists and tutors with left handed students. For those who’re unsure, the answer is a resounding “Yes!”

With Neck Diagrams, users can now quickly draw up left handed versions of standard diagrams. Whether this is their own creations or simply making left handed versions of diagrams they find in magazines, books, DVD’s etc.

So, our first tutorial puts the (often forgotten about) Hendrixians top of the list for a change. But we’d still recommend the right handed majority spare two and a half minutes to watch the video, as there are some other tips they may pick up on.

So without further ado here’s the VIDEO we hope enjoy and get something out of it. Please subscribe to our Youtube channel to ensure you’re notified when new tutorials are published.

Yes, it’s true, Neck Diagrams is five already. The thing we’re not so sure of is where the time has gone?!?! Perhaps a look through the many updates since the first public release will shed some light on the 5 years since we released v1.0

Happy Birthday to…um… us!?!?

After an intense 18 months of relationship stressing development, March 2009 saw Justin (owner, designer, developer, support agent and bill payer) push the magic button that released Neck Diagrams to the public.

Since then it’s been full shred ahead. Many updates, even more tweaks and enhancements, a few language translations and some excellent reviews. All of which has led to Neck Diagrams being used around the globe by a variety of different user types, including top instructors, hobbyists, guitar magazines and authors.

Hopefully you’ve seen our new Tesimonials page which boasts some very kind words from our users. With this kind of support we’re confident that ND can become even more Rocktastic, especially considering what we’ve got planned for Version 2 which should hopefully be available end of 2014.

So it’s a big THANK YOU to our users, translators, beta testers, collaborators…. and a Happy Birthday to Neck Diagrams.

Best wishes

The Neck Diagrams Support Team

Soloing Over Chord Changes

Levi, a Neck Diagrams user, has created and shared a set of 5 videos plus a PDF booklet, all FOR FREE!

In the videos he demonstrates a series of ideas, and the booklet goes into more detail, complete with diagrams explaining concepts and theory. If you’ve not come across Levi before then bookmark his website like NOW!

Here’s the booklet and the first video, hit up Levi’s page for more!

Download Booklet

Check out the full lesson over at Levi’s site Playing Over Changes!

And be sure to take a good look around his website – you’ll find tons of great stuff there and on his YouTube channel!

How to Memorize Note Names on Guitar

If you, or indeed any of your students, are finding it tough to learn the names of the notes across the fretboard then make sure you check out this video.

There’s a whole host of ideas here, to help imprint those note names and locations into the grey cells. Doug has also provided all 13 exercises in a PDF file, which you can download by clicking the image to the right.

Oh hey, and don’t those fretboards look kinda familiar..

Check out the lesson on the Metal Method website.

Oh, and if you want a quick reference to the note names on the fretboard then see our handy diagram!